Landscapes by Tomáš Nadrchal at Karlštejn Chateau

On Saturday, May 23rd, we officially opened my second exhibition — and the first one where I’m exhibiting my work on my own. Two years ago, when my colleagues and I occupied the exhibition wall in the Enterprise building during the Colors of the World exhibition, I remember thinking that it definitely wouldn’t be my last exhibition.

Final touches...

And I’m incredibly happy that I managed to arrange gallery space at Karlštejn Chateau here at home in Svratouch. There are many reasons why this place means so much to me… Most people in the Czech Republic don’t even know there are actually two Karlštejns — and anyone who knows “ours” already knows which one is more beautiful. I grew up nearby, roughly two kilometers away on foot. We used to come here for walks, cross-country skiing trips, bike rides, and as kids we often sneaked up into the attic thanks to my friend, where there used to be some kind of playroom. I absolutely loved the chateau as a child. It even “saved us” once when we had to hide from a storm with hail during a bike trip. And my grandfather celebrated his 80th birthday here. Then, six years ago, I photographed the interiors of the newly renovated chateau and saw the gallery space for the first time — and ever since then I dreamed of having an exhibition here.

Now it finally happened with an exhibition rather simply titled “Landscapes by Tomáš Nadrchal”, where I present around twenty photographs from my work. It’s a huge honor for me to exhibit in a place where works by artists such as Zdeněk Burian, František Cína-Jelínek, and in recent years some of the leading Czech glass artists, have been displayed. We even kept several glass exhibits in the gallery because during installation we realized they complemented the canvas prints on the walls beautifully and added another layer to the exhibition.

Thanks to the gallery’s fragmented layout, I was able to divide the exhibition into eight separate chapters connected by a common thread of minimalism, light, silence, and the romantic atmosphere of fleeting moments that nature often offers only for a few brief minutes. The exhibition also includes photographs that I haven’t published anywhere before, especially in the chapter called “My New Home”, dedicated to the Posázaví region. There is also a comparison of both Czech Karlštejns — just so visitors can fully understand that ours is the prettier one...:) The “Towers” section captures iconic landmarks from perspectives that only a few were lucky to see. I also touch on astrophotography, which I would like to explore more in the future, as well as my beloved South Moravia in the chapter “My Second Home”, since I spend a lot of time there not only photographing, but also tasting more and more vintages of excellent Moravian wine.

Saturday’s opening ceremony was the cherry on top of preparations that lasted for more than a year. The event turned out wonderfully and I’m already looking forward to reading the comments in the guest book. My only regret is that we didn’t take more photos during the opening itself — but you probably know the saying about the shoemaker’s children going barefoot. At least it’s a lesson for next time :). If you’d like to visit the exhibition, the gallery is part of the chateau tour. Until summer, tours take place on weekends, and during summer every day. Please check the chateau’s website for exact opening hours. And if any of the photographs catches your eye and you’d like to hang it at home, all proceeds from sales will go to charitable causes supporting people with autism spectrum disorders.

And how much time do you have to visit? More than half a year — the exhibition will remain at the chateau until early December… :)