The Prague Sounds Festival, previously Strings of Autumn, has evolved into a more adventuresome affair on stages in hallowed venues in November. Its motto is “a festival without limits to genre,” but more importantly, the musical artists of multi-generations are all most highly acclaimed. Before the Festival, there is a special concert Sept. 3, of “War Requiem” by Benjamin Britten at Prague Castle. This anti-war oratorio will be performed by the Prague Philharmonia, Czech Philharmonic and Kyiv Symphony Orchestra along with a children’s choir and international soloists. “War Requiem” was written in 1962 to mark the restoration of Coventry Cathedral in the UK, destroyed during World War II. It is known as a pacifist manifesto with words of the soldier-poet Wilfred Owen, who was killed in the last week of World War I, at the age of 27. His words (and life cut short) inspired Britten’s music. Benjamin Clementine, a young composer and pianist, officially leads off the Festival, Nov. 1st. He is noted for his voice (spinto tenor) and a rags-to-riches story; born in London (1988), lived as a homeless busker on the streets of Paris, till he was discovered by a French talent agent; a triumphant return to...
There is no exaggeration that Prague has the only one café in the world built in the cubist style. Cubism used to be a popular style of painting at the beginning of the 20th Century, but in Prague, it finds its popularity also in architecture. Once you enter the cubistic House of the Black Madonna, see the stairs in the shape of the light bulb and enter the unique Grand Café Orient on the first floor. What is unique about this place is the interior. Grand Café Orient is the only café designed in cubism. You might find numerous cafés in similar styles such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau, but the cubist style café is the only one. In 1912, young architect Josef Gočár designed the whole building together with light bulb stairs and café on the first floor. Because of the small sculpture in the corner, it is well known as the House of the Black Madonna. Unfortunately, the café was open only for several years and then closed because the cubism was not modern anymore. The café reopened in 2005 after extensive renovations according to the original photographs of interiors, so the cubist style is still visible...
It’s been two years since the Prague Writers’ Festival held its annual event in the city of a hundred spires. Prominent writers from around the globe swooped into the Czech Republic, spoke about their lives, and shared their work and culture with hundreds of aficionados of literature. And though some time has passed since it whetted people’s appetites for contemporary letters, Moving Center Literary Festival is taking up the reins to continue to harness Prague’s love of literature. The brainchild of American Prague-based poet and novelist Lucien Zell, Moving Center Literary Festival aims to foster literary exchange and help connect Central European writers to the broader world. Incorporating readings, panel discussions, and workshops, this new annual event is meant to welcome people with established interests in literature as well as those more typically left out of “intellectual” spheres. “Milan Kundera asserted that Central Europe is a “laboratory of twilight,” and I think that phrase is significant on a multitude of levels”, says Zell. “Twilight happens twice a day. First at the beginning of the day, with dawn, and then it happens at the end of the day, with night. Central Europe is a laboratory and we are living experiments. What...
Fifty-five years ago on 21 August, Milan Linhart reached for his camera as Soviet tanks rolled into the streets of Czechoslovakia’s capital.
Czech Design Week Festival is gearing up to mark its 10th anniversary this year with an exciting event called the New Generation project. The festival will take place from September 7th to 10th, 2023 at Prague’s Mánes Exhibition Hall. Czech Design Week will showcase the impressive work of young designers and artists, highlighting their unique talents. In addition to the usual display of contemporary designs from various creators, this year’s festival introduces the New Generation project. It will feature a selection of the youngest artists who are students or recent graduates in the fields of art and design. Thanks to a collaboration with the We’re Next fashion show, the festival will also have a presence at the new UMPRUM Technology Centre building. Lukáš Pipek, the director of Czech Design Week festival, shared, “Our focus at Czech Design Week has always been on discovering and supporting talented designers and artists. Over the past few years, we’ve noticed that the younger generation in our country continues to uphold the distinctive Czech design spirit through their hard work, creativity, and respect for the past. The New Generation project is our way of showcasing this to the public.” This project also strengthens the festival’s...
By Jessica Foshee The Prague Botanical Garden is currently hosting the Queens of Honey Up Close exhibition, allowing visitors to learn more about honeybees by viewing photos of them from an extraordinary perspective with the help of close-up photography technology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a photographic technique that can magnify photos up to 300,000 times their original sizes. “SEM is a tool at which invisible worlds of microspace and nanospace can be seen,” according to 2018 Hervex Conference proceedings by Azad Mohammed and Avin Abdullah from the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Sulaimani in Iraq. This display of Viktor Sýkora’s photos at the Queens of Honey Up Close exhibition includes a close-up of hair on the honeybee’s leg (middle) and close-up of pollen collected on the honeybee’s leg hair (right). The microscopic photography technique allows viewers to observe honeybees in a way that most people likely have never experienced. Thanks to the work of Viktor Sýkora, researcher and head of the Center for Experimental Biomodels at Charles University in Prague, visitors of the exhibition have the opportunity to view honeybees on a microscopic level. Visitors of the exhibition will appreciate the beauty of being surrounded by the...
The upcoming Signal Festival, now in its eleventh edition, promises a range of exciting attractions. It will feature two distinct video mapping routes and feature works by esteemed artists Jiří Příhoda, Zdeněk Sýkora, and Federico Díaz. The video mappings will illuminate two iconic Prague landmarks: the Municipal Library building on Mariánské náměstí and the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius on Karlínské náměstí. A highlight of this year’s festival is the unique artwork “Echo,” specially crafted for Signal. This video mapping offers a breath of fresh air to the genre, drawing inspiration from nature, the environment, and the intricate yet imperceptible natural processes that bind us. The video projections adorning the Municipal Library building on Mariánské náměstí harmoniously merge history and contemporary technology. Utilizing artificial intelligence and programmed robotic lights, this display extends the animated façade into the surrounding space. Titled “Luminary Glyphs,” is the brainchild of Hungarian artist András László Nagy. Combining his background in fine art and classical music, Nagy masterfully marries both disciplines to create an enthralling visual experience. This thought-provoking piece will grace Karlínské náměstí and is the creation of the acclaimed audiovisual studio Flightgraf, established in Tokyo in 2013. Renowned for projects like the monumental...
