Taking photographs of eminent figures has its ups and downs. On the positive side, you are engaged with a fantastic and unique person. On the negative, you need to present them in a way that is out of the ordinary. "Taking photographs itself was extremely difficult because Vàclav Havel was self-effacing and shy. He didn't want anyone to take his photographs. There was no way you could arrange a photo or take a special shot," says Alan Pajer. The photographer adds that President Havel liked to surprise his guests with jokes, which were never facile and revealed his great sense of humour. One of the photographs shows President Havel while dancing rock&roll in the White House. He nonetheless preferred the photos that were more formal or momentous, as they revealed him as an eminent statesman.
Exhibition: "Vàclav Havel. Citizen-President
Preview / Exhibition
From 8 July 2016 to 27 August 2016 
Lower Silesia Photography Centre "Domek Romański" - Gallery at the Centre for the Arts and Culture in Wroclaw
The Curator of "Citizen President" Mirosław Lewandowski points out that the Czech President was called a "great European" to whom the whole of Europe is "heavily indebted". "The main goal of the exhibition is to showcase Vàclav Havel as a person devoted to the struggle for the ideals democracy, even at the expense of his personal liberty," points out Mirosław Lewandowski.
Which photographs will be featured at the Domek Romański? "The exhibition represents President Havel as a friend and supporter of the Polish Solidarity movement, an advocate of freedom, a person respected and admired by almost all the world leaders, royal families, eminent figures and leading world politicians," says the Curator.
