Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Kendice
- Artist: Josef Koudelka
- Date: 1966
- Medium: Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper
- Dimensions: image: 352 × 538 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Kendice” by Josef Koudelka, taken in 1966. It’s a gelatin‑silver print on paper, about 352 × 538 mm. Koudelka, born in 1938, is a Czech photographer known for his stark, intimate images of ordinary people. Here, he shows a quiet street scene in the town of Kendice, in what was then Czechoslovakia. The photograph captures the mood of the era—quiet, a hint of tension, and the everyday life that was being watched under an oppressive regime. The image sits in the Artist and Society exhibition, which runs from March 2025 to July 2026. It was brought into the collection in 2025 with support from the Photography Acquisitions Committee and Michael A. Chesser. The print’s high contrast and subtle tonal range make it a striking example of Koudelka’s skill at turning ordinary moments into compelling visual statements.
See it in person
Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Kendice is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
