In the hot days of June, the 14th year of the Prague Quadriennale international exhibition of scenography and theater space took place at the Exhibition Center in Prague's Holešovice. Up to 800 artists from 79 countries of the world presented themselves and up to 600 different events, performances, lectures and workshops took place within the 11-day program.
Anyone who had the opportunity to visit this interesting exhibition must agree with me that it is a very attractive and unusual event that takes place in Prague regularly every four years. This year, the Quadriennale was moved from the Trade Fair Palace to its original venue, namely to the premises of the Křižík Pavilion and the Křižík Fountain at the Holešovice Exhibition Center. Here, the visitor had the opportunity to see the best of more than 17,000 registered projects from artists from all over the world based on an open call. Individual works were evaluated and selected by an international team of curators. While the right wing of the Křižík pavilion was mainly presented by professional scenographers, the left wing concentrated the works of art school students. As part of the accompanying program, events related to the exhibition were also held at various locations in Prague. Perhaps the most powerful experience of this year's Quadrennial was the Russian exposition, whose monumental wooden structure enticed the visitor to enter a paradise garden full of trees and exposed female beings. The exhibition of coffins from Israel, where each of the coffins hid one theater performance, looked like a scary horror movie. The most visually attractive impression was the Danish exhibition called Virgin's Blood, where a young man was lying on a transparent rotating box, covered only in a piece of white sheet, and the surrounding projection in blue color created an impressive contrast effect. With wit and the most efficient solution, the Bulgarian creators presented themselves with a miniature scene that can be packed into three suitcases. Street artists will certainly appreciate this idea. The Italian theater artists, on the other hand, came up with an empty white room, into which they invited visitors to experience the reactions of the acting group to the presence of a stranger. Observing the behavior of an amateur surrounded by a group of experienced actors was an exciting experience for the onlooker. The Czech representation was in the form of a newspaper stand referring to the fact that Prague is not the Czech Republic. Well, the Slovak scenography school brought a blue-lit levitating mannequin in a box together with a piece of curtain. Both countries, with their imagination and hidden humor, have certainly held their own in the fierce global competition. But actually none of the countries need be ashamed of the scene or costumes they presented at the Quadrennial. Even in this minor theater field, which is very important for every theater performance, the artists were able to show their best while remaining faithful to their cultural traditions. Whichever direction you looked in the exhibition, you saw something interesting or beautiful. Therefore, many thanks to the organizers of the event. So goodbye again in four years, Prague Quadriennale!
Vladimír Dubeň