A guided tour through Prague’s most provocative art – In the footsteps of David Černý

If you think Prague is only from Gothic towers, baroque facades and romantic alleys If you know the city well, then this tour will surprise you. As your guide, I’ll take you on a journey through the other side of the city today – a world full of… provocation, irony and black humor. The focus is on a name that still shapes Prague today: David Černý.

Historical Provocation & Parody

Our tour begins in the famous Lucerna Passage – and immediately with a real statement. A horse hangs above us. Dead. Upside down. And on its belly sits Saint Wenceslas. What seems like a surreal nightmare is a deliberate inversion of the Czech national symbol from Wenceslas Square. Černý poses the question here: What remains of heroism when it is questioned?

At this point, I like to tell my guests about one of the most spectacular moments in Černý’s career: the pink tank from 1991. Back then, he illegally painted a Soviet monument – ​​an act that made him instantly famous. And just a few minutes from here, we come across another work with political impact: the Trabant on legs. This sculpture commemorates the dramatic escape of many East German citizens via Prague in 1989 – a tangible piece of European history.

Technology & Mechanics in Public Spaces

Next, we’ll visit one of the city’s most fascinating installations: Kafka’s Head. I always pause here for a moment, because this artwork captivates everyone. Forty-two stainless steel rings rotate independently until suddenly—almost magically—Franz Kafka’s face takes shape. Then it disintegrates again. A play of technology and identity that perfectly reflects Kafka’s complex personality.

Just a few streets away, I’ll show you a work that many visitors initially struggle to categorize: giant mechanical butterflies on the facade of a department store. They move, light up at night, and seem almost alive. Originally intended as a temporary installation, they are now an integral part of modern Prague – a beautiful example of how art can permanently transform urban space.

Everyday absurdities & hidden details

Now things get curious. I stop on Husova Street, look up – and wait for my group’s reaction. There hangs Sigmund Freud. Just like that. Clinging to the roof with one hand, as if he might fall at any moment. Many initially mistake the figure for the real thing – and that’s precisely what makes this artwork so captivating. It plays with perception, fear, and surprise.

Not far away, we discover a small, easily overlooked detail: a glowing embryo attached to a drainpipe. It seems almost out of place in the historic cityscape – and that’s precisely the intention. Right next to it is an unusual memorial to Václav Havel: not a traditional monument, but an installation made of everyday objects like cigarette butts and a pencil. Remembrance could hardly be more personal or honest.

A real highlight awaits at the Kafka Museum: two bronze figures urinating into a basin – and “writing” texts in the process. Yes, really. Their movements are programmed to form quotations from Czech literature. It becomes clear to everyone at this point: Černý knows no taboos.

The global brand: Kampa babies

On Kampa Island, it becomes almost iconic. Here they crawl: black babies with barcodes on their faces. I like to call them Černý’s “visual business card,” because they’ve long since become world-famous. What’s particularly impressive is that the same figures also climb the Žižkov TV tower—an image you won’t soon forget.

Many of my guests ask me at this point: What do these babies actually mean? And that’s precisely what’s so fascinating – Černý doesn’t give a clear answer. Everyone interprets them differently: as a critique of surveillance, as a symbol of loss of identity, or simply as absurd art in public spaces.

The grand finale in Smíchov

To conclude our tour, we travel to Smíchov. A former transformer station now houses the so-called “MusEum”—a combination of gallery, studio, and think tank. Here you can discover works that haven’t found a place in public spaces: larger, more provocative, sometimes even more personal.

I always recommend taking your time here. Only when you look at the whole picture does it become clear how multifaceted Černý’s work is – and how strongly it continues to shape Prague to this day.

Why this tour is really worthwhile

This tour is not a typical city tour. It’s a change of perspective. You won’t just see Prague as… Historical backdrop, but as a vibrant place that constantly reinvents itself. A dynamic emerges between tradition and provocation that makes this city so unique.

And that is exactly what I always want to convey to my guests: Prague is not just beautiful – Prague thinks, provokes and surprises.