Prague is a magical city filled to the brim with breathtaking churches, ancient buildings, and gorgeous bridges crossing over the Vltava River. Above all, Prague Castle sits on a monstrous hill overlooking the entirety of the city. Prague is known as a prominent cultural hub, so while walking through the fairytale-like cobblestone streets, take advantage of the unique galleries, theatres, and museums. Here are the top 10 cultural events available in Prague right now, appealing to both the experienced eye and a novice cultural traveler.
The National Film Museum, known as NaFilm is located in the Franciscan Garden in Prague 1; the entrance is easily overlooked but is well worth the stop. NaFilm is run by Charles University graduates with passions for film and support from the City of Prague, the State Cinematography Fund, and the Ministry of Culture. It consists of a permanent exhibit as well as two rotating exhibitions. This year’s temporary exhibition consists of a focus on animation, as well as an interactive virtual reality experience.
Using the virtual reality headsets, participants can be placed on a train that moves through different environments with a 360° view. Be warned: this may not be great for those who struggle with nausea as the immersive experience leaves some attendees queasy.
The NaFilm museum is appropriate, entertaining, educational, affordable, and interactive. This is well worth a stop when in Prague, it only would take around an hour to see and try everything the museum has to offer. NaFilm is a great example of a smaller museum in Prague that has a lot to offer; as great as the bigger museum are, the smaller museums like NaFilm are just as, if not more fun to attend.
- The Power of Lace at the Museum of Decorative Arts
The Power of Lace is only a one-room showcase, but the works displayed are nothing short of magnificent. The main reason why this unconventional art exhibit is so high on the list is because of how relevant it is to the Czech Republic and how informative it is about something seemingly mundane. Featuring Czech artists, the exhibit revolves around the lace, not only in clothing but using lace in sculptures and other works of art.
Although lace may seem old-fashioned and out of style, The Power of Lace kept a modern twist with relevant works of art. Pictured is a paper dress. Designers pulled from Japanese tradition, the use of paper in fashion, in order to create a magnificent piece. Paper is resurfacing due to how environmentally friendly it is. In an era where fast-fashion reigns supreme, the Czech Republic has a lot of designers with fashion-forward initiatives. The Power of Lace at the Museum of Decorative Arts is absolutely worthwhile. It may be a bit more mundane compared to the NaFilm exhibit, but it remains appropriate for the entire family and is a unique enough exhibit even the most tentative art viewers will be interested in.
- Power(less) at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
“I wasn’t ill, I was far too powerful.”
– Zdenek Kosek
This was said by Zdenek Kosek when he created his greatest works of art. It was also when he was experiencing psychotic episodes. Kosek thought he was controlling the weather all over the world, and his paintings reflected how strongly he believed that he had power.
Power(less) is an art brut exhibit at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, featuring art made by people when they were battling mental illness; often the artist’s best works are done during periods of great insanity. DOX features many artists within the several rooms of the complex; many of them have stories of the artist’s life. For example, one story features August Walla. He shows simple yet vivid images juxtaposing gender and government. Walla was raised as a girl during the war and a man after. The swastikas are representative of his femininity, while the hammer and sickle show his masculinity.
This is a heavier gallery, and an inexperienced viewer may find some of the imagery strange, disturbing, and even insulting at times. Nevertheless, Power(less) is deserving of a stop-three spot on this list because of how impactful art brut is.
Paradise Lost is really an exceptional exhibit featuring photographs from John Wehrheim. With mostly black and white photographs featured, this gallery transports the viewers through space and time: from cold and bustling Prague to calm and peaceful Hawaii. The Taylor Camp is an abolished hippie commune in Hawaii that lasted from 1969-1977, after it was burned down by the police in order to expand a park.
This exhibit shows the lives of the inhabitants through photographs, but they tell a story. Viewers meet characters from the photographs and understand their simple and peaceful lives. This gallery shows love, relationships, day-to-day life, and how people find peace and freedom when the world is not providing enough. It may even make viewers consider if they should rethink their life choices. A note of this exhibit, it features a lot of nudity; it is artistically well done and not sexual or pornographic, but it may not be appropriate for those who do not want to be exposed to full nudity.
