Tim Burton opened a retrospective exhibition The Returns showing 50 years of creation and 600 exhibits in Prague – DesignMag.cz

May 4, 2024 –– events –– Ondrej Krynek

Until September 30, 2024, it is possible to visit the Tim Burton exhibition subtitled Returns, which spectacularly commemorates the more than 50-year career of the famous American director, artist, designer and screenwriter, in the Municipal House in Prague. The author of many famous films is remembered in the Czech Republic with installations, sculptures, drawings, sketches, puppets or photographs. In total, it is possible to view 600 works.

“I grew up in Burbank, California, and there wasn’t much of a show culture there. Apart from visiting the Hollywood Panopticon, I didn’t get into any museums until I was a teenager. I spent most of my time watching movies and shows about monsters, drawing whatever I could think of and …playing in the graveyard. When I later started visiting museums, I was surprised that I experienced similar feelings in them as when I saw monuments and graves. Those places have a quiet, brooding, yet electrifying atmosphere. Full of suspense, mystery and discovery – they bring life and death together. So when the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) approached me in 2008 with an offer to organize an exhibition of my artwork, I felt honored, but also uncertain,” says Tim Burton about his exhibition.

“Already before, various people encouraged me to exhibit my work. But I never drew or painted with the intention of bragging about it to someone. Fortunately, I didn’t refuse and I’m glad. If only because letting go of one’s own restraint was difficult, but at the same time wonderful. It gave me the opportunity to travel and share the experience with people in all the other places the exhibition traveled to. I am extremely pleased that since 2008 my team has put together the third exhibition (2008 for MoMU, 2014 for Prague and now again for Prague). 10 years ago I was enchanted by its atmosphere, now I look forward to it just as much, even if it will be in a different place. I fell in love with Prague because of its Gothic beauty, weakness for puppets and marionettes, and also because of its inhabitants – which probably includes you. Thank you for invitation! I trust you will enjoy the exhibition,” added Burton.

Tim Burton is famous above all for his original style projected in basically all of his films. The most famous is of course Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks, Sleepy Hollow, Dwarf and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Devil’s Barber of Fleet Street and more. The narrative quality of his films combined with the elaborate details and individuality are unsurpassed and he is considered a star in his genre. He is also one of the few, if not the only one, who organizes exhibitions of his work in a different way for film screens.

Read more articles about the exhibition and Tim Burton

Photo: Jan Hromadko
Source: Tim Burton Prague