When thinking of Prague most people will see narrow streets with cobble stone, renaissance and baroque facades, the Charles bridge etc. before their eyes. Prague has always been and still is a very touristic place. I can count on one hand how often I crossed the Charles Bridge during the last two years. I'd rather take some smaller hidden trails across the city.
Inspired by the Tunisian photographer, Wassim Ghozlani, who made a series called “Postcards from Tunisia” depicting everything BUT touristic spots in his home country, I thought this might also be a great idea for Prague. When wandering through the city I took photographs here and there. One morning in winter I went to the Strahov Stadium – a giant building on top of the castle hill which was build in the 1920ies during the First Czechoslovak Republic and was the biggest stadium at that time accommodating up to 250.000 spectators. It was used for mass performances by the national movement Sokol (Hawk) and later by the communists for their Spartakiada – a mass demonstration of synchronised gymnastics, large formations. Later on, the colossus was used as football training ground and for holding huge concerts. Bands that have played there include Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, U2 and Genesis. Currently, the stadium is partially rotting – too big to be demolishes, too big to be used for a reasonable purpose. It is the heritage of an epoque when mass ideologies were flourishing and needed a venue for expression with a strong political subtext.
Coming back to the winter morning, I went up to the first floor and through an open gateway I took some pictures peeking inside the grandstands with empty bench bases vanishing in the mist. The fog accentuated the atmosphere of an abandoned place whose purpose was corroded by time and which was left on top of the hill with an uncertain destination.
From that day on, I went back several times since the concrete colossus fascinated me and I started working on a little series. I also went on a guided tour which enables access to other parts of the stadium (see the organisation Open House Prahha.
By coincidence the pictures I took matched the motto of this year’s Blatenský Fotofestival, which is “Time” and my small series was accepted and will be be part of the exhibition. I am looking forward to presenting them at the two-day festival (21.-22.9.2024) in the charming Southern Bohemian town of Blatná. Join me there or read more about it later.
Have a save return from your holidays and take care,
Petra
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