Kafkárna is an experimental interdisciplinary platform, a laboratory for artistic research and education in Prague. The programme is oriented towards art in connection with ecological topics, and it hosts symposia, workshops, courses, exhibitions and lecture series, among others. All events take place in the premises of a hundred-year-old sculpture studio with a large magical garden. Professionals and artists as well as the public are involved, with a strong emphasis on various communities.
Local
Czechia
Prague
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As an individual in partnership with other persons
Kafkárna is an experimental interdisciplinary platform, a laboratory for artistic research and education at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague. The building itself is a hundred-year-old sculpture studio in Prague's Ořechovka district, which was created for Bohumil Kafka and his monumental realisations, most notably the statue of Jan Žižka in Prague, in the 1950s, Stalin's monument over Prague was created here. Since the fall of communism, the studio has been used by students of Atelier of Fine Arts I, currently under the guidance of artists Dominik Lang, Zuzana Jakalová and Kateřina Vídenová. This studio, whose discourse in recent years has focused primarily on the most contemporary issues related to social and ecological justice, began opening the space to other students and the public two years ago, gradually defining a program for the studio in which ecology and art are intertwined. The themes opened with "Hostina" series, a format of regular community dinners combined with lectures and art performances on various ecological themes related to food (logistics, hunger in plenty, food waste, permaculture, etc.). Equally important to the program, along with the interior, is the large living garden began to become a field of experimentation in the possibilities of a sustainable operation of a similar artistic and ecological center, just like this one. Since 2022, the programme at Kafkárna has continued, thanks mainly to the funding from Norwegian Funds, which has led to the establishment of the Centre for Art and Ecology UMPRUM. The core of the programme is three multi-day symposia (ecofeminism, communities, non-growth). In addition, workshops, courses, performances, exhibitions, camps or lecture series are held here, and gradually part of the teaching related to ecological topics is moved here. Kafkárna is also part of several community and professional festivals. Professionals, artists and the public are involved, with a strong emphasis on communities.
art
ecology
community
learning
cooperation
IDEAL MICROWORLD
In light of the progressing climate crisis and the increasingly clear vision that there may not be a future without change, we are experimenting with the possibilities of how culture might look in the future. We are inspired by nature: the Kafkárna garden itself is an extraordinary island of both wildness and tranquillity within the heart of the capital, and offers a perfect setting for just such experiments, both technological and non-growth. We are creating an ideal microcosm that does not close in upon itself, but instead actively interacts with the outside world.
GENERAL METHODOLOGY
Sustainability is one of the most important moments of our work, we are guided by individual ecological principles ( sustainability, circularity, care for the soil, plants and animals), which we try to gradually translate into a generally valid methodology for the sustainable functioning of a cultural institution of this type.
The Centre for Art and Ecology is located in an old sculpture studio, whose main interior spaces are not heated, and we manage rainwater, organic waste, project the use of renewable energy sources (biogas, solar), etc. throughout the premises.
SEDIMENTS
The programme at Kafkárna is closely linked to the finest contemporary and historically proven art. For the last hundred years, important sculptors have worked at Kafkárna (especially Bohumil Kafka, after whom the studio is named) and many of their works are still preserved in the interior and garden. Bohumil Kafka created the riding statue of Jan Žižka, which dominates Prague and until recently was the largest riding statue in the world. In the 1950s, a monument to Joseph Stalin was created here for Prague's Letná. Not only these most intense, but many other layers of history accumulate in the building's studios and garden, forming the starting point for the present work. Each of the involved artists then has the opportunity to relate to these sediments in their own way.
ARCHIVE
A visit to Kafkárna is an exceptional aesthetic experience for everyone in terms of both the venue and the programme, it is opening up new possibilities for perception and creation. Our aim, however, is not to preserve the status quo, but to add contemporary themes to the archive of works and experiences. One of the pillars of our work is the preparation of the archive, and the head of the curatorial team is the initiator of the whole idea, artist and teacher Dominik Lang, among other things a laureate of the prestigious Jindřich Chalupecký Prize.
