Parallels — European Festival of Art in the Public Space

The City of Prague and the Prague City Gallery have joined forces with independent Prague festivals m3 / Art in Space and Landscape Festival focusing on art in the public space, to share their experiences with artistic interventions and reviving of neglected areas. The result is the European Festival Parallels, a contribution to the discussion of the role of contemporary art in the public space during the Czech presidency of the EU Council.

The Parallels Festival will run in five European countries, connecting Prague to Bratislava, Vienna, Berlin, Brussels and Lodz. Each city has its own specific features and audience, and the multi layered program organized in cooperation with the local partners reflects it. One of the layers focuses on trains and rails. We will dispatch theme trains to Bratislava, Vienna and Berlin with a program for the passengers; they will be art interventions for audiences in motion. The goal is not only to move from one place to another; the journey itself is the destination – the opportunity to meet and see the places, emphasizing sustainable traveling. Temporary interventions of Czech artists in our festival cities are based on their previous residencies. These artworks aim to reflect local specifics and offer a new point of view. The mobile version of the exhibition Outside the Gallery! and the eponymous film presents the history of the Czech art in the public space after 1989. Part of the program will be screenings of short films Art in the Periphery documenting the projects of the program Art for the City. Last but not least, we want to share the best practices and get insights from our local partners; the public space is an area for communication afterall. That’s why the festival program will also feature discussions and guided tours.

https://parallelsfestival.eu/en