Contemporary Art in Prague

While it may not have the glitz of Paris or the trendiness of Berlin, art lovers shouldn’t be quick to dismiss Prague, the city of Kafka and cobble stone, as a creative backwater. If you make it past Old Town Square to smaller refuges like  The Langhans Galerie and events affiliated with the much acclaimed Umelec Magazine, you’ll see Prague is a thriving artistic capital. In no place is this more apparent than at this years Prague Biennale, a showcase of the best in new and emerging Czech artists.

Now in it’s fourth year, it’s touted as the most important exhibition of art and photography in Central Europe. The festival will feature 120 young painters- making it the largest overview of young painting ever presented in a big international exhibit. In addition to painting, the Biennale will also feature a photography overview which will include exhibits such as : New Life, New Document New Documentary Photography in Central Europe Curated by Tomas Pospech and Vladimir Birgus, New Slovak Photography Curated by Vaclav Macek and Lucia L. Fiserova, and for those lonely expats The Newest New York Young Photographers from the Big Apple Curated by Lina Bertucci and Michael Mckinney.

To those familiar with Prague, the event will not be held in tourist-friendly Prague 1, but rather at Karlin Hall, Thamova 8, Prague 8, Czech Republic July, 2009. However, one thing to be remembered is that the Biennale almost wasn’t possible- having lost all it’s financial supporters earlier this year, the event is being sponsored entirely by curators and artists, who are generously offering free admission. So if you happen to be in this beautiful city, be sure to check out the event and patronize generously.

For more information you can visit the Flash Art website at Flashartonline or www.praguebiennale.org