PROGRAMME FOR ALL
The programme involves professionals and artists as well as the general public. Thanks to support from the Norwegian Funds, all programming is free of charge. A big emphasis is put on the local community and the participation of disadvantaged groups. We have a long-term cooperation with the Elpida centre for the elderly (art courses, lectures, cooperation with artists), with the Roma community centre Žižkostel and the Roma primary school Cimburkova (art courses, preparation for talent entrance exams) and the organisation Barvolam, which brings together disabled artists (cooperation between disabled and able-bodied artists on joint works, exhibitions). During the summer months, children's art camps focusing on ecology are also held at Kafkárna.
Courses and workshops are led by experienced professionals and artists, but gradually students from our school, who have already led a few courses themselves, are also getting trained.
We also have a partnership agreement for the entire duration of the project with the Museum of Roma and Sinti in Prague (attached).
A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW
In the unique environment of the Kafkárna and its garden, every visitor necessarily has to stop and at least for a moment try to look at reality from a different point of view. And that is what we aim to do - to increase sensitivity to nature, to community, to things that are not connected at first sight with one's own comfort and benefit. The core of the program is education through experience, creation, sharing and helping.
Among other things, there are symposia, workshops, courses, performances, exhibitions, camps for students and children, or lecture series. Professionals and artists as well as the public are involved. There is a strong emphasis on community and the participation of disadvantaged groups.
LOCAL COMMUNITY
We put great emphasis on the neighbours in the neighbourhood of Kafkárna. We invite neighbours to all events and have already managed to create a functioning community.
PUBLIC
We primarily target art school students throughout the city (posters, social media), but we are open to the general public. We place a strong emphasis on engaging disadvantaged groups (as described in point 4), as we believe that only in a just society is it possible to achieve changes that will lead to a greener humanity.
In terms of speakers and performing artists, there is a huge range of personalities from many disciplines, institutions, regions, countries.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Internationally, we collaborate with the German collective raumlabor (exchange stay for students of Floating University, Berlin - Kafkárna, Prague, for which we received a grant from the Deutsch-Tschechische Zukunftsfonds) or with the Norwegian organization Concerned Artists Norway (two symposia, study trip to Norway, catalogue), with which we have a partnership agreement (see attachment).
Among other things, the following areas of knowledge were reflected in our project:
ART, ART THEORY - Kafkárna has hosted a large number of leading Czech and international artists and theorists whose work seeks to open up new directions within artistic practice with respect to ecology, both in content and form (e.g. art installations and performances are part of most lectures, dinners, symposia and other events, including a children's art camp led by artist Eva Kot'átková, also a laureate of the prestigious Jindřich Chalupecký Prize, in the summer of 2022)
ARCHITECTURE, URBANISM - the functioning of space within the organism of the city and its complex ecological relations, the search for the potentials of local community non-growth functioning (the spring and summer of 2022 was devoted to the theme of "the city and ecology", an architectural project on the potential renovation of the site and the studio is being created, etc.)
SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY - describing the shortcomings of the functioning of contemporary society based on capitalist principles, discussing the possibilities of transformation (an example is the lecture by microbiologist Tereza Stöckelová, who thematizes the social phenomena of the future that are linked to the human microbiome, held in autumn 2022)
BIOLOGY, AGRICULTURE, PERMACULTURE - garden care and above all thinking about systems of functioning together with the support of biodiversity, soil quality, adaptation to global warming or partial food sovereignty (e.g. practical and theoretical permaculture training with expert Denisa Tomášková)
COOKING, FOOD, GARDENING - co-creation, communal dining, with a strong emphasis on developing communities and activating the public (e.g. autumn and winter 2021 was dedicated to a series of community feasts, with students we also published a vegetarian cookbook with professional and artistic texts on each topic, see appendix)
MODESTY
Compared to other (not only) school initiatives in this area, which are often based on the philosophy of endless growth and unchanging consumption that will be solved only by science and modern technology, this initiative goes in the sort of opposite direction - it highlights the possibilities in changing the lifestyle of individuals, cities and society as a whole and reflects on phenomena that are unfortunately still marginalised in the Czech public space (communities, non-growth, disadvantaged groups, etc. - All this on the basis of an artistic-ecological programme).
