Běla Kolářová & Emila Medková: Where No One Looked Before / Muzeum Susch

Muzeum Susch is launching a new exhibition and research program that focuses on 20th-century women's photography, covering avant-garde, documentary, socially engaged, and feminist photography. This initiative aims to highlight the contributions of female photographers globally, challenging the historically male-dominated narrative of photography. The program will explore the diverse and radical approaches these women brought to the medium, often using photography as an accessible art form due to limited recognition and resources.

The inaugural exhibition, "Běla Kolářová & Emila Medková: Where No One Looked Before," showcases the works of two pioneering Czech photographers. Emila Medková, associated with Czechoslovak Surrealism, created visually enigmatic photographs with dream-like qualities, often featuring female figures as shadowy, unsettling presences. Běla Kolářová, linked with Constructivism, used everyday objects in her photography to reveal unseen aspects of reality. She developed techniques such as ‘artificial negatives’ to capture what eludes the human eye.

Both artists used photography to unveil hidden dimensions of reality, challenging conventional perceptions. Kolářová's works are held in major international collections, while Medková's photographs, characterized by their complex layers and social-political tensions, are also internationally recognized. This program aims to enrich the understanding of photography's history through the lens of these influential women.

The exhibition Běla Kolářová & Emila Medková: Where No One Looked Before at Muzeum Susch runs until November 3, 2024.

Běla Kolářová & Emila Medková: Where No One Looked Before. Muzeum Susch, Switzerland, July 20, 2024.