Is I someone else? GHMP opens an exhibition on the doppelgänger phenomenon
Prague City Gallery presents the exhibition The Double. Curated by Kristýna Jirátová, it will be on display at the GHMP Zvon space from 14 November 2025 to 5 April 2026. The exhibition presents a carefully selected collection of works of art by a hundred of Czech and international artists from the 20th century to the present day, with some overlaps into earlier art.
Seeing oneself, considered a bad omen and often associated with predicting misfortune or even death, has appeared frequently in literature and art since the Romantic period. The struggle between good and evil within a person is one of the most common causes of split personality. Long before the emergence of the generally negative image of the double, however, ancient cultures perceived the spiritual doppelganger as a protective figure.
In the historic building of the Stone Bell House, visitors will be introduced to the theme of the exhibition through works by artists such as Jan Zrzavý, Andy Warhol, Jan Švankmajer, Josef Bolf, František Kupka, Dora Maar, Ivan Pinkava, Adam Štech, Jiří Černický, Milena Dopitová, Jiří Sopko, Květa Válová, Jitka Válová, Bohumil Kubišta, Petra Oriešková, Man Ray, Vladimír Kokolia, František Drtikol, and others.
The double is an archetypal theme, stretching from ancient mythologies and legends to today’s rapidly evolving digital world. "This is a subject closely linked primarily to a person's own identity, which has appeared in texts and images for many centuries, with its content and meaning changing due to the influence of different cultures, eras, folk tales, religious and philosophical interpretations, literary adaptations and personal testimonies," says the exhibition curator Kristýna Jirátová.
It is a phenomenon offering a great number of perspectives that cannot be fully encompassed. Therefore, the exhibition focuses on several key areas: Belief in the Double, Split and Multiple Personalities, Alter Ego, Mirror, Shadow and Digital Double. The Prague City Gallery is also publishing an accompanying publication for the exhibition, offering a more comprehensive and contextual analysis of the theme, written by the curator and co-authors specialising in philosophy, literature and psychology (Stanislava Fedrová, Iva Andrejsová, Tomáš Koblížek and Martin Skála).
"The exhibition The Double demonstrates that the theme of identity and the search for one's own image is not just a question of the present, but has accompanied humans throughout the centuries. With this project, the Prague City Gallery once again confirms its role as an institution capable of connecting tradition with current social issues and providing the public with a deeper insight into the world of art and ourselves," adds JUDr. Jiří Pospíšil, Deputy Mayor of Prague for Culture, Tourism, Heritage, Exhibitions Sector, National Minorities and Animal Welfare.
Petra Oriešková, Two Beings, 1994
Adam Štech, Woman with Telephone, 2024
Jakub Čuška, Shadow, 2023
Filip Kůrka, A Duckie for Charon, 2025
Ivan Pinkava, Double, 2015
Ivan Pinkava, Incest (Twins), 1999
Ivan Pinkava, Portrait for Oscar Wilde, 1986
Ivan Pinkava, Narcissus, 1997
Jiří Baštýř, Self-Portrait (Continuum), 2023
Jakub Janovský, The Ghost, 2024
Jakub Janovský, Leisure Circle, 2022
Jiří Černický, Progress, 1998–2002
Jiří Černický, The First Mass-Produced Schizophrenia, 1998
Karolína Netolická, A Digital Prayer, 2021
Petra Oriešková, Untitled (Lady with Dog), 1966
Petra Oriešková, The Friend, 1990
Adam Štech, Houellebecq, 2025
Jakub Čuška, Twins, 2023
František Drtikol, Nude (Scream, Scream of the Night), 1932
Lubomír Typlt, Great Shouting, 2022
Lubomír Typlt, Laughing, 2006
Jan Švankmajer, Here Lived and Suffered E. Š., 1994
Artwork photos in print quality are available here
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
© Jan Kolský
Exhibition photos in print quality are available here
14 November 2025 – 5 April 2026
Curator: Kristýna Jirátová
Designer of the exhibition: Tomáš Džadoň
Graphic design: Jana Vahalíková
GHMP Zvon, Staroměstské náměstí 605/13, 110 00 Prague 1 – Old Town
Open: Tue–Sun 10 a.m.– 8 p.m.
For up-to-date information on the exhibition, accompanying programmes, guided tours and educational activities, please visit our web.
Tickets are available through the GoOut network and at the GHMP box offices.
The exhibition is held under the auspices of Mgr. Martin Baxa, Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic.
The exhibition was supported by a grant from the Museums and Galleries Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
A catalogue of the same name as the exhibition was published to accompany it, supported by a grant from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and with the financial support of the patrons of GHMP, to whom we hereby express our gratitude: Vladimíra and Ivo Popardowski – ABAS IPS Management, Eva Skalová – ALMOND, Petra and Tomáš Tesař – Nadační fond MEDIRECO and Visions Entertainment, s.r.o.
Media partners: Art Antiques, Elle, ArtMap, FlashArt, Fotograf, Artikl, Artalk, A2, Aerokina, Radio 1
Prague City Gallery manages a total of seven buildings. To enhance orientation for visitors, the gallery is gradually introducing unifying names for them in 2025.
Municipal Library, 2nd floor → GHMP Knihovna
The Stone Bell House → GHMP Zvon
House of Photography → GHMP Dům fotografie
Troja Château→ GHMP Zámek Troja
Villa Bílek → GHMP Bílkova vila
František Bílek's House in Chýnov → GHMP Bílkův dům
Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace → GHMP Colloredo-Mansfeld