Opening of the exhibition Bet Orten: YOUR BLOOD / MY ROSE

Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM

The solo exhibition by distinctive photographer Bet Orten unfolds through a multilayered installation exploring fragments of female experience, the imprint of trauma on the body, and the relationship between bodily structures and landscape. It brings to light what often remains hidden — fear, shame, inner shadows, but also strength and the ability to confront life’s events through creative and emancipatory means.

Bet Orten’s photographs typically depict staged female bodies situated within natural environments, offering both confrontation and challenging conditions, as well as an open field of possibilities. The individual figures function less as specific personalities and more as aspects of the artist’s soul — autobiographical fragments.

The title of the exhibition refers to a powerful traumatic childhood experience in which Bet was directly confronted with an image of self-harm and the vulnerability of someone close to her. This experience became the starting point for a long-term exploration of how trauma is stored within the body and memory, and how it may be transformed through image-making. Traces of blood on the floor resembling rose petals encapsulate the essence of Bet’s work to a significant degree — beauty is never superficial; it emerges from complex inner processes that do not shy away from darkness or from the possibility of reconstructing what was broken into a new, authentic, and powerful self. The exhibition is therefore rooted not so much in trauma itself, but in the long process of achieving inner freedom, healing, and renewal.

Bet Orten’s work will be presented within an atmospheric installation that tests the possibilities and expands the boundaries of the photographic medium. Alongside monumental textile prints, more intimate formats and photographic objects will also be exhibited. Visitors will thus be drawn into the narrative, with the opportunity not only to uncover images from the artist’s inner mythology, but also to reflect on stories and fragments of their own bodily and psychological experience.

Bet Orten

YOUR BLOOD / MY ROSES

opening: May 28, 2026, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

exhibition: May 29 – July 12, 2026

The Chemistry Gallery

Hall 40, Holešovice Market, Prague 7

SAVE THE DATE: A guided tour of the exhibition with the artist and curator, during which the exhibition catalog will also be presented, will take place on June 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Link to the FB event: HERE.

I look forward to seeing you there!