“No other king has ever endowed the cathedral so generously and nobly,” writes the medieval chronicler František Pražský about Charles IV. He thus recalls the emperor’s fundamental, yet sometimes overlooked, activity: the collecting and exhibiting of saints’ relics. The exhibition Fragments of Memory at the Prague Castle Riding Hall, connects medieval artifacts—now distant or alien in meaning—with contemporary art. It encourages reflection on the relationship between past and present.

Emperor Charles IV not only fulfilled his dream of building a Gothic cathedral at Prague Castle, but also deliberately expanded and enriched the treasury of St Vitus. This became the most striking evidence of royal ambition supported by the intercession of heavenly patrons. It remains a testament to faith and hope, and to stories that can be understood only through objects that form an integral part of European memory.

Works by world-renowned artists invite us to reflect on these themes. How are we to interpret Edmund de Waal's cryptic structures? What do Josef Koudelka's photographic documents convey? What tale is told by Gerhard Richter's mirror turned toward the past, or by Julian Rosefeldt's dreamlike film narrative? The works of Mark Wallinger and Francis Bacon reflect on the Judeo-Christian traditions of Western civilization. The abuse of (state) power is a common theme in the work of Anselm Kiefer, Magdalena Jetelová and Joseph Beuys. But are we prepared to look back and learn from our own past?

The exhibition presents diverse approaches to interpreting objects, history, and the present. Humanity has gained power by building extensive information networks, which societies and political systems have used to pursue their goals. Democratic systems enable the free flow of information through independent channels, whereas totalitarian regimes centralise information in a single hub. Even the collection of relics from Prague Cathedral can be viewed as one of the Church's powerful communication tool, though only fragments of its former grandeur remain.

The author and main curator of the exhibition is Jiří Fajt.
The collaborating curators are Lennard Hoffmann and Vladimír Kelnar.

The exhibition is organized by the Prague Castle Administration,
with the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus in Prague as its main partner.