Opening: Portraits of Inspirational Men

Portraits of Inspirational Men is an exhibition of photographs by Pavel Kořínek, which appeared in Veronika Koříneková's book of interviews How to Raise a Boy, published by Argo in June 2024. The portraits were taken during interviews in living rooms, studies, gardens, but also in castles, at concerts and at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Jana Sokol, Pavel Pafek, Karel Schwarzenberg, Jiří Drahoš, Arnošt Goldflam, Michal Horáček, Michael Kocáb, Petr Pithart and Tomáš Sedláček can thus be seen in the photographs from a more human perspective than we are used to seeing in the media. In unstyled portraits from places that are or were closest to them.

"I was a little afraid to photograph Karel Schwarzenberg. In his office at Dřevíč Castle, a chandelier by Bořek Šípek shone into my lens, and when I saw Magor's Swan Songs and Dáša Vokatá's album on the chair, I calmed down a little. But only a little. When he asked, "Is that a Canon?" I just replied, "Yes, it is." I couldn't manage anything more. The last photo was taken after his death. John Bok raises a glass in honour of the prince at the Lucerna Music Bar. This was followed by a climb up endless stairs to the flat, in front of which hung a long coat and hat on a coat rack. Michal Horáček invited us to the roof terrace with a magnificent view of Prague, and the reflections in the glass railing came completely free of charge. When we mentioned the roof terrace to Tomáš Sedláček, he said, "I also have a roof with a view." And so, before the interview in his grandfather's charming painting studio, we climbed through the attic full of cobwebs and found ourselves at the chimneys of the house just below Prague Castle. I started photographing Petr Pithart in his study in an unusual way. I was handed a leash with a request to first walk his blind fox terrier. He pulled me through the park from bench to bench, and I didn't even need the leash." Pavel Kořínek



The opening will take place on Tuesday, 18 November at 5 p.m., in the presence of photographer Pavel Kořínek, who will personally guide you through the exhibition. The alternative electronic duo Echoing Souls will perform during the evening. We cordially invite you to attend.

You can then viewthe exhibition free of charge on both floors of the Eurocentrum Jablonec foyer from Wednesday 19 November to Wednesday 31 December on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pavel Kořínek was born in 1982 in Frýdlant. He studied at the local grammar school. He worked as a technologist, production manager in the plastics industry and designer at Škoda Auto in Mladá Boleslav. During this time, he trained as a photographer in the studio of Prague photographer Zdeněk Rerych. He began writing poetry and in 2010 published a collection entitled MOUSEHOLEum. After suffering a serious illness in 2018, he focused solely on photography and writing. He now works as a documentary filmmaker for the Post Bellum organisation and as a freelance photographer. He has long been documenting Berlin's U-Bahn and has been working in a private studio in Prague since the beginning of 2025. www.pavelkorinek.com

About the book Jak vychovat chlapce (How to Raise Boys), from which the photographs are taken (the book will be available for purchase during the opening on 18 November): In 2018, Veronika Kořínková's life changed when her husband was taken away by ambulance and she was left alone with two young sons. While caring for them, she thought about how to raise her boys to be good, wise and kind men. She therefore decided to ask men whom she respects, not only for their professional achievements, but also for their character. She was interested in what shaped them – their childhood, parents, education, cultural role models and faith. This resulted in an original book of interviews with personalities from the arts, politics, philosophy, natural sciences, medicine and economics. In the end, the man for whom the project was created, Pavel Kořínek, joined the project, taking photographs for the book and bringing the interviewees even closer.