New photobook captures the “temporary utopias” of Prague’s rave scene

A new photobook, titled Location TBA, documents the "temporary utopias' found in Prague's contemporary rave scene. The book has been created and edited by photographer Gabriela Kontra, with design input by Michal Veltruský. 

Focused on the years between 2015 and 2020, the publication runs to around 300 pages, with text in both English and Czech celebrating spaces reclaimed and repurposed by underground party promoters in the city. 

Examples include nuclear bunkers, railway stations, parkland, and warehouses, with representatives from four specific crews featured in interviews — Polygon, Nite Vibes, Harmony, and Cukr — alongside  nightlife professionals and ravers. Essays by Jen Kratochvíl, Michal Smetana, and Jonáš Verešpej are also included, addressing the socio-political significance and impact of the scene itself. 

The project began when Kontra was enlisted to create a collection of photos charting the nocturnal adventures of one Prague rave collective. A number of other creatives in the Czech capital were then approached to expand on the work, bringing in the perspectives of other crews and individuals. Just 1000 copies have been published, each priced at 790 Czech Koruna or €31, and can either be collected from the shop Roleta39, located in the Czech capital, or ordered for international delivery here.

Photobooks centred on significant dance music eras, venues, and parties have been arriving thick and fast in recent years. Recent examples include 'While You Were Sleeping: 1998 - 2000', looking at London nightlife during those years, 'Out & About With Linden', which celebrates 1990s queer clubbing in northern England, and 'Full On, Non Stop, All Over', charting UK rave and club culture at the turn of the millennium. Revisit our list of eight photobooks that capture electronic music's vibrant history. 

Image credit: Gabriela Kontra