Photo Exhibition “Images of Another Europe 1985-1989” to Open on September 14

In the last few years of the Cold War, from 1985 to 1989, an inspired young man decided to prove to the world that Europe, despite the political differences that kept it divided in two, was and remains one entity.

With a small camera that he keeps close to his heart, Constantin Pittas will scan the then-divided Europe, capturing countless hundreds of films the true face of the European citizen.

It records raw emotions of everyday people in Western and Eastern countries, as they are reflected through their gaze, eventually managing to record history itself.

The fall of the Berlin Wall will find him to be a witness in the city of Berlin and there, he will make the mindless decision to drop his project and leave the material of the photographs for a whole 25 years in a storage room.

Today, in Prague, we have the unique opportunity to see history in its human form unfolding before our eyes, and during this troubled period we live, to ask ourselves again: Is Europe, after all, a unique entity?

Looking at some of the photos, 1989 seems surprisingly long ago. And it must seem even more so for the young generation for whom the Iron Curtain is just a lesson in their history textbooks.

The photographic exhibition will take place at Clam Gallasův Palác Kalab’s Hall, from 14.09 to 24.09.2023. Opening hours: 9:00 – 18:00.

Address: Husova 158/20, Prague 1.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Constantin Pittas was born in Athens, Greece. He studied engineering at the Technical University of Athens. In 1984 he started photographing in the streets of his native city and till the end of this year, he made his first project about Athens and the Athenians.

In the next few years, he travelled extensively in Eastern and Western Europe, photographing Cold War Europe, people on both sides of the Wall.

In 1989, he abandoned this project and photography as well, and “buried” his work for 25 years. In 2014, completely by chance, he discovered his old photos in his storeroom.

In 2015 he published his book, “Images of Another Europe” and a year later, he had a large exhibition of his European photos at the Benaki Museum, in Athens