It’s fall in Prague, and that means gallery openings are everywhere. Last week, the J&T Bank biennial art pop‑up caught my eye. And, to be honest, disappointed me. The original Bellevue site was beautiful (yes, one of the best views in Prague), but the building now sits empty and forlorn. The works inside didn’t redeem that loss. Many pieces felt forced, others just... ugly. In short, not what I was hoping for.

So when I saw the announcement for Momenty okamžiků at Galerie Václava Špály, I quietly held out hope. The poster said: figurative. Beautiful. I added it to my weekend list.

Come Saturday morning, I went. One of my favorite ways to see art is to go right when the gallery opens. Going early in the day has its perks: no opening-night chaos, no guided tours to navigate around. Just you and the work. Move between artworks on your own. Linger, breathe. Quiet rooms. No rush. The luxury of time. What a pleasure it was.

Finally, something beautiful

The portraits are mostly large-scale. Female forms, some nude, but never in a provocative way. There’s nothing loud or showy here. Instead, these portraits are quietly intimate. Some of the women look away. Others meet you directly. The balance of shyness and confidence feels human. Real.

It’s the kind of show I hadn’t seen in a while here. Quietly moving. Visually strong. Figurative without being decorative. You can feel the care behind each canvas.

Holding onto a moment

What I didn’t expect (and what made the show even more moving) is how much of it is based on memory. According to the curator, Velíšek doesn’t paint from live models but from emotional impressions. From moments. Fleeting glimpses of people who passed through his life and stayed, somehow.

He describes it as painting from impulses: a gesture, a presence, the way someone moved in space. He reaches for those stored impressions, lets them settle onto canvas in a way that feels almost subconscious. These aren’t portraits as records. They’re portraits as echoes.

That approach gives the show a softness I wasn’t expecting. A sense of stillness. You’re aware that something happened, but it’s already passed. And what remains is just the feeling of it.

Beauty that doesn't shout

There’s a lot of talk right now (in Prague and elsewhere) about pushing boundaries. And while that has its place, it often ends up meaning shows that are trying to shock, provoke, or simply overwhelm.

This isn’t that.

This show doesn’t raise its voice. It doesn’t need to. It stays with you because it’s considered. Thought through. Beautiful (at last!), but also emotionally quiet. In a way that lets you stop for a second and just... look.

In a season of loud openings and harder-to-love installations, this show reminded me that it’s still possible to find something thoughtful. Something beautiful. And honestly, that felt like a relief.

The show, by Martin Velíšek and curated by Petr Vaňous, is on view at Galerie Václava Špály, Národní 30, Praha 1, from 5 September to 19 October 2025. Interested in contemporary art? Follow along on Instagram @jzednickova for more gallery finds.