11. 4.–24. 5. 2025
opening: April 10th at 6 pm
UM Gallery, UMPRUM, nám. Jana Palacha 80, Prague 1
2025 marks a significant anniversary for UMPRUM, 140 years since its founding. In honor of this anniversary, an exhibition titled Book Series is on view at the UM Gallery. It is dedicated to the typographer, graphic designer, and one of the first post-revolutionary rectors of the school, Zdeněk Ziegler (1932-2023), along with many other beautiful books, including but not limited to his own works.
The primary aim of the exhibition is to present the phenomenon of the book series as a distinct and significant topic, relevant not only to professionals but also to readers. Thus, the exhibition features not only the works of Zdeněk Ziegler but also examples of both current and past practices by other selected artists from Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Many of these artists are closely connected with UMPRUM, whether as teachers, students, or both.
Curators Pavla Pauknerová, Zuzana Lednická, and Jan Čumlivski did not focus on presenting a historically comprehensive selection. Instead, their primary goal is to highlight the phenomenon of book editions and the high-quality graphic design often closely tied to them. In collaboration with other graphic designers, they curated a collection of sixty editions by various authors, spanning both the Czechoslovak era and contemporary publishing.
Zdeněk Ziegler’s book designs stand out within the diverse collection, particularly for their restrained and economical aesthetic. He left a lasting impact on Czechoslovak—and later Czech—book production. Beginning his collaborations with publishers as early as 1963, he created numerous book covers, graphic layouts, and a complete book series. His work was published by Československý spisovatel, SNKLHU, and later by Odeon, Svoboda, Mladá fronta, Avicenum, OIKOYMENH, Brody, Aulos, and the Franz Kafka Publishing House. His contributions in this field received frequent recognition, winning awards both at home and internationally.
“A book series is one of the fundamental pillars of publishing. Every publisher—even a small one—has at least one they stick to. It represents continuity, a link to what they were last year, what they were long ago, and a promise of what they might become if they persevere,” says Jan Čumlivski, one of the exhibition’s curators at the UM Gallery.
Just as the concept of a book series is built on seriality and continuity, the architectural design of the exhibition is also based on these principles. The books will be displayed on special pedestals created by the Činčera studio. Their arrangement will also highlight the connections between different publishing projects and individual authors.
The exhibition at the UM Gallery will be open until May 24th, 2025.
Exhibition curators: Pavla Pauknerová, Zuzana Lednická, and Jan Čumlivski.
Graphic design: Zuzana Lednická, and Jan Čumlivski.
Photography: Apolena Typltová
Exhibition design: O+M studio (Ondřej Čech and Monika Matějková).
Collaborating graphic designers: Klára Kvízová, Luboš Drtina, Petr Krejzek, Robert V. Novák, Pavlína Morháčová, Tereza Hejmová, Jana Hradková, Petr Bosák, Marek Cimbálník, Jaroslav Tvrdoň, Palo Bálik, Michal Tornyai, Jindřich Janíček, Jiří Mědílek, Aleš Najbrt, Juraj Horváth, Petr Babák, Tomáš Machek, and Anežka Hrubá Ciglerová.
Production: Šárka Váňová
Exhibition partners: Archive of Fine Arts, and Xao.