Seeking beauty where it seemingly does not exist is one of the few ways for incarcerated women to survive. Washing in a basin with calendula, singing from a window, eating a schnitzel served only at Christmas, playing Ludo, or sleeping—these small moments become glimpses of joy that keep them afloat, even if they are few and far between. In this context, the search for beauty becomes a way to endure the uncertainty and powerlessness experienced by women in prison.

The video features two women from prison—Dáša and Lucka—who were already free at the time of filming. The project subtly addresses themes such as loss of self-confidence, moments when a woman begins to believe she deserves her punishment, emotional numbness, and bullying. These experiences are not expressed directly but are primarily reflected in the auditory layer of the work—the sound composition by artist Annabelle Plum. Her multilayered cacophony evokes the noise in prison that often represents the worst inescapable aspects of confinement. In contrast, a space emerges for fragile yet present hope.

The stylized “video frescoes” capture women from a correctional facility.
Dagmar *1985 and Lucie *1980.

Dagmar

Starting in 2017, Dagmar spent 21 months in custody in Plzeň Prison in cell No. 92. Then, she was released and waited for a potential conviction for almost 3.5 years. During that time, she married and gave birth to a daughter.

The Regional Court in Plzeň proposed 9 years in a high-security facility. Subsequently, the court of appeal (the High Court in Prague) unconditionally sentenced her to 6 years in higher security. 

She began her sentence in Drahonice Prison, where she spent 15 months, and was released on parole at the end of 2021. She worked as a cleaner at the administrative building during her whole sentence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, visits were not allowed. She did not see her daughter until 9 months later when the visits were permitted again, although with significant limitations – no contact was allowed.

After her parole, she was placed on probation for 5 years, and now she must regularly visit the Probation and Mediation Service. She attended 4 months of therapy, where she was tested for drugs twice a week. After 4 years, she can apply for the erasure of her criminal records. 

It has been challenging to find a job.

The whole lawsuit lasted 5 years, i.e., 2015–2020.

Lucie 

spent about 11 months in custody in Plzeň Prison from 2017. After she was released from custody, she was sentenced to 3.5 years of probation. But because her sentences were added together, eventually, she received an unconditional, almost five-year sentence.

Lucie has two children. Her parents had taken care of them when she began her sentence in Světlá and Sázavou Prison. The prison is almost 200km away from her home. Visits were, therefore, demanding not only due to the distance but also the pandemic. At the beginning of her sentence, the outbreak had just started, so she was not allowed to see her children for almost a year.

Lucie spent two years in prison from 2019 to 2021; she was then released on parole from Drahonice Prison, where she was transferred from Světlá and Sázavou due to poor conditions.

Curators: Filip Kazda
Photography: Michal Ureš