Jitka Šosová is an art historian based in Prague. She teaches Art History classes that focus mostly on the numerous social, political, and symbolic functions of artwork.

For the Foundation programme, she teaches a class named Contextual Studies designed to introduce students to various analytical perspectives useful for understanding visual art.

Jitka studied at Charles University and UMPRUM, both in Prague, and Université de Bourgogne, in Dijon, France. She holds degrees in Art History and Theory and History of Design and New Media. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at UMPRUM, Prague. In her research, she focuses on the interactions between art and politics in the 20th century. Recently, Jitka concluded a four-year research project focused on a collection of fine art assembled by Czechoslovakian presidents in the Prague Castle between 1918 and 1953 and together with her colleague Markéta Ježková presented their findings in a form of a show and a book "Tož to kupte!".

Jitka has over a decade of teaching experience. Since 2008, she worked for the National Gallery Prague as a lecturer and was responsible, among other things, for developing new formats. She has lectured for multiple museums and galleries in the Czech Republic (Kampa Museum, Klatovy-Klenová Gallery, The Municipal Gallery of Prague). Currently, she also teaches at UMPRUM and Scholastika College, Prague.

Education

PhD (Candidate), Theory and History of Fine Arts, Academy of Art, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM), Prague

Mgr., History and Theory of Design and New Media, Academy of Art, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM), Prague

BA, History of Art and Visual Culture, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

Ba., Art History, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Professional Activities

2019 - 2023 – Prague City University – lecturer

2013 - 2021 – Introduction to Art History, public courses, National Gallery, Prague 

2020 - 2021 – Sunday Art History Lectures, Scholastika z.s., Prague 

2007 - 2023 – Národní Galerie, Prague - Curator for education

2007 - 2023 – Scholastika College, Prague - lector of  "Art of Old Masters, History of Modern Art"

2018 - 2019 – Akademie umění, architektury a designu, Prague – lector of "Methodologies of Art History"

2016 - 2018 – Národní Galerie, Prague, "První republika" – curator

2016 - 2017 – Národní Galerie, Prague, Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art – assistant to the director

2015 - 2018 – «Well then, Go Ahead and Buy It! Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Art Collection for Prague Castle» – curator

2014 - 2015 – The KIV Gallery, Prague – curator

2013 - 2014 – Are-events, Prague – member

2012 - 2013 – Tichý Oceán Foundation, Zürich, Switzerland – residence 

2011 - 2012 – České centrum, Brusel, Belgie – residence 

2011 - 2012 – Architektonická iniciativa Letná sobě!, Prague - residence 

Curated Exhibitions (selection):

The First Republic /1918–1938/, National Gallery Prague 2018, Prague

Well then, Go Ahead and Buy It!, Prague Castle 2018, Prague

Melodrama, The AMU Gallery 2017, Prague

Miracle and Banality, The Jiří Jeníček Gallery 2016, Beroun

Jaroslav Serpan. Between Art and Science, The Kampa Museum 2015, Prague

Picture, The TIC Gallery 2015, Brno

Books and articles (selection):

• Alice Masaryková. Patron of the Arts at the Prague Castle, Architecture and Urbanism. Journal for architectural and town-planning theory, Bratislava 2018, Slovakia (co-author with Markéta Ježková, Czech)
• The Second History. Means and Tools of Writing Art History after 1989, in: We Do Not Know What We Cannot See, Charles University, Prague 2018 (sole author, Czech)
• Well then, Go Ahead and Buy It! Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Art Collection for Prague Castle, Prague Castle, Prague 2018 (co-author with Markéta Ježková, Czech)
• Jaroslav Serpan.Between Art and Science, Museum Kampa, Prague 2015 (sole author, Czech)
• Edith Jeřábková, Dominik Lang (Eds.), Lapidárium, Academy of Art, Architecture and Design, Prague 2015 (several interviews and consulting, Czech)
• Searching for a Gallery Lecturer's Identity, in: Anežka Bartlová, Jan Kratochvíl, Ondřej Horák (Eds.),
• Pro koho to děláš?, tranzit.cz, Prague 2013 (re-print of an article, Czech)

Conferences and symposiums: 

• Preparatory Committee, Convention of Czech Art Historians, Art Historians' Society, 2021
• Convention of Czech Art Historians, Art Historians' Society, Prague 2019
• International Conference of Students of Doctoral Programs, Charles University, Prague 2018
• Convention of Czech Historians, Palacky University, Olomouc 2017
• What Was Czechoslovakia? State, Nation, Culture, National Gallery Prague 2016
• Motivation in the „Bata System“, Baťa Institut, Zlín 2015

Popularisation and public programmes:

• public lectures "Art History and History of Architecture", ČVUT, Praha (2015 – 2019)
• Public Programme for Senior Citizens, Municipality of Prague 7, 2017
• "Famous Artists of our Collection", series of public lectures, Gallery at the White Unicorn, Klatovy
• "From Prague to Buenos Aires. Women's Art and State Representation in Interwar Czechoslovakia", UM Gallery, Prague 2015
• "Things and Words. Art Industry, Applied Arts and Design in Czech Art Theory and Criticism 1870–1970", UM Gallery, Prague, Moravian Gallery, Brno 201