The Czech Association is bringing Václav Havel’s traveling exhibition “ANTICODES” by Václav Havel to Rhodes for the first time, presenting a lesser-known but extremely interesting aspect of his work: his experimental and visual poetry. The official opening will take place on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., at the Philia Suites Hotel in Rhodes, in the presence of Ivo Šilhavý, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Greece.

The year 2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of Václav Havel, playwright, writer, dissident, and later President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. The Czech Association, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, is participating in the celebration of this anniversary with the traveling exhibition “ANTICODES,” which is being presented throughout the year in various locations across Greece, with Rhodes as its next stop.

The exhibition features twenty visual poems—experimental poetry by Václav Havel—in which words do not merely convey meaning but are also transformed into images. Their placement, their relationships to one another, and their arrangement in space create new layers of meaning and reveal yet another facet of Havel: that of the creator who experimented with language, meaning, and the visual form. These are drawings made of words, with poetry functioning as visual art.

The opening night will also feature a program dedicated to the life and work of Václav Havel, through excerpts from his works that have been published in Greek translation. The opening remarks will be delivered in Czech and Greek, while the main part of the program will take place in Greek.

This presentation marks the Czech Association’s first cultural event in Rhodes, signaling another step in the gradual expansion of its activities on the island. Since September, the Czech Association has been offering regular Czech language classes for children in Rhodes, operates a Czech community library, and is also beginning a collaboration with the Association of Multicultural Families of Rhodes (SPOR) to develop educational, community, and cultural initiatives.

The exhibition is organized by the Czech Association under the auspices of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Athens, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and sponsorship from Rodos Cycling.