The Brothers Topol, or Notes from the Prague Underground

• In Event: New Approaches to Czechoslovak Dissent

Abstract

The brothers Jachym (b. 1962) and Filip (1963-2013) Topol represent the second generation of dissent, the generation that grew up when the rules of dissent were already written, who were too young to have a say in major documents such as the Charter but were old enough to be arrested for signing it. They created alternative arts in the form of zines, music shows, and DIY-happenings, less so in traditional art forms, and thus challenged the status quo in both the previous generation’s underground and official art scene.

Author

• Daniel Webster Pratt, McGill U (Canada)