Pražská muzejní noc

Tourism is a modern phenomenon whose origins date back to the late 18th century. How much has it changed from its beginnings to the present day? How does it affect people’s daily lives? How are destinations around the world changing as a result of tourism? What are its positives and negatives? And what does the future hold for the travel of 7 billion people across our planet? Tourism is a multifaceted phenomenon that today seems self-evident, a natural part of our lives. In reality, however, it is a surprisingly young “invention.” It emerged only at the end of the 18th century alongside the Industrial Revolution, a shift in the perception of time, the development of transportation, bourgeois culture, and new ideas about leisure, health, nature, and romantic experiences. Today, tourism is primarily about the tourists themselves. The history of tourism is not just the history of places, but above all the history of people—of all of us. The unchecked boom in tourism began in the second half of the 20th century and has gradually brought with it global problems. In this exhibition installation, we aim to illustrate the transformation by which the daring travels of individuals became a mass phenomenon that reshaped the landscape, cities, the human body, and our imagination. We aim to present tourism as a cultural practice, a lifestyle, and a way in which contemporary people seek meaning, beauty, regeneration, adventure—and sometimes even themselves. We seek to address critical issues regarding tourism’s impact on society, nature, cities, and entire countries; its environmental consequences; the issue of overtourism; and the overall unsustainability of this current global situation. The exhibition Tourism: Our Luxury, Our Suffering is created in collaboration with Jan Pezda, author of the book Sun, Water, Air. It combines documentary materials, data, and expert information with works of art by contemporary artists. Exhibitors: Tereza Bonaventurová, Kateřina Šedá, TIMO, Vladimír Turner, Tomáš Vodňanský Curators: Fuczik and Jan Pezda

Tourism: Our Luxury, Our Agony

Gallery Atrium Žižkov

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