MALÝ PRINC
The prosaic fairy tale The Little Prince has charmed many a reader worldwide. Almost everyone has at least once read this charming story, either as a child or as an adult. The writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900 - 1944) admired pilots since his childhood. At his own request, he was assigned to the Air Force, where he received pilot training, and devoted his entire life to aviation. Taking this path in life eventually proved fatal; however, it also led to the writing of one of the most beautiful books of world literature.
The story of the honest prince leads to reflection on the true values of human life, in which love and friendship can relieve us of loneliness and show us its true meaning. In the character of The Little Prince, we can feel this pure love and purity, but also disappointment over the characters of the people he meets on his journey from asteroid to asteroid. This book is a fountain of wisdom about love and life itself, in which we can find inspiration:
“Nothing can be done without love. The harder the work to which you dedicate your strength in the name of love, the greater your enthusiasm. The more you give, the greater you become.“ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The exhibition The Little Prince - Hundreds of Languages, One Story presents Martina Dlabajová‘s unique collection of more than 130 books. The collector laid its foundation stone in 1993 with the book Il Piccolo Principe, which helped her with her study of Italian. This book has been accompanying her throughout her lifetime; she returns to the wise story as a source of inspiration in her work and especially personal life. She enjoys reading the Italian translation of the The Little Prince to her friends' children, and her collection features several valuable editions of this book in the Venetian, Friulian, Piedmontese and Neapolitan dialects.
Seventy years after the death of the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the book is no longer protected by copyright on translations and original drawings from the book, and The Little Prince is therefore currently one of the most published books in Europe. In Italy alone, there were new editions in January 2015 only published by seven different publishers and translated by seven translators; these are also part of the exhibition, being the latest additions to the collection.
The most valuable book in the collection is the original book Le Petit Prince in French from 1948. The Little Prince, however, was published virtually worldwide; the most unique specimens come from the most remote places of the planet. Martina Dlabajová‘s collection for example features an edition of The Little Prince from Sri Lanka in Sinhalese, from Cambodia in Khmer, or from the islands in the Pacific in Tahitian and Marquesan.
The Little Prince is a story for everyone. But if you fall under its spell, it is a love for life. Loving The Little Prince means finding the courage in your heart to remain a pure and vulnerable child even when you grow up. Remaining to be true to yourself.
Martina Dlabajová, Miroslava Kupčíková
“Nothing can be done without love. The harder the work to which you dedicate your strength in the name of love, the greater your enthusiasm. The more you give, the greater you become.“ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The exhibition The Little Prince - Hundreds of Languages, One Story presents Martina Dlabajová‘s unique collection of more than 130 books. The collector laid its foundation stone in 1993 with the book Il Piccolo Principe, which helped her with her study of Italian. This book has been accompanying her throughout her lifetime; she returns to the wise story as a source of inspiration in her work and especially personal life. She enjoys reading the Italian translation of the The Little Prince to her friends' children, and her collection features several valuable editions of this book in the Venetian, Friulian, Piedmontese and Neapolitan dialects.
Seventy years after the death of the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the book is no longer protected by copyright on translations and original drawings from the book, and The Little Prince is therefore currently one of the most published books in Europe. In Italy alone, there were new editions in January 2015 only published by seven different publishers and translated by seven translators; these are also part of the exhibition, being the latest additions to the collection.
The most valuable book in the collection is the original book Le Petit Prince in French from 1948. The Little Prince, however, was published virtually worldwide; the most unique specimens come from the most remote places of the planet. Martina Dlabajová‘s collection for example features an edition of The Little Prince from Sri Lanka in Sinhalese, from Cambodia in Khmer, or from the islands in the Pacific in Tahitian and Marquesan.
The Little Prince is a story for everyone. But if you fall under its spell, it is a love for life. Loving The Little Prince means finding the courage in your heart to remain a pure and vulnerable child even when you grow up. Remaining to be true to yourself.
Martina Dlabajová, Miroslava Kupčíková
