Diving into the creative world of David Lynch, the Up in Flames exhibition showcases his drawings, photography, lithographs, watercolours, and a mix of short experimental and animated films.
Opening in Prague in June, it will give visitors a chance to explore his work across all stages of his career, from the late 1960s right up to today.
A big part of the show includes pieces on loan from the David Lynch Estate in Los Angeles. But you’ll also see plenty of lithographs and photos that were made at Item éditions in Paris. Called Up in Flames, the exhibition will take over the main gallery space at DOX, and there’ll be loads of extra events too—especially ones tied to film, experimental music, and contemporary literature.
David Lynch, Man Laughing, 2013 © Item éditions
The whole idea for the exhibition came together gradually over the years. One of the key steps in making it happen was finally getting in touch with Lynch himself in 2024, thanks in large part to Patrice Forest from Item éditions, who helped make that connection.
“We wanted to present the project to David Lynch in advance as his artistic oeuvre is so extensive that even with a large exhibition space such as DOX it was necessary to narrow down the selection of works. It was important to consider the exhibition as a whole – its structure and the rhythm in which the works enter into dialogue with each other, giving rise to new connections and contexts. David Lynch acquainted himself with the project during our personal meeting, and he had no objections to the proposed concept or the selection itself,” says curator Otto M. Urban.
Sadly, everything changed when news broke of David Lynch’s sudden passing on January 16.
“David and I spoke about this show the day before he passed. He loved the images he’d seen of DOX and was looking forward to seeing his art in that space. He had confidence in Otto, and he was excited to share his work with the people of Prague. When he died, it seemed like the world stopped turning and time froze. There was never a doubt that we wanted the show to continue, but the logistics of meeting the original opening date became daunting and more complicated. The only way that we could do the show – and do it right – would be to push the opening and buy us some time. It’s not ideal, but this is an unprecedented circumstance. I’m so grateful to Otto, Leoš, Michaela, and everyone at DOX for understanding and for giving us the time needed to put on a show worthy of David’s work!” adds Michael T. Barile from the David Lynch Estate.
The exhibition Up in Flames will open at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague and will run from 19 June 2025 until 8 February 2026.
