Prague Airport Will Have the World’s First Poetry Jukebox

It will showcase the best of what the Czech Republic has given to the world.

It resembles a submarine periscope, has a crank, and once turned, it speaks and sings—about the place where it stands, about important people and events.

Václav Havel Airport Prague will be the first airport in the world to present travelers with a unique attraction—the so-called Poesiomat (Poetry Jukebox).

While waiting for their flight, people will be able to listen to poems, songs, and stories about significant figures in Czech culture.

Since 2015 Ondřej Kobza has been installing Poetry Machines in public spaces. The poetic speaker engages passersby in dozens of Czech and foreign cities. However, it will be the first time it tells poems and stories at an airport.

„Every airport is a gateway in and out of a country. At the same time, it’s like a modern-day square where people stop and have time to think and observe every detail of the space. We thought it was a great idea for people to fill that time by listening to Dvořák’s symphony or Seifert’s poem,” explains the project’s creator, Ondřej Kobza.

Čapek, Kundera, Havel, and others

The Poetry Machine at Václav Havel Airport Prague will feature 20 pieces, introducing travelers to various important Czech figures from the worlds of culture, politics, and sports. Visitors will learn fascinating information about Václav Havel, Milan Kundera, Karel Čapek, Eliška Junková, and other notable personalities.

„The primary language will be English, but the Poetry Machine will also recite or sing in French, German, and Spanish. Our goal is to bring Czech culture as close as possible to foreign visitors,” adds Kobza.

The unveiling of the Poetry Machine at Václav Havel Airport will symbolically follow the installation of pianos, which have been available at Terminals 1 and 2 since 2013.

The official unveiling of the Poetry Machine will take place on Tuesday, October 15, at 10 a.m. in the Terminal 2 area. The Poetry Machine will be introduced by the project’s creator, Ondřej Kobza, and Jakub Puchalský, a board member of Václav Havel Airport Prague.

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