Koudelka and the 1968 Invasion To commemorate the 21st anniversary of 21 August 1968 – the invasion of Russian armies to Czechoslovakia – the Old Town Hall in Prague prepared an exhibition of photographs from that period, taken by the famous Czech photographer and member of the world Magnum photo agency, Josef Koudelka. In 1968, i.e. in the period of the invasion, Koudelka took authentic snapshots of those events. He was merely thirty years old at that time. Even though he was not much involved in reportage photography, the given cycle is today perceived as one of the most impressive cycles documenting the 1968 events in Czechoslovakia. Many of the exhibited photographs have not been published yet. The shots were secretly transported to the West after the tragic events and Koudelka – who emigrated in the meantime – acknowledged his authorship only as late as in 1984 due to the threat of Communist repression. The exhibition, entitled “Invasion 68”, will be accompanied by a book of the same name, which will come out in the ranks of the Torst publishing in Prague. Josef Koudelka – INVASION 68 Old Town Hall, Old Town Square 1, Prague 1 Curator: Irena Šorfová 9 August – 10 September 2008
