Wick exchange trip inspires exhibition by young Czech artist
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A young Czech artist is showcasing mementoes from a student exchange visit to Caithness in a new exhibition in her native country.
Anna Tesarova spent four months based at Wick Heritage Museum in late 2019 and early 2020 as part of the Erasmus programme, funded by the European Union.
As well as researching and cataloguing items in the museum itself, Anna worked on an experimental film based on her experiences in Scotland's far north.
Her exhibition, A Wee Bit of Heritage, features a video projection along with display cases containing an assortment of Caithness-related items ranging from books and local newspaper pages to shells and stones.
It is on show at TIC Gallery in the city of Brno until February 26.
Anna (27) says she hopes the video projection evokes the feeling of the museum in Wick's Bank Row.
One display has a collection of books connected with the Wick area, while another includes a local newspaper article about her visit and a costume Anna made for a creative project called Wind Witch.
There are also personal letters, along with images given to Anna by photographer and Wick Society volunteer Fergus Mather and works gifted by Caithness artist Joanne B Kaar.
Visitors to the exhibition can also see a photo album with pictures Anna took during her stay, and there is a video clip of a song performed by local musician Donald Ross.
"I really enjoyed my time in Wick," Anna said. "All the volunteers from the museum were great and so nice to me, and to spend that amount of time next to the sea was very fulfilling.
"I discovered that the locals are really proud of their history and that you can feel the heritage on every step. I guess not only foreigners can feel this.
"I love the nature of the people there – they are very kind and honest.
"For me it was also important to find out about the fishing history. I was surprised how quickly the herrings were gone and how much Wick changed through the years.
"The story behind the Johnston photographic family was also very interesting and it was great to have the opportunity to see the glass negative archive.
"I am really glad that I had the chance to be there and I hope I can visit Wick and Caithness again. I want to thank all the people I met and, most of all, the volunteers from Wick Heritage Museum."
Those attending the exhibition launch earlier this month were able to savour a Wick dram. Anna said: "I ordered two bottles of Old Pulteney for the opening, so the visitors could taste a bit of Caithness!"
Anna is originally from the mountainous Sumava region but is currently based in Brno. Her time in Wick was made possible by an arrangement with Brno University of Technology (Faculty of Fine Arts).
Ian Leith, Wick Society trust member, said: "We greatly enjoyed the time Anna spent with us. She was a breath of fresh air and among her contributions were the designs for the Wick Society’s new leaflet and the logo for our oral history project, Wick Voices."
