Although the Signal Festival doesn't start until a month from now, the organizers have prepared three installations for the impatient now. They will liven up Prague's public space and Karlín's Hauch Gallery. The installation by the Czech artist Markéta Jáchimová was lit on September 8 as part of the Prague September festival in the middle of the hall of the Industrial Palace. A neon installation celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Prague Market by Michal Škapa was unveiled this weekend.
In 2010, Jáchimová entered public consciousness with a controversial, politically and ecologically tuned ice sculpture of former President Václav Klaus, whose ice bust melted in the sun in the gardens of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. Her object, named The Machine, embodies the contrast between the urban and natural landscape, between man, the machine that can easily turn into a tool of evil and man's hands, and a peaceful tree, between global problems and a the growing economy. The installation is a critical metaphor and gesture. It points to human greed, which is the cause of excessive logging and deforestation of nature. The artist works with the theme of ecology in a minimalist way.
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Objekt nazvaný Stroj Markéty Jáchimové.Source: Julie Slauka
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The Prague Market is celebrating 125 years since its founding
Michal Škapa, who is one of the most prominent authors of the Czech graffiti scene, created a new large neon object called Light Carrier on the anniversary of the market's founding. The inspiration for him were the statues of a bull and a man at the entrance. The neon drawing of the bull and its human guide changes in the artist's interpretation. It is animated by lights gradually switching on and off. The bull symbolizes strength and unbridled passion. The human figure represents a kind of a light carrier, with whom you can easily set out to explore the unexplored and boldly move towards an unknown future - just like the Prague Market, which is experiencing a new era right now.
The neon installation for the Prague Market Square was a great challenge for the artist. He has been working with neon as a medium for the last five years. The work Light Carrier is, after all, composed directly of 150 neon tubes. It should stay there long-term, but no less than a year.
"For a long time, we have been trying to leave a permanent work of art in Prague's public space and at the same time stetch our activities throughout the whole year. We are glad that we managed to find a place where the installation will stay for at least a year. In addition, the Prague Market Square is a location that has a great future ahead of it and has undergone a number of conceptual changes. We hope that the installation by Michal Škapa will become a symbol that will remain in the market forever, "
says festival director Martin Pošta.
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Instalace Michala Škalpy v Pražské tržnici. Source: Tomáš Slavík
The festival's novelty for children
Another new thing is the special children's interactive exhibition "Signal Playground: Biosy" by Slovak visual artist Boris Vitázek, which takes place in the Hauch Gallery in Karlín. It will kick off alongside with the festival on Thursday, October 15, but will continue without interruption until October 31.
The eighth year of the Signal Festival will offer a total of 15 installations on 3 festival routes, namely Holešovice, Staré Město and Karlín. The streets of Prague will light up from Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th October 2020, always from 7 pm to 12 am.