- Commander at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
This play is not for the faint of heart. It is bizarre, but it had to make the list because of how unique it is and for how great of a display it is of the fringe theatre available in Prague. The auditorium features a large movie screen as well as a stage and consists of a film and interpretive dance. Commander tells the true story of when anonymous online chats were found of someone spreading disturbingly neo-nazi ideals and convincing others to join. When the authorities found out who it was, it turned out to be a pubescent boy posing as “the Commander” as his online name
The goal of this play is to provide a shock, and it certainly provides that. The film part of the show consists of young boys playing the parts of the neo-nazis. The actual script was based heavily on the actual group chats found online, and it has very mature themes for such young boys to be saying. They talk about drugs and sex explicitly. More so, they were making sexist, racist, terrorist, and generally crude commentary. It added a level of absurdity, but at the same time, it creates a very disturbing show.
- Animals in Music at Czech Music Museum
After the depth that Commander provides, it may be time to cool off with a more fun-loving exhibit. Animals in Music is just that: it is a display of how animal noises, materials, and fables are used to develop our modern music. From displays of old instruments to interactive dance tutorials, Animals in Music is perfect for children to be able to touch and play music and adults to learn about history (and maybe let out their inner child and play some music too!
- Martin Janecky Starman at the Museum of Decorative Arts
Martin Janecky’s Starman features sculptures and provides a close look at the difficult process of glass blowing. With a display of several glass-blown heads, this exhibit is worth seeing for how close of a look viewers get at the intricate art that is blown glass. Janecky creates perfectly sculpted facial features of the heads, and in sequential order, the pieces form a story.
Furthermore, Janecky even adds a local Prague twist: he makes small sculptures resemblant to a piece of Czech history. The small sculptures show figurines that historically were put on the front doors of homes before addresses existed. Someone would say that they lived at the “home with the horse in front” rather than at an address. Starman is a great example of a Czech artist who has made a name for himself in the art world and is the only exhibit on the list that features a single Czech artist.
(Hint: Starman and The Power of Lace are featured in the same complex, ‘czech’ out both exhibits while visiting the Museum of Decorative Arts).
Floralia, a temporary exhibit at Museum Montaneli, does a beautiful job of crafting the exhibit into a combination of the many different facets behind flowers. To some, flowers may mean positive stereotypes: weddings, femininity, beauty, perfume, and springtime. To others, flowers may have a negative connotation: funerals, poison, or sent as an apology.
With both the good and the bad of flowers in mind, Floralia features works ranging from paintings to sculptures to even digital works. The photograph below and to the right features nine portraits showing the development of a baby in the womb, with a flower in the background as the baby developed; it is even a bit graphic with an obvious umbilical cord. Albeit dramatic, these display some of the most natural processes in humankind. Floralia is a lighter exhibit, although it may represent some heavier concepts, it is not difficult to look at in any sense and is a quick stop for any family.
Fragilites – a French work translating to weaknesses. This exhibit’s theme is the fragile coexistence of humans and their relationship with nature. This is shown through numerous media, from strings dangling from the sky to large sculptures. A lot of the art is very up for interpretation, each viewer may see something entirely different in each piece. If attending the gallery isn’t enough, the actual building is worth a visit. It is a massive, gorgeous hall with tall ceilings. It is a great spot to take a photo and learn a little about Prague’s cultural scene.
Something to consider is that this exhibit is entirely free! Galerie Rudolfinum really wants to keep its art accessible and encourages everyone to check out its exhibitions. This gallery sits near the Vltava River; you may accidentally run into it anyway due to its central location.
What better way to finish off visiting Prague than with another trip over to the DOX Centre (or maybe visit all the DOX suggestions at once)! As DOX has proven time and time again, an exhibit at DOX will be a bit strange. Badiucao: Made in China centers around the Chinese art activist, pseudonym Badiucao. They use their art to portray messages against the restrictive Chinese government. This is the first solo exhibition by Badiucao, and is a contemporary site to see, with controversial art featuring Chinese leaders, childhood characters, and a serious distaste for the Chinese government.
With all the political news surrounding China, seeing Badiucao now at DOX is a good sneak peek at someone who may become more prominent, especially as Western media continues to cover the Chinese regime more and more.