Štěpán Mareš, one of the Czech Republic’s best-known caricaturists, is currently exhibiting his work in the open air in Prague 5. The exhibition in Smíchov offers an entertaining and poignant retrospective of his decades-long career.
A walk through Portheimka Park or along the pedestrian zone near St Wenceslas Church (Kostel svatého Václava) is currently doubly worthwhile: until 31 August, exhibition panels showcasing the work of Czech cartoonist and comic artist Štěpán Mareš will be on display. The exhibition, entitled Mezi světy (Between Worlds), offers a multifaceted insight into the work of an artist who has been navigating different forms of expression and media for over three decades.
‘We are very pleased to welcome Štěpán Mareš to Prague 5,’ said District Mayor Lukáš Herold (ODS) at the opening of the exhibition on 10 July. Herold, who has known the artist for around twenty years, is an avowed fan: ‘I love his humour. His characters and his style – for me, that’s the best there is.’
When asked about the significance of political satire, Herold said in conversation with actress Simona Chytrová, who is currently filming a documentary about Mareš: ‘If kings once had court jesters who held up a mirror to them, then today’s caricaturists take on exactly that role. And Štěpán Mareš does it particularly well.’
Mareš is delighted with the exhibition in Smíchov. ‘I am very happy to be able to present my work here in this beautiful park,’ said the artist. The exhibition features caricatures, comics, free painting and illustrations.
Mareš became known primarily for his satirical comic Zelený Raoul, which appeared in Reflex magazine for 28 years. The main character – a green alien – regularly commented on political events in the Czech Republic.
‘When we started in 1995, we received two to three thousand letters every week for the first three or four months – most of them full of threats,’ Mareš recalls. ‘But after six months, the mood changed. Then we received hundreds, thousands of letters from people who wanted us to continue at all costs.’
Reflecting on social developments, the cartoonist is critical: ‘The 1990s were freer. Back then, you could say, draw and write whatever you wanted. Today it’s different – the times are overly correct.’
