April 14, 2025

Tono Stano: Prague City Gallery Opens an Exhibition of Photographs

Exhibitions

Carefully Arranged Compositions with the Human Body in the Spotlight

The retrospective exhibition of Tono Stano, one of the most renowned photographers in Central Europe, will be on display at the GHMP exhibition spaces in the Municipal Library from 16 April to 24 August 2025. Stano's distinctive style is based on staged photography; however, in addition to classic portraiture, the exhibition also features his experimental and conceptual series. His collaboration with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), for which he created a series of portraits of world-famous film personalities and designed the main trophy, the Crystal Globe, will also be highlighted.

"Together with the artist, we delved into his extensive archive, and alongside his now iconic figural compositions, portraits and staged photographs, we discovered lesser-known and previously unpublished photos that helped us to recount the story of Tono Stano from new perspectives," explain the exhibition's curators Magdalena Juříková and Helena Musilová.

Since entering the art scene in the early 1980s, Stano's predominantly staged photographs have captivated audiences with their distinctive visuality, imagination, humour and sophistication. As a student of photography at FAMU in Prague, he distinguished himself with a sharp break from the established models of school practice, alongside his other classmates from Slovakia. His work has influenced generations of photographers both domestically and internationally. Stano is especially known for his figurative compositions, including the world-famous work Sense. "He carefully arranges individual scenes, creating various situations in which the human, particularly female, body is the key element. “Nudity in Stano's rendition is a natural part of human life, his photographs can be both titillating, humorous and provocative, as there is overstatement, a desire for beauty, greatness and infinity,” say the curators.

Tono Stano is also famous for his photographs of notable international and Czech cinema personalities, captured since 1997 during the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Though often regarded as the festival’s “official” portraitist, his collaboration began spontaneously.

To this day, he selects who he photographs, as well as the time and environment for each session. Most actresses, actors and film-makers appreciate Stano's unique approach and are eager to engage with the scenarios he designs. The resulting collection of photographs complements the festival’s equally original jingles. The retrospective will showcase the many facets of Stano's work: among others, his cycles White Shadow, Exterior and Cosmos, accompanied by "case studies" displayed in individual cabinets, along with a recollection of the key exhibition Play for Fourth.

"Tono Stano is an icon of Czech photography whose work transcends the boundaries of traditional art and opens the door to new perspectives. His work is visually precise, but also contemplative and even philosophical. I am very pleased that Prague, thanks to the GHMP, is organising an exhibition for this world-class artist. I wish all visitors an enriching experience,” says Prague's Deputy Mayor for Culture, Tourism, Heritage, National Minorities, Exhibitions Sector, and Animal Welfare, JUDr. Jiří Pospíšil.