COLD
One of the aspects we relate to the phenomenon of "modesty" is winter: the main large studio, for example, is not heated in winter. At first we thought it was crazy, but students and visitors have gradually got used to it and the cold (in the extreme, even below zero) is therefore no obstacle to enjoy a beautiful long evening full of culture. We have a small local heater for individuals who wouldn't make it for long in the cold, or people can warm up outside by the fire. We have never experienced a problem though, rather people appreciate it and leave with a good feeling that they have managed to cross a boundary they hadn't even considered before. So we are not considering full heating (insulation) for the large studio even after the planned renovation, thus preserving the historic expression of part of the structure.
AUTHENTICITY
We work in a similar style with other aspects of practical life in the house and garden. Authenticity is a very strong point of the Kafkárna (when it's cold, it's cold), the environment with all its individuality perfectly complements the artistic-ecological programme.
MANUAL FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
We seek to experimentally explore the possibilities of operating a cultural centre within the new challenges of the future. We are trying to apply sustainable principles (food production, composting, recycling of materials, rainwater harvesting, care for soil, plants and animals, energy production - planned small biogas plant and solar panels + emphasis on not wasting energy, materials, food, strictly vegetarian environment, etc.). All of this supported by a theoretical and scientific programme. Our aim is to create a kind of comprehensive and proven manual for the functioning of a cultural institution of this type and scale in the most sustainable form possible, and to distribute it to all other interested parties. In our case, everything is with an overlap into the visual arts, i.e. with an emphasis not only on content and function, but also on aesthetic and conceptual quality (which is further capable of shaping).
ACCESSIBILITY, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT
The basis of our activities is the approachability and pleasantness of meeting together, besides the philosophy of spending quality time and the emphasis on interpersonal relationships, it is also a way to attract an audience that would not normally be interested in the topics.
We built and equipped a large kitchen in the middle of the main studio with the help of the local community, and the central sculptural turnedtable can be converted into a large dining table. In the garden there is a large fire pit with seating and the possibility of projection under a tree. These two places are the epicenters of all programming.
ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
The main global issues reflected in the initiative are climate change and the collapse of biodiversity. Our experiment focuses on both mitigation measures - i.e., reducing emissions in the operation of a cultural institution through both circularity and conservation and renewable energies use - and adaptation measures (i.e., operating in a different climate, rainwater management, food self-sufficiency, promoting space for non-human beings, etc.).
FUNCTIONING
The Centre for Art and Ecology UMPRUM is in its second year of operation and we plan to continue and develop our ideas as long as it is possible and beneficial, so far the response has been great. We currently have a grant from Norway Grants until April 2024 with a commitment to operate for five years afterwards, but we are already looking for further funding.
EXITS
Videos of lectures, catalogues (we have already published a cookbook "Hostina -Feast" with expert texts on food and ecology, see attachment) and we are preparing two more publications ("House" on the rich history of the studio and "Garden" on the present and challenges of the future) can be considered tangible outputs. Both parts of the two-book series will contain theoretical texts by experts, photographs and reproductions of artworks, and we are planning an English language version of the second book. Another output is an "Archive" of all the artistic activities that have taken place and are taking place in the garden. This is not just an inventory of physical artworks, but an archive of recordings of performances, art happenings, musical performances, artist talks and other artistic events. The "Archive" will be the main content of the developing website.
ARCHITECTURAL STUDY
In parallel, an architectural study for the renovation of the entire building is being developed, which is sponsored by the school and which we are working on intensively in a wide open circle with its architect Adam Wlazel (MAK!). We are making sure that the necessary renovation of the aging structures and the improvement of the facilities do not compromise the genius loci of the place and, above all, the ideals we all put into the place.
We develop knowledge and skills needed for a greener and more sustainable functioning of the educational and cultural centre of our kind, our aim it to provide a manual (both online and printed) with this knowledge for other potential users.
