Description
The project aims to enhance cultural dialogue and strengthen European identity by challenging the issue of art in public space and landscape in the Czech Republic. Norway is seen as an inspiration thanks to its long-term care for its cultural landscape and public space through the promotion and implementation of unique artistic and architectural achievements that improve the quality of life not only of local communities but also foreign visitors to Norway. The goal of this project is to present good examples of the conceptual approach to the cultivation of public space to general and professional public in the Czech Republic. The project consists of an exhibition which will present aspects of art and architecture incorporated into Norwegian landscape and public space through photography and video art. The exhibition will take place in Jaroslav Fragner Gallery in Prague, which is the only gallery dedicated to the history and present state of architecture with strong overlaps into art, landscaping and public space in the Czech Republic. Thanks to the project the exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue containing photographic documentation and technical texts and by bilateral workshop on the subject with experts and artists from Norway and the Czech Republic. After the end of the project, the exhibition will be reinstalled at various locations in the Czech Republic. In all three activities two project partners from Norway - ROM for kunst og arkitektur and National Tourist Route under the Dept. of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration will actively participate in all three activities.
Summary of project results
The project was aimed at developing and strengthing bilateral partnerships, the exchange of experience of the project promoter with Norwegian partners (Gallery ROM and National Tourist Routes), promoting long-term Norwegian activities in the field of artistic and architectural creation within Landart and the care of cultural landscapes and presenting these to the Czech professional and general public as a good example of the conceptual approach to the cultivation of public space. The project consisted of three interrelated activities: exhibition, exhibition catalogue (with aprox. 200 pages) and bilateral workshop. All three parts were based on a trip to Norway in summer 2015. The Exhibition of photos took place from 16.2.2016 till 3.4.2016 in the premises of the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery (Prague). Workshop and conference attended by Czech and Norwegian experts, professionals and students were also held in Prague on 14.-16. March 2016. The realization of the exhibition, which included study tours photographers and film team to Norway, created a comprehensive collection of photographic and video documentation of architectural and artistic realizations within the Norwegian tourist routes. Results of the project Artscape Norway - exhibition and catalogue will become the basis for further development of technical cooperation in the Czech Republic and also for planned professional cooperation with Norwegian partners in the future.
Summary of bilateral results
The project had 2 different partners from donor countries. Gallery ROM (non-governmental and non-profit organisation based in Oslo, whose mission it is to support innovative Art and Architecture) and Nasjonale turistveger - National Tourist Routes (a contribution-based organisation of Statens wegvesen – the Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads). Both institutions were actively involved in the preparation and implementation of the project from the very beginning. They provided assistance in the implementation of study tours of Czech curator and documentary filmmakers to Norway to purchase photo- and video- documentation for the exhibition and catalog. Representatives of both partners (NT-P.Rizler, instead of the originally announced Trine Kante Zerwek and G. ROM (H.der Minassian) personally participated in the workshop and conferences (lectures, discussions) and Henrik der Minassian (Gallery ROM) is co-authored the text parts of the catalog. Further cooperation is planned after the project's completion.