When we decided to create the book THE ART OF LIVING, our goal was to celebrate the unique beauty and spiritual wealth of the Church of St. Barbara in Kutná Hora, which this year, along with the entire city, is celebrating the significant 30th anniversary of its inclusion on the UNESCO list. Our book naturally follows the photography exhibition also titled THE ART OF LIVING, which can be seen until the end of 2025 in the southern empora directly in the church. This exhibition inspired the idea to capture this atmosphere permanently – in words and images.
The author of the inspiring texts is Father Vladislav Brokeš, whose words became a sensitive accompaniment to the photographs taken for the book by the photographers: David Vančišin, Ivan Popl, Jan Šmok, Vladislav Brokeš, and the duo Aleš Otava and Hanka Krejbichová. Each photo was carefully selected so that the observer of the exhibition, as well as the reader of the book, could immerse themselves in the harmony of architecture, spirituality, and the beauty of everyday moments of life in the church. In one of the texts, it is written, "the light of this church is a challenge for all of us: to be a light for others – in everyday decisions, in relationships, in work." This idea permeates the entire book and reminds us that every action of ours has profound meaning.
With great pride, we also present a unique element of the book – a magnetic pin featuring the stunning vault of the main nave of the Church of St. Barbara. This vault captivated us so much that we transferred its pattern into our church merchandise. Readers can easily detach the pin and attach it to a jacket, bag, or anywhere else, keeping a piece of the beautiful Barbara with them at all times.
During the creation process, we paid maximum attention to details – from the choice of paper to the selection of format and font, as well as the precise graphic design, which we collaborated on with the graphic studio Brandfathers, specifically with Jakub Hájek and Jan Soukup. Collaboration with the printing house Studio Press from Prague allowed us to achieve the highest quality, as we wanted the book to express our vision of harmony and cooperation not only in content but also in form. "Each of us is like a piece of stained glass. By itself, it may not look exceptional, but together with others, it creates a beautiful whole, in which everyone has their unique role," as you will aptly find in one of the texts.
Our book THE ART OF LIVING is not just a publication; it is an expression of our deep love for the Kutná Hora jewel, the Church of St. Barbara. We hope that everyone who opens it will feel the same joy and inspiration that we experienced during its creation.
Kristýna Drahotová
Photo gallery from the festive presentation of the book here.
