LearnWho is the best stage designer buddy? Is scenography a spatial or temporal matter? Is it possible to extract scenography from theatre and place it in a gallery? The questions were answered at the exhibition RELATIONSHIPS STOCK SCENERY UTOPIA that took place on OC Dornych in Brno on 10-25 June and presented Czech contemporary scenographic works.
Seven theatre figures and collectives – Pavla Beranová, Michal Cáb, Handa Gote, Matěj Sýkora, Zuzana Sceranková, Martina Zwyrtek, and the Sedlčany Amateur Theatre Company – presented their work.
The exhibition RELATIONSHIPS STOCK SCENERY UTOPIA followed the tradition of the Salon of Czech Scenography national showcase, which has been organized since 1977. The form when the artworks were presented according to the individuals has transformed into a curated exhibition with a unifying topic this year. It presented scenographic figures and scenography as a multimedia discipline, including static objects, light, and sound design.
Thus, one venue could see the gathering of seven figures – visual artists and stage designers working in professional institutional theatre, as well as independent stages. The exhibition on the topmost floor of the Dornych shopping center was open for two weeks. The curators approached the space as a journey across three main parts of a theatre – visitors could go through the backstage, stage, and auditorium.
Remembering Petr Matásek
A special place was dedicated to the principal figure of Czech scenography Petr Matásek (1944-2017), whose was (not exclusively) associated with the DRAK Theatre in Hradec Králové. As a popular designer, Petr Matásek worked with dozens of directors and made more than 160 sets for puppet, drama, and opera productions. His work was remembered through models, photographs, and interviews with formal associates and friends. The Arts and Theatre Institute and National Theatre worked together to produce the installation.
How to communicate scenography?
The exhibition also featured the Half-Life 5.1 professional symposium that took place on Thursday 24 June in OC Dornych. The moderated discussion focused on the topic of communication of scenography with the contributions by Apolena Vanišová, Viktor Takáč, Barbora Příhodová, Lukáš Brychta, and Kateřina Svatoňová.
