The articles in this issue on the subject of Czech surrealism are adapted from papers given at the conference Platform to Prague: an International Conference on Czech Surrealism, organised by the AHRB Research Centre for Studies of Surrealism at the University of Essex on 30 September-1 October 2004. The articles were selected to represent the contributions to the conference from scholars based in the UK, Czech Republic and USA, and to reflect the range of themes discussed over the two days. (For more information about the conference, please click on: surrealismcentre.ac.uk/documents/PostConfWebWriteUp.doc).
The selection of texts covers a range of subjects, including photography, poetry, and collective creativity. The texts by Lenka Bydûovská, leading scholar and curator of Czech surrealism, and Bruno Solarik, member of the current Czech and Slovak surrealist group, tell a little of the story of Czech surrealism from its origins in 1934 to its contemporary position. Both serve to emphasise two important points concurrent within the history of surrealism: firstly, that the Czech movement has been under-represented internationally both in terms of research and exhibitions, and, secondly, that, under the many guises of repression, it has continued to be a vital force of collective surrealist expression.
The 2004 conference acted as an introduction to Czech surrealism for many present. By publishing some of the papers here we hope to reach a wider audience of scholars and students of surrealism. We also welcome further contributions on the theme, in the form of articles, reviews, and translations. The language barrier is an obvious obstacle for non-Czech readers when researching this area, and we would like to thank Dr Susan Reynolds, Curator of Czech, Slovak and Lusation Collections at the British Library, for her generous assistance with translations for the Czech sections in the journal. The AHRB Research Centre for Studies of Surrealism and its Legacies is currently planning a translation project of key texts. We particularly welcome any assistance with this ‘good cause’!
Donna Roberts, conference organiser and guest editor of Papers of Surrealism, issue 3
