Arts | All stories

Last week we told you about the opening of the Prague Quadrennial, an unparalleled showcase of world scenography – design for artistic performance – that began in 1967 and only comes around every four years. The exhibits cover everything from costumes, sound design, and theatre architecture to multi-media theatrical and performance art… in short, if you imagine a wildish menagerie of all things theatre, then you’re half way there. For today’s Arts I spent an afternoon walking around one of the most special attractions at the Quadrennial, which is

This Thursday saw the opening of a new show in Prague highlighting 25 years of concert photography by independent Czech photographer Ivan Prokop. The respected artist has shot performances both in the Czech Republic and abroad, capturing both Czech musicians and world-famous artists on stage. Performers highlighted at Prague’s Leica Gallery include Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, Iggy Pop and others.

In today’s Arts my guest is Brian Callaghan, a Prague-based author of a new action/adventure thriller called The Seeds of Cain. Inspired by biblical themes and medieval legend, the novel throws together an unlikely group of adventurers – including the hero John McFadden – to fight an ancient evil. The story takes them from a quiet corner of Prague to an archaeological dig in the Middle East and beyond, and it doesn’t let-up for 400 pages. Brian Callaghan came into the studio earlier this week and the first thing I asked him about was the threat

This Thursday saw the premiere of the long-awaited film Lidice, the first Czech production to tell the story one of the darkest periods in Czech history, the destruction of the village of Lidice by the Nazis in 1942.

Not far from the National Theatre, tucked away on Bartolomějská street, the small flagship store of the label Leeda boasts some of the most original, colorful and hip clothing in the Czech capital. Run by two young designers, Lucie Kutálková and Lucie Trnková, Leeda has been putting out its limited edition collections for nearly seven years. The two designers both studied at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. Lucie Kutálková explains how the two were given a unique opportunity to establish their own label and retail space.

The Rožmberks, a lavish new exhibition, opened on Thursday at the Waldstein (Wallenstein) Riding School, looking back at one of the most prominent and influential Bohemian noble families. The Rožmberk dynasty dates back to the 13th to 16th centuries, with its members holding key positions in the royal and later imperial courts. The castle at Český Krumlov, admired by countless visitors in South Bohemia today, was the family seat for three hundred years.

The 54th Venice Biennale is less than a month away and the installation representing the Czech and Slovak arts scenes at the national pavilion is now en route. Created by Czech artist Dominik Lang and entitled The Sleeping City, the instalation aims to challenge international viewers to experience, assess, or revisit on an intuitive and emotional level recent Czechoslovak and European history, from the Cold War to today.

American jazz trumpet player Laco Deczi - born in Czechoslovakia – needs little introduction, especially for anyone familiar with the world of jazz. At 73, Deczi hasn’t let up one bit – most recently playing a month-long tour in his homeland. Despite a busy schedule, Laco took time off to come to Radio Prague’ studio; in this week’s Arts he discusses everything from life in New York to his spring tour.

Last week saw the awarding of the annual Magnesia Litera awards for 2010 recognising excellence in Czech literature. The main award for book of the year went to the Jan Balabán for Zeptej se táty, who died only a few months after its completion at the age of just 49. Other winners included Martin Ryšavý and Josef Hrubý in prose and poetry while the literary discovery of the year went to artist and debuting author Markéta Baňková for a beautiful little book called Straka v Říši Entropie. We look at that debut in this week’s Arts.

Last week saw the opening of a new exhibition at Prague Castle, Růžena: The Story of a Painter, focusing on the life and work of the remarkable early 20th century Czech artist Růžena Zátková, forgotten for years in her homeland. Born to a well-to-do south Bohemian family in 1885, she along with her sister, most unusually for the period was encouraged by her parents to develop talents in the arts, and she pursued these in earnest in both music and painting after the family moved to Prague.