| 1918 |
Czech Republic proclaimed |
| 1920 |
Founding of the Devìtsil group
of artists in Prague, which was to become the Czech avant-garde's
most important organ. Several of its members devote themselves to
collages and photomontages. |
| 1922 |
Karel Teige publishes the
programmatic article Foto, Kino, Film in Zivot |
| 1923 |
Exhibition by the Devìtsil group
in the Rudolfinum in Prague. Jaroslav Rössler displays experimental
and abstract works. |
| 1924 |
The Franco-Czech Alliance
signed.
Karel Teige publishes the first manifesto of Poetismus in
the magazine Host. The magazine Pásmo is
founded in Brno. In Paris Galerie John Levy stages the "L' art
moderne tschecoslovaque", while in Prague contemporary German
art is celebrated, with works by Otto Dix, Oscar Kokoschka, Emil
Nolde and others. |
| 1926 |
Abeceda published, providing
a new way of blending poetry, photography and prints. Third Devìtsilexhibition
in the Rudlofinum in Prague in which Man Ray and Le Corbusier also
display works |
| 1927 |
Edited by Karel Teige, ReD,
the famous Devìtsil magazine, appears for the first
time. Josef Sudek opens his first studio in Prague. |
| 1928 |
First Salon international
dev la photographie in Prague. Teige publishes his second manifesto
of Poetismus. |
| 1929 |
Union of leftist intellectuals
in Levá fronta with Karel Teige as President. The
albun Les nus de Drtikol appears in Paris. Czech artists
display photographs and photomontages at the Film und Foto exhibition
in Stuttgart. |
| 1930 |
Das Lichtbild exhibition
in Munich with works by Berda, Sudek and Teige. Jindrích Štyrský publishes Érotická revue,
which appears until 1933. Jaromír Funke begins his best-known
series Le temps qui dure, which he completes in 1934. Nouvelle
Photographie exhibition in Prague. |
| 1931 |
First edition of the La photographie tschecoslovaque almanac, exhibition with works by Arp, de Chirico, Ernst, Masson Míro, Picabia and Tanguy in Prague. |
| 1933 |
Founding of the Fotolinie group
of photographers. Following Hitler’s seizure of power, John
Heartfield emigrates to Prague. |
| 1934 |
Emergence of a Czech Surrealist
Association. Štyrský produces his L’homme
aux Oeillères and L’Homme-grenouille cycles. |
| 1935 |
First Surrealist exhibition.
Accompanied by Paul Éluard, André Breton gives lectures
in Prague and Brno. Drtikol gives up photography in order to devote
himself to painting, meditation and the study of oriental religions. |
| 1938 |
The Munich Agreement is signed,
transferring the Sudetenland to Germany. Drtikol's La Femme
en Lumière appears in Prague. |
| 1939 |
Encouraged by Hitler,
Slovakia declares independence. The German Wehrmacht occupies Czech
regions. The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia is declared. The
works of the artistic avant-garde appear underground, numerous
artists emigrate and others are interred in concentration camps.
The Hundert Jahre Photographie exhibition is held in Prague |
| 1941 |
Jindrich Heisler hides in
Marie Toyen’s apartment until the end of the war. Secret publication
of a photo album by Štyrský with copy by Heisler. |
| 1942 |
Group 42 is set up in response
to the war, its members including Miroslav Hák and Jirì Kolár.
Members of the Ra Group secretly publish Poupées
mises en Morceaux. |
| 1943 |
La photographie tchèque moderne appears
in Prague. |
| 1945 |
Prague is liberated and the
German army capitulates. Soviet troops invade. Influenced by the
war Vilém Reichmann begins his La ville blessée series. |
| 1947 |
Opening of the Moderne
Photographie in der Tschechoslowakei exhibition in the Museum
für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna. Toyen and Heisler settle in
Paris in order to join Breton's Surrealist group. |
| 1948 |
Prague putsch and communist
victory, which will last 40 years. |
