Compact archive May 20, 2008

“Maybe getting naked would help.“ Such were the words of Kabat’s frontman Vojtek, when they gained the last place possible last years’ season of Eurovision Song Contest. The truth is, the competition is still somewhat doubted if it reflects music reality, sometimes the countries send very obscure performances. This years opponents for the Czech songress Tereza Kerndlova are for example Pirates of The Sea from Latvia. Whom I personally expect to end up as Kabat last year.

What are the weapons of Kerndlova? Clean voice, dancing, and the main weapon: sex appeal. The Czech Republic may get quite far with the well-known truth that sex sells, but we will see. She is not the most famous nor the most quality songress we have had, but at least she looks hot and like a model. The 22-yo daughter of jazz and swing singer Ladislav Kerndl won this year national finals. She didn’t get naked, though, but at least she had a huge fan under her feet, so at least she showed something. The first round is this Thursday.

The long expected premiere of Havel’s play Odchazeni comes nearer. Even when there are always some new peripetia, three premiere performances takes place in Archa Theatre from 22th to 24th May, The owner of the theatre Ondrej Hrab announced.

The most discussed recent news connected to Odchazeni was that Vaclav Havel’s wife, actress Dagmar Havlova decided not to participate on the play, even when she already went through the script at half of the rehearsals. She denies that her leave from the theatre would have any other than health reasons.

Hrab underlines she participated very actively: “David Radok is a very demanding director and rehearsing was so intensive, the health state of Dagmar Havlova disallow her to continue. But I have to add, that her attitude, before she announced she has to stop, was very professional.”

The new advertisement has been off in the air for about a week, and there are hardly any positive critics, if any at all. The ad lasts thirty seconds, it cost 8 and a half million czk and it should attract solvent western clients. Prague was depicted as the place where are beautiful blonde women, historical sights and luxurious restaurants.

Petr Dudek wrote for MF Dnes that the advertisement just piles one cliche on another. The typical sign of advertisements trying to attract tourists is to show sexy women, surrounded by alcohol “But you can drink champagne in the middle of a desert, and you can find a blonde everywhere, on Mount Everest if you transport her there.” According to him, Prague is more than this, there is architecture, history, and also some recent developments.

The other frequently criticised part of the ad is the music. To choose A Little Night Music by Mozart for a clip about Prague is really an unfortunate decision, as we have our own composers, known worldwide – Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak, for instance. And a cherry on the cake – the initiator of the ad was Milan Richter, Prague councilman, and guess who is his girlfriend? Tatana Kucharova, one of the models who acts in the ad.

The director of the National library Vlastimil Jezek appealed on the Prague Mayor, Pavel Bem, Prague should finally sell the grounds, on which the Blob was supposed to stand, on Prague Letna. Jezek refers to two years old decree of the deputies, where Prague pledges to sell acres worth 31,5 milion czk to the Library. However, it is all conditioned the Library will submit building licence.

Due to continuing and increasing obstructions, that are put to the way of the Blob, the Library cannot gain the licence, and Jezek appeals for prolonging of the deadline to 2011. “Time is our enemy” he reasons the appeal; “Without new spaces, the library is going to collapse after 2015.”

What will happen is still obscure. The contest was, according to various institution regular. According to Jezek, there are no factual problems, the only obstacles are some influential politicians, trying to prevent the new library from being build. Source: Aktualne.cz

He got to the history of modern art especially by being the only potter in the famous Group 42. He was heavily influenced by the art of Otto Gurfeund and from the beginning of the 1930’s he created typically shaped cubist sculptures. The portrait production represents a continuous line from the early to late works – the most significant exhibits are present at the exhibition.

Ladislav Zívr / 1909–1980 Letohrádek královny Anny or Belvedere, Royal or Queen Anne’s Summer Palace at the Prague Castle. The exhibition starts 4th may and continues until 19th August. Tickets: 100 czk.