Next week, from 20-26 April, Brno Art Week will return, transforming the whole of the city into a public gallery for contemporary art. This art festival is not just for experts, but for anyone who wants to experience the city differently, including new programs this year for children and for non-Czech speakers.
The week-long festival will connect galleries, studios, art schools and unconventional venues across and around Brno. In addition to exhibitions, the program will also offer walks, meetings with artists, workshops for children and adults, and collective experiences that push the boundaries of what is commonly imagined as “art”.
This year’s edition is subtitled ‘Resilience’, meant not as an abstract concept, but as something reflected in the everyday functioning of the cultural scene and in the program itself. “Brno Art Week shows that cooperation and mutual support between cultural institutions are not a given, but an increasingly important need in today’s uncertain times,” said organizer Marika Kupková.
From a professional point of view, the topic of resilience is reflected in the program discussions about the accessibility of cultural platforms and the transformation of off-space galleries.
However, Brno Art Week is primarily aimed at the general public. Visitors can visit well-known galleries as well as places they would not normally visit, such as the “punk” Zaazrak Dornych gallery behind the main train station, the new studios on Masná, and Jurkovič’s villa. The festival will also take people outside the city center, including to Obřany, where several events will be held this year, and to Tišnov.
Art walks will connect the city, nature, and stories of places, including an audio walk about how Brno sounds, and a tour with art historian Michal Konečný through the history of monument preservation in the city.
Families with children can try workshops at Villa Tugendhat, draw from a book at the Café Kaprál Residence, or discover the sounds of the city at Vašulka Kitchen.
Another important part of the event are the exhibition openings and meetings with artists, providing an opportunity to look behind the scenes of the creation of exhibitions and meet the creators in person. For those who want to go more in-depth, there are guided tours of the exhibitions available.
The festival will culminate with a Friday party featuring performances by Ursula Sereghy , a prominent figure in contemporary electronic music, among others.
According to the organisers, “Brno Art Week is not just a showcase of contemporary art. It is an invitation to slow down, perceive the city differently, and experience it with all your senses.”
Program for non-Czech speakers
For non-Czech speakers who wish to take part in Brno Art Week, there is a guided walking tour with Daniel Styles at 5 pm on Tuesday, beginning at Zábrdovická 2. This tour explores the past, present, and future of community art in Brno’s Židenice and Zábrdovice neighbourhoods. This will be followed by an artist talk with Zuzana Golinská, also in English. The film ‘Kontext Palestina’ will be playing on a loop at the CIT Cinema, and there is also a community sauna organized by an expat-friendly group of artists.
Find more information on the English-friendly program here.
