LIFE BEHIND WALLS – Face to Face with North Korea

The multimedia festival Life Behind Walls: North Korea is the largest event about North Korea and North Korean refugees not only in the Czech Republic but across Europe. It runs from May 8–20, 2026 in Hall 13 of Holešovická tržnice (Bubenské nábřeží 306/13, Prague 7). Across 1,500 m² an immersive installation draws visitors behind the walls of the world's most closed-off country. The festival was created under the direction of Korean studies scholar and writer Nina Špitálníková, who has long documented testimonies of people fleeing totalitarianism. Visual design is by architect Barbara Bencová, whose architectural approach gradually immerses visitors in North Korea's isolated world. The photographic core features images by British-Polish documentarian Michał Huniewicz capturing everyday life inside North Korea and portraits of refugees by Tim Franck from the acclaimed series Unperson. The exhibition combines documentary photography, personal refugee testimonies, audio narratives, interactive installations, and educational programmes for children and adults. For the first time, the faces of North Korean refugees who have consented to the public disclosure of their identity will be shown. An interactive section for children sensitively explains what it means to live without freedom. Weekday mornings 9:00–12:00 are reserved for school groups. Children under 12 enter free. Open daily 10:00–18:00.