Karel Teige: Captain of the Avant-Garde

Art theorist and critic, graphic designer, author, and translator Karel Teige is today recognized not just as the creator of internationally acclaimed Surrealist collages, but also as a leading figure of the European avant-garde. Teige spent his entire life commenting on and interpreting developments in the visual arts. His multifaceted theoretical writings helped shape the conceptual foundations of modern art, and his activities and intensive contacts with other members of the European avant-garde helped secure Czech art’s place on the international art scene. His work anticipated, initiated, and helped to develop the progressive artistic movements that fundamentally influenced art in the 20th century. 
The comprehensive monograph Karel Teige – Captain of the Avant-Garde, written by the young art historian Rey Michalová, takes a wide-ranging look at the evolution of Teige’s ideological, theoretical, cultural, and political views, and recalls important moments in his life and their significance within the international context. The book includes a rich set of illustrations, photographs from his life, and examples of his unique collages and graphic design.