DOX Hosted an Evening for Václav

On October 7, the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art filled with people who had accompanied Václav Havel at various stages of his life, collaborated with him, or continue to carry his ideas forward today. The memorial evening was organized by an informal circle of Havel’s friends and colleagues who share a sense of responsibility for preserving, sharing, and defending his moral, intellectual, and political legacy.

The evening opened with welcoming remarks from Václav Pecha, Director of the Bakala Foundation, who also shared brief reflections on Havel on behalf of Michaela and Zdeněk Bakala. The Bakalas were among Václav Havel’s close friends, have long supported his legacy, and contributed to organizing the event. In their message, they explained why it still makes sense to celebrate, even though Havel has been gone for nearly fifteen years:

“You are here—his friends, collaborators, and all those who continue to carry his legacy forward. And his ideas remain as relevant as ever. That is why we gather here tonight to celebrate his life and work, as if he had indeed reached his ninetieth birthday.”

They remembered him as a kind and wise man—often full of self-doubt, yet exceptionally courageous.

“He always saw the good in people. He harbored neither resentment nor hatred. He knew how to laugh, especially at himself. And he knew exactly which word to choose where the rest of us would pile up long sentences.”

“Havel never promised easy solutions. He believed that truth and decency would ultimately prevail, even if it takes longer than we might hope. And he understood hope as the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out,” the Bakalas reflected further.

“Let us therefore raise a glass in hope. To Václav’s life and to our world. To truth and love, which in the end will always prevail,” concluded their greeting.

The stage then welcomed a lineup of musicians closely tied to Havel’s legacy: Monika Načeva with Michal Pavlíček, the Michal Prokop Trio, Jaroslav Hutka, Jiří Dědeček, Vladimír Merta, Eva Turnová, and the band Garáž. The theater ensemble Havloids staged Havel’s one-act play The Mistake (Chyba). Personal recollections from close friends were shared, archival photographs were projected, and guests even gathered to roast sausages over an open fire. What does that have to do with Havel? Both, in their own way, are part of our national heritage.