March 4 – June 30 | Technical Museum in Brno, Purkyňova 105
Admission to all exhibitions and opening hours of the Technical Museum in Brno
The exhibition of photographs 312th and 311th Squadrons in Backlight by Ladislav Sitenský, presented at the Technical Museum in Brno from March 4 to June 30, 2026, presents a unique selection of war photographs by Ladislav Sitenský (1919–2009), an important Czech photographer and direct participant in the Czechoslovak foreign resistance during World War II. The uniqueness of this collection lies not only in the historical value of the photographs depicting members of the 312th Fighter Squadron and 311th RAF bomber squadrons, but also in their distinctive visual concept – Sitenský worked with backlighting, which elevates his photographs from mere documentation to powerful statements about tension, determination, uncertainty, and hope. The silhouettes of the figures, the contrast of light and shadow, and the suppression of detail allow the human dimension of war and the inner experiences of its participants to come to the fore through their artistic conception. The dramaturgy and concept of the exhibition were prepared by Sitenský's granddaughter, Adéla Kándlová, who connects the author's unique photographic perspective with the personal and historical context of his work.
The exhibition is being held thanks to the cooperation of Masaryk University, the Technical Museum in Brno, and the family of Ladislav Sitenský, represented by his granddaughter Adéla Kándlová.
Introductory text to the exhibition
In 1933, thirteen-year-old Ladislav Sitenský received a small Baldax folding camera from his father, along with the advice to use a speed of 1/100 in sunny conditions. This was the foundation on which he would build his entire life. From his very first shots, he was fascinated by backlighting. Within two years, he was already photographing directly into the sun. This was an unprecedented boldness in our country at the time.
When World War II broke out, he was on an internship in France. He immediately decided to join the newly formed Czechoslovak Foreign Army. Before entering the training camp, he used his last money to buy an old folding camera and a simple film camera from a junk dealer. He soon managed to obtain a photography permit. However, he was not an official photographer, but an ordinary member of the army who also took photographs while performing his duties. Sometimes even despite the ban.
He took pictures with primitive old cameras with poor-quality lenses. He had no light meter or interchangeable lenses. Film was rarely available and not very sensitive. He developed it as best he could. He enlarged the photos by attaching the bellows camera he owned to a pole and placing a box with a light bulb above it.
Although these are photographs taken during the war, they do not depict any horror or despair. Sitenský did not want to shock with his photographs, but to capture life, to show the beauty of the most ordinary moments in difficult times. Preferably in backlight. His photographs radiate kindness, poetry, and a celebration of life. His images are not only documentary statements, but also artistic creations. They depict fluffy clouds, the sparkle of morning dew on a Spitfire ready for takeoff, the smiles of pilots, unfortunately sometimes their last.