The Summer Theater in Grébovka is an extraordinary cultural event, which takes place for the fourth year in the Neo-Renaissance Grotta space in Havlíčkovy sady. You can attend different performances from the repertoire of the independent MA Theatre. Until August 25th, the Summer Theater Grébovka will showcase a selection of plays, bringing theatrical brilliance to the open air. A significant highlight of the program is the premiere of the thought-provoking drama “Don Giovanni: Genius or Criminal?” This production not only revisits the infamous tale of the lascivious seducer but also delves into the intricate psychology of this enigmatic character. Additionally, the lineup will feature beloved and popular productions from the repertoire of the MA Theatre. Tickets for this engaging cultural experience are available in various price tiers and can be obtained in advance via GoOut or at the venue entrance. Performances will be held on weekdays at 8 pm, providing a perfect evening escape for attendees. The support of the Municipal District of Prague 2 and the Artist’s Life Foundation ensures the realization of this project. For further details about the program and the theatre, interested individuals can visit divadloma.cz or refer to the Facebook event page. Program Fri 11.08....
For the first time ever, Prague will be the venue for the historical reconstruction festival “Napoleon’s Day.” Organized by the Czech public association Projekt Austerlitz, this event commemorates the legendary commander’s birthday. The festival will take place on 12 August at the Vysehrad fortress, where around a hundred soldiers from the French and Austrian armies of 1813 will participate. Entrance to the event is free. Attendees can explore the camp, see historical equipment, weapons, uniforms, banners, and taste military cuisine at the themed market. The festival will feature demonstrations of infantry maneuvers, artillery work, falconry, changing of the guard, and formation marching. Emperor Napoleon I himself will make a grand entrance on horseback to kick off the festival. Date: 12 August 2023 (Saturday), from 09:30 to 18:00. Location: Vyšehrad, V Pevnosti 159/5b, Prague 2. Admission: Free. Festival Program: 9:30 – Public Camp Opening 10:00-11:00 – Fortress Parade and Camp Showcase The French army will greet Emperor Napoleon at the Tabor Gate and escort him to the camp for a joint Franco-Austrian parade. We are at the time of a fragile summer truce, the Austrian Empire is still formally neutral in the conflict. 11:00-12:00 – French and Austrian infantry and artillery...
The fate of Mucha’s Slav Epic hangs in the balance as a draft agreement with the painter’s descendants is now being considered. The agreement aims to secure a location for the Slavic Epic within the Savarin Palace near Wenceslas Square. Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09), Deputy Mayor of Prague, led the negotiations with the heirs of Alfons Mucha and the Crestyl company, but he refrained from disclosing the specifics until the agreement is officially approved. The proposal is currently undergoing a comment procedure within the municipality before Pospíšil plans to present it to the city council in early September. The Slavic Epic is a significant series of 20 large canvases that Alfons Mucha devoted 18 years to creating, starting in 1910. His generous donation of the artwork to Prague was made on the condition that an appropriate exhibition space would be provided, although no specific timeframe was stipulated. This condition has become the subject of contention in court, where John Mucha – the grandson of the famous Czech Art Nouveau painter – claims that Prague has failed to meet the requirement. In the meantime, the city council has authorized the loan of the canvases to the chateau in Moravské Krumlov, where...
The eleventh edition of the Signal Festival of Light is scheduled to take place on the streets of Prague from October 12 to 15, 2023. During these four days, citizens will have the opportunity to witness around twenty captivating light installations, along with video mapping, which will be projected onto the facade of one of the capital’s renowned landmarks. The detailed program and an installation map will be made available on the official event website at a later date. Signal is one of the most eagerly awaited annual festivals in Prague, attracting over 500 thousand visitors during the four days of the event last year. The festival has become the biggest cultural event in the Czech Republic. Its unique integration of art, city space, and modern technology has drawn over 2 million attendees to Prague overall. Although the venues are not always the same, in the past they have included Republic Square, Old Town Square (Kinsky Palace), Rudolfinum, Shooters Island, National Theatre, Kampa Park, Peace Square and Prague Castle. Lately, they’ve gone out to Karlin as well and instead of a start and finish they now have different circuits. The financing of the festival is drawn from the support of grant programs such as...
Anthony Braxton , who turned 78-years-old in June, is premiering a section of his long-term multimedia opera project, the Trillium cycle, performed by the Prague Music Performance Orchestra with Braxton’s participation. The concert will be on August 1, at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. Anthony Braxton is an extraordinary American composer, collective improvisation musician, and a university music educator who has had a profound influence on the development of free jazz, improvisation and experimental music. He performed for his first time in Prague in 1986, playing jazz, and he has kept this region in his heart, as an inspiration and open for collaborations ever since then. Braxton (born 1945 in Chicago) has always been part of the experimental side in Black avant-garde music initially by joining the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) in Chicago. He is influenced as much by free jazz pioneers, John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, as well as melodic saxophonists Warne Marsh (cool jazz), and Paul Desmond, who played with Dave Brubeck, and the contemporary classical composers including Stockhausen, John Cage, and Charles Ives. But it is this foundation, merged with opera within classical music forms that has been his most ambitious project for...
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