Exiles is one of the most celebrated photobooks in the history of documentary photography. Created by Czech photographer Josef Koudelka and published in 1988 by the Centre National de la Photographie (CNP) in Paris, the book presents a deeply personal exploration of displacement, solitude, and the search for identity. Rather than documenting exile solely as a political condition, Koudelka transforms it into a universal human experience, portraying individuals and landscapes marked by isolation, migration, and uncertainty. Through its powerful sequencing and poetic visual language, Exiles is widely regarded as a masterpiece of twentieth-century photography.
The book was produced after nearly two decades of photographic work following Koudelka's departure from Czechoslovakia in 1970. After secretly photographing the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague, images that brought him international recognition, Koudelka was forced into exile for political reasons. Unable to return to his homeland, he spent many years traveling throughout Europe without permanent residence, photographing rural communities, travelers, nomadic groups, abandoned landscapes, and isolated individuals. These experiences profoundly shaped the emotional and visual character of Exiles.