From 9-12 October, Brno is hosting the 11th edition of Prototyp — a pioneering interdisciplinary festival where art, science, and technology converge. Set in the haunting, atmospheric subterranean spaces of the Žlutý kopec Water Reservoirs, Prototyp transforms what might otherwise be forgotten infrastructure into a living, breathing canvas of light, sound, and experimentation.
Prototyp is more than a festival — it is a platform bringing together the often disparate disciplines of art, science, design, engineering, and curious minds. Over four days, the underground “cathedral” of the reservoirs will host dozens of large-scale installations, interactive works, immersive projections, and site-specific experiments.
The Venue: Water Reservoirs as a Living Canvas
One of the most striking features of Prototyp is its use of the Žlutý kopec Water Reservoirs — a subterranean network of tanks and vaults originally built for urban water supply. The festival description refers to the space as an “underground cathedral,” capturing how light and sound can carve out spatial narratives in such dramatic, vaulted environments.
Over the four days, more than two dozen works from Czech and international creators will inhabit the three water reservoirs and adjacent park. The festival organizers emphasize that the installations are presented without commentary or guided tours — visitors are invited to let the spaces and works themselves speak.
The festival curators caution that the path involves rough terrain, limited lighting, and possible strobe or light-sensitive effects. The immersive experience is deliberate: you are not merely observing art, but navigating through it.
Thematic Vision
Prototyp is built on the guiding principle of “When art, science & technology collide.” Over the years, it has evolved into a signature autumn event in Brno, gaining a reputation for bold curatorial experiments and a willingness to bridge disciplines.
By placing experimental works in unconventional architectural spaces, Prototyp challenges both artists and audiences to reconsider the relationships between environment, perception, and meaning. The festival does not just display art — it lets visitors navigate through it, become part of it, and even feel it.
The inclusion of AI, interactive fashion, fulldome cinema, and educational panels signals that Prototyp is also preoccupied with the future — the evolving role of technology in artistic expression, and how it intersects with ecology, human perception, and cultural practice.
The festival does not stand alone, but is one node in the larger Brno Creative Days initiative, a network of creative, scientific, and technological programming throughout the city. Through collaboration with universities, institutions, industry, and cultural bodies, Prototyp aims to seed innovation, cross-disciplinary dialogue, and lasting networks long after the lights go out.
Prototyp 2025 promises to be a deeply atmospheric, intellectually provocative, and sensorially rich event. By embedding cutting-edge works into the bowels of Brno’s infrastructure, it invites visitors to look, listen, and feel in new ways. The festival stands as a testament to how art can activate space, how technology can amplify meaning, and how curiosity can map new constellations.
Highlights & Featured Works
Some of the standout pieces and performances to look forward to include:
- Andy Thomas (Australia) presents Visual Bird Sounds — a project that transforms birdsong into hypnotic visualizations, marrying biology, data, and abstraction.
- Jakub Nepraš offers Fossil, a site-sensitive work engaging with memory, texture, and time within the water reservoir context.
- Alex Dowis invites participants to “paint with light” on a luminescent screen, pushing the boundary between interactivity and ambient installation.
- Leo Bettinelli activates the space with an interactive Laser Harp Q, turning the ambient architecture into a resonant, reactive musical instrument.
- Slovak artist sedemminut (“sevenminutes”) contributes FOR PEACE!, an installation that subtly shifts from a slow walk into a “run as fast as light,” exploring notions of freedom, momentum, and perception.
Beyond installations, the festival also includes a fashion performance segment. Designers Klára Žídková and Natalyia Grimberg present 3D-printed futuristic fashion and a wedding collection co-created with AI. Using wireless headphones, this performance is designed as an immersive fusion of sound, light, and couture.
On the cosmic side, Prototyp 2025 expands into the Brno Observatory and Planetarium with 360° fulldome projections. Two particular immersive works will be offered:
- Écosystème by Maxime Dangles & Dylan Côté — a sonic and visual exploration into underwater soundscapes, merging marine biology, field recordings, and immersive aesthetics.
- Protist Rhapsody, which promises to connect the micro and macro scales, linking life, matter, and motion under the dome.
Additionally, Prototyp 2025 includes a conference titled Speaking AI Art 01/2025: Education (at KUMST Brno), which delves into the role of artificial intelligence in art and education. The festival weekend also features workshops for both children and adults.
Practical Information
Tickets must be booked in allocated time-slots to help control visitor flow. Each guided visit (though unaccompanied) lasts about 80 minutes. The reservoirs are open from 9am until midnight every day until Sunday.
Tickets for access to the water reservoir installations range from CZK 440 for the full ticket down to CZK 260 for children of 6-15 years. Children under 6 can enter for free. Outdoor exhibitions and workshops are free and do not require a ticket.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance, with the option to also buy on-site during the festival.
