Compact archive June 22, 2007

Famous works of two co-founders of the abstract painting who lived at the same time but never met – Dutch Piet Mondrian and Czech Frantisek Kupka – are displayed in the Museum Kampa in Prague these days.

Visitors can admire 18 paintings by Piet Mondrian from all periods of his life and compare them with the works of Frantisek Kupka. Kupka is maybe not so well known abroad as Mondrian, but his works belongs among pure abstract art.

Museum Kampa (U Sovovych mlynu) is situated near the river Vltava. The exhibition is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 until 29th July 2007. The curator of this exhibition is Meda Mladkova.

Highly dangerous virus of bird flu was found in a private farm in Tisova in the west Bohemia. The turkeys there were infected with H5N1 virus that is transmissible to people.

The turkeys in that farm were probably infected from straw used as a bed for the birds. The straw comes from a nearby haystack that was accessible to any wild birds. All the poultry in the farm are destined to be killed as well as the poultry in the whole village.

The poultry would have been sold in more than one month as they didn’t have the required weight yet. They were in the farm for over two months. As the virus kills quickly, it’s almost impossible that any infected meat has been sold.

The first case of bird flu in the Czech Republic was reported in March 2006, the last one in May 2006. The Czech government approved a pandemic plan in case the virus spreads from birds to humans.

Already about 50,000 trade unionists are expected in Prague tomorrow to protest against the new governmental reforms announced in April but still not approved. The large number of people will have an effect on the transport in the city.

From 9:00 to 13:00 there will be no trams running in Prague-Zizkov. Tram lines no. 5, 9 and 26 will be rerouted, bus line no. 135 will terminate in namesti Miru. Read information boards on the stops.

If you plan to drive a car, better avoid the arterial in the direction to D1. The diversion is lead via Klimentska street, nabr. Ludvika Svobody, Na Frantisku, nam. Jana Palacha, Krizovnicka street, Smetanovo nabrezi, Jiraskovo namesti, Resslova street and Jecna street. Just follow the signposts.

If you don’t know what to do in Prague tonight, we’d like to inform you about two parties held in the city. The first one is a party on a houseboat on the Vltava river, the other one is Mafioso party in the city centre.

The houseboat is called U Bukanyra and right now it’s anchored on the nabrezi L. Svobody under the Stefanikuv bridge near botel Albatros. The Shadowboat party will offer drumandbass, many cocktails and a special atmosphere. The party starts at 21:00 and is for free.

Another possibility is to go to the Mafioso party where you can compete in the contest for the best Mafioso dress. You can look forward to dance performances of swing, step, tango and salsa. The party takes place in Tropison Club (on the 5th floor of the shopping centre Kotva in namesti Republiky) at 22:00.

For the fifth time Prague hosts the open-air festival of sculptures in the centre of the city. Sculpture Grande Prague 07 will present works of seven world’s famous artists whose works are regularly on display in significant exhibitions all over the world.

Unlike previous years, the sculptures are placed more in the Old Town and namesti Republiky, instead of the Wenceslas Square. The chosen artists are Stephan Balkenhol, Sylvie Fleury, Julian Opie, Jean-Jacques Ory, Briggitte Kowanz, Erwin Wurm and Jiri David.

The festival is accompanied with the competition Generation Next where young people from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria present their sculptures in namesti Republiky. Sculpture Grande Prague 07 will be held until 30th September 2007.