František Bílek – The Path to the Temple's Vestibule

The long-term exhibition "The Path to the Temple's Vestibule" in the Bílkova villa in Hradčany (GHMP, Mickiewiczova 233/1, Prague 6) is open from July 2, 2024 to June 1, 2026. It presents the early work of Art Nouveau symbolist František Bílek (1872–1941). The exhibition is curated by Hana Larvová, with installation design by Tomáš Svoboda. Sculptural works, drawings, prints, and the artist's own books and texts convey Bílek's distinctive interpretation of Christianity, rooted in a spiritual mystical world of symbols and allegories. Two key works by Bílek from this period are essential to understanding his vision – "The Building of the Future Temple Within Us" (1908) and "The Path" (1909). Bílek responds in these texts to his experiences during his study stay in Paris in the early 1890s, and especially to the esoteric work by French philosopher Édouard Schuré, "The Great Initiates" (Les Grands Initiés, 1889). In the Parisian intellectual milieu, where Czech painter Zdenka Braunerová introduced him, Bílek encountered Hermeticism, Occultism, and esoteric symbolism, which became the foundation of his entire artistic practice.

The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 to 18 o'clock. The maximum number of visitors on the upper floor of the villa is 15 people at a time (organized groups up to 30 people by arrangement). Groups of more than 5 people are advised to book in advance at vzdelavani@ghmp.cz. The building is not wheelchair accessible. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online via GoOut.