State symbols, postage stamps, banknotes, logos of institutions, as well as books, road signs, the orientation system in the Prague Metro, product packaging, and film posters – they’re all part of the Czech national identity. How were these iconic designs created, and who’s behind them?
Ladislav Sutnar, Karel Teige, Alfons Mucha, Zdeněk Ziegler, Jan Solpera, Rostislav Vaněk, Clara Istlerová, Petr Babák, Robert V. Novák, Tomáš Brousil, Marek Pistora, František Štorm, Zuzana Lednická – these names are just part of the long list of personalities who have participated in or are participating in the creation of the Czech nation’s image, or who have shaped the public space and its transformation from the 20th century to the present. There hasn’t yet been a mapping of the field of graphic design in the Czech Republic; it has long been respected abroad, and the work of its leading figures would each be worthy of monographs. Through a TV series, a book, exhibitions, and a feature-length documentary, the Identity project pays tribute to the outstanding artists who have shaped Czech design.