I've been wondering how best to approach the blog this time, and I do encourage you to poke back through the previous posts (from 2011), to get some good info and frame of reference. Ultimately, this is about chronicling my own experience of both the Prague Quadrennial (which I'll explain further in a moment), and this gorgeous city and it's lovely people.
First, a statement of explanation... The Prague Quadrennial (PQ for short) is a symposium/convening that happens in Prague every four years. It's full name is the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (a mouthful, right?), but to put it in layman's terms, it's a gathering from around the world of artists whose focus is on design work for theatre ..... so scenic, costumes, lighting, sound, media, puppet designers and architects... anything having to do with visually telling a story... it happens here. Over the course of 10 days, there are a series of lectures, symposia, talk-backs, presentations, performances, and workshops, but the "meat" in this awesome sandwich of theatre artists are the exhibits. Each country (I believe that there are over 70 countries participating this time) creates an installation that celebrates the ingenuity, beauty, process, and product of what has been exciting theatre in their home country from the previous four years.
These exhibits can take a dizzying array of forms... from outright installation art, to a more sedate gallery-like presentation of theatre designs... my personal favorites are the ones that somehow combine the two... highlighting the excellent design work, while also contextualizing disparate pieces of design art into a space that supports both modalities simultaneously. Some of these can be waaaaaaaayyyy out there, and I look forward to documenting and sharing those in forthcoming posts.
Countries are welcome to send up to three separate exhibits.. a given country's NATIONAL exhibit often showcases outstanding design from professional designers and theatre artists, while a separate STUDENT exhibit showcases up and coming talent, typically pulled from students who are currently in the process of earning their degrees in stage design. Countries can also elect to send an ARCHITECTURE exhibit, showcasing new performance venues from back home.
The United States' entries for this are created under the auspices of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT, for short). For PQ2015, the US is sending two exhibits, a NATIONAL and a STUDENT. I am serving as one of the co-directors for the STUDENT exhibit. I'll write more about my and the student exhibit team's work in tomorrow's post.
now back to Prague....
Prague, the city, has been around for over 1100 years. It's believed to have been established in the 8th century by a duchess who stood on an outcropping overlooking the Vltava River, and prophesied that a great city "who's glory would reach the stars" would be located here. The earliest masonry of Prague Castle has been dated to the mid-9th century. Prague, as the capital of the historical Bohemia region, has played a major role in the development and evolution of Europe over the course of it's history.
To me, what sticks out most is it's sense of history and evolution living out adjacent to each other in its' architecutre... and yes... being a designer, it's impossible for me NOT to view things from a visual perspective. While many cities (especially my own new home, Charlotte, NC), have a tendency to raze old districts by the block, in order to create "new improved" neighborhoods... as Prague has expanded it has embraced it's eclectic history. You'll find a striking contemporary building standing next to a tavern that has been active since the 15th century, a Romanesque Revival (mid-1800s) castle next to a 13th century synagogue in the Spanish style. and yet visually, what one would think to be a disparate series of items, somehow... fit.
In the map above, you'll note that I've marked my hotel with a star. It's in the Holesovice district (I'm rather amused that when you say the same of the district is kinda sounds like you're saying "Holy Ceviche, Batman!... minus the "Batman". Holesovice seems rather 20thcentury/contemporary, when compared to the medieval historicity of Stare Mesto (Old Town), or Hradcany (Prague Castle district), at least in terms of its' architecture.
I'm about a mile and change away from the venue where our student exhibit is being set up. #1 - Kafkova Dum, or Kafka House, is situated in Namesti Franze Kafky (Franz Kafka Square) nestled right next to St Nicholas' Church, in Stare Mesto, less than a block from the famed Astronomical Clock (#2)
the atstronomical clock or Prasky orloj. It fits into the main open town square of the Old Town Hall (constructed in 1410). It's the oldest working astronomical clock in the world.
My # 3.....
the Vltava River from Stefanov Bridge, you can see the spires of St Vitus Cathedral (which is part of Prague Castle), as the pointy things on the right in the distance
Looking down on the Stephanov Bridge and the Vltava from Letenske sady (Letna Gardens). Holesovice is on higher ground and therefore, this will be my view walking down and into Old Town for the coming week.
That's it for this first day. Didn't get too far afield, given travel and rain, and tomorrow will likely be limited by work on the student exhibit installation, but am seriously considering a theatre show for tomorrow night. check in again tomorrow for the details!
Good night.
No comments:
Post a Comment