DOX Centre for Contemporary Art

DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague

DOX is a little way out of the centre in Holešovice. Opened in 2008, it’s in a converted factory giving it 3000 square metres of internal and external space for hosting a variety of exhibitions. DOX does not carry a permanent exhibition so you’ll normally find two or three exhibits at any given time with one of them being promoted. Don’t be put off by the “Contemporary” label as you’ll find many interesting things to see that will challenge your outlook and prompt a degree of discussion. For anybody staying in Holesovice it’s a 5-10 minute walk.

graffiti earth without art is just eh — Intellectual Graffiti

Admission is very reasonable at less than CZK200 for an adult and their “family” ticket requires 2 adults but does not restrict the number of children. Full-time students get 50% off the adult price and full-time art students get even more. DOX generally charges a single admission unless there is a very special exhibit or “round table” which requires an extra charge.

What’s the Ethos?

According to the website the name DOX comes from the Greek “doxa” for having an opinion or a way of perceiving things. It certainly strives to raise the importance of social issues, building relationships and pushing the accepted boundaries of design. You’ll find a lot of engagement and co-operation between DOX and the most gifted designers and innovators of the day.

What Can You See at DOX?

Like I said, the exhibitions come and go so check the DOX Website for details but at the time of writing there was a physical Gulliver’s Airship http://www.dox.cz/en/premises-and-shops/airship (called Open Air) built on the roof, a Vaclav Havel Bio and a display called “Lines of Freedom” by two Arab artists using cartoons to portray recent events. On previous visits I’ve seen a design exhibition about buildings that were never built, post 1950’s sci-fi art and a photo record of life in Israel. Actually the last one was also a “round table” event with pieces of the work being presented and described by none other than the Curator of Photographs at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Attitude to Children

Anybody that’s visited a museum or cultural arts centre with children will understand this section. Tired of being “trailed” by nervous security? Not able to enjoy the art without your kids being on a lead? Then DOX will be fine for you as they are pretty much child-friendly. The only exception to that would be the discussion groups where they delve into the topic and don’t appreciate any disturbances. As you’ll see by perusing their website, there is a tremendous effort to engage young people and schools.