Compact archive November 1, 2007

A competitive exhibition of 5th International Triennial of Graphic named Transfery (Transfers) is possible to see until 11th November 2007 in the Old Town City Hall. Paintings shown are those selected from works of winners of International
Graphic Competitions from 2004-2007. Featured: various graphics from ex libris miniatures to large format installations.

The unique piece of this exhibition would be the Leviathan Eglé Kuckaitov’s mural painting, made by stamps. The 3×4 metes painting depicts a dialog of Franz Kafka and Latvian artist Chiurlionis, and took five days to complete.

Combination of old and new graphic techniques brought victory of the Prague triennial to Belgian Muriel Moreauov.

Eight volume of Gay and Lesbian Film festival Mezipatra (Mezzanines) moves from Brno, where it have already started last week, to Prague cinemas Svetozor and Oko. The speaker of the show Katerina Horcicova anounced: “We are going to show 60 movies, corresponding to this year’s theme – ‘rebelling’.”

The visitors can vote for the best movie, and beside screening, the festival offers accompanying programme – debates, exhibition and a party. So again – since 5th to 11th November 2007, Svetozor, Vodickova 41 and Oko, Frantiska Krizika 15.

More info here

Behind the symbolic barbed wire are placed few dozens of portraits of former political prisoners. The exhibition ‘Pribehy bezpravi’ (The Stories of Injustice) complements the third volume of the project Ztracena duse naroda – Ztrata slusnosti (The loss of a Nation’s soul – The loss of Decency) directed by Olga Sommerova.

Traditional contents of this event are movie screenings and debates with witnesses of communist injustice. The ‘lágr’ (communist prison) is build under the Wenceslas statue, having a symbolic meaning; it represents dozens of real lágrs of communist Czechoslovakia. The organizers explain:

“We chose photo portraits of prisoners’ files according to one aim; we wanted to show, how wide the spectra of persecuted citizens was. All the prisoners, whose photos are shown, are linked by becoming victims of the totalitarian despotism, and also by their bravery, moral strength, and resilience they demonstrated.”

Similar fate met thousands of other Czechoslovakian citizens, and the exhibition is devoted to them.
 
The project’s web here

Czech citizens do not need visa to go to Canada since 1st November 2007. However, their stay cannot be longer than ninety days, and they cannot get work there.

No more visa for Canada

Negotiations for abolishing the visa requirement took seven years. Canada imposed them on Czech citizens after the number of asylum seekers rapidly increased in 1997.

“I’m very happy we came back to the state of visa situation that corresponds to our great relations.” said Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg.

Huge demand for asylum which was in 1997 initiated mostly by Czech Romanies forced Canada to establish the visa requirement. Ottawa administrative came to conclusion they abuse their social system. It took ten years to come back to the state of things that we want to see.

Louis XIII. Black Pearl is a precious artifact, combining shining beauty with classicism, refracting light on its anthracite surface.

What is inside of the unique bottle is no less exquisite; a blend of eau de vie, a unique combination of cognacs, reaching total number of 1200. Some of them are older 100 years and come from Grande Champagne region in France.

This is the last bottle of 786 that doesn’t have an owner. The auction takes place on 14th November in the Lesser Town hotel Mandarin Oriental, Prague. It is possible that the buyer from the Czech Republic will be able to spend as much as the buyers from abroad.

The last auction prices? Louis XIII. Black Pearl is not only a gourmet delicacy and a piece of art, but also a unique investment chance. The first bottle was sold for 12 000 €, the highest price for one bottle came in Japan – 62 000 €. Black Pearl is a symbol of luxury and exquisite taste.