Culture this week: Celebrate the Chinese New Year and Czech architecture

Czech architecture|Visit "Josef Pleskot: Cities" until Feb. 12 at Museum Kampa to learn more about one of the most awarded architects of his generation, who turned 70 last December. The exhibition focuses on three specific urban settlements that Pleskot transformed through his work, namely Prague, Ostrava-Vítkovice and Litomyšl, as well as on his general approach to architecture.

Czechoslovak history|Catch a glimpse of important moments in the history of Czechs and Slovaks pre and post- Velvet Divorce until Feb. 15 in an outdoor exhibition on Wenceslas Square. According to deník.cz, the authors of the Czech/Slovakian Moments, which was prepared by the Czech press office, selected almost 130 images to illustrate important and lesser-known moments from the shared history of Czechs and Slovaks.

Czechoslovak New Wave|Miloš Forman's Black Peter (Černý Petr, also translated as Peter and Paula) on Jan. 23 at Kino Ponrepo. The Czechoslovak director's iconic film follows 17-year old Petr as he struggles with his crippling shyness both at work in a self-service store and on the dating scene, while also having to put up with his father's lectures at home.

My heart will go on|James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic is at Christmas Story on Jan. 24. Watch Kate Winslet and Leonardo di Caprio's Rose and Jack fall in love aboard the doomed ship while shedding a tear or two as Celine Dion sings her heart out. A new project of the organizers of the Sunset cinema summer cinema, Christmas Story offers visitors a Christmas-themed cinema still open in January with a secret entrance.

Blind movie date|Go on a Blind Date With Aero and let yourself be surprised by their film selection on Jan. 25. You don't find out what the film is until it starts, and you pay when it is over. All you know is that the screening is English-friendly and appropriate for people over 15 years old. If you've already seen the film, you get a free beer courtesy of Aero.

Existential questions|Shakespeare's Hamlet is at Divadlo ABC on Jan. 24 (with English subtitles). Follow the story of the Danish prince's return to Elsinore and experience his struggle with love, madness and power in one of the most famous plays of all time, which has been part of theatrical repertoire for more than 400 years.

Force of nature|Let yourself be mesmerized by Rusalka at The National Theater on Jan. 25 (with English surtitles). Antonín Dvořák's opera draws on Slavic mythology, where Rusalka is a water sprite inhabiting a river or a lake, turning the story into a meditation on the forces of nature and humanity. The production includes the National Theatre Chorus, National Theatre Orchestra and National Theatre Opera Ballet.

Inner beauty|The Beauty and the Beast at the The National Theater on Jan. 26 (with English surtitles). The drama follows František Hrubín's adaptation of the ancient Indo-European legend of a girl who falls in love with beast after seeing his inner beauty. Published in 1972, this is the last finished work of the Czech poet and playwright František Hrubín to be performed on stage during his life.

British Indie-pop|Hailing from Chesterfield, UK, singer-songwriter Casey Lowry plays at Café V lese on Jan. 25. The musician, who debuted in 2017, and went viral on TikTok during the Covid pandemic with videos where he sang his reactions to other videos on the platform, is currently touring through Europe.

Hip Portuguese foursome|Lisbon reverb rockers Hause Plants play at Palac Akropolis on Jan. 27. The band left Portugal for New York, and charted the process in their recording "Sleeping With Weird People," which was released last June on the Los Angeles label Spirit Goth. "Every day I had to ask myself: Where am I, how did I get here and who are these people?," singer and guitarist Guilherme says about their experiences.

Viennese delights|Celebrate Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthday on Jan. 27 at The Mozart Prague with a concert and traditional Austrian dinner. The evening starts with a two-part concert with sopranos and soloists of the Prague Philharmonic and the Melody Quartet, and ends on a high note with a traditional Austrian dinner, crowned with an Austrian Sachertorte for dessert. Reserve your spot by Jan. 25.

Flavors of Silk Road|Celebrate Lunar New Year on Jan. 27 at the Silq restaurant, whose kitchen is filled with aromas inspired by the cuisine of the Silk Road. Their menu includes specialties of the Chinese New Year, such as Lion's Heads, which are meatballs with pak choi, as well as Chinese Sashimi, variations of dim sum dumplings, Japanese Ochazuke, which is rice with kombucha tea served with grilled salmon, and many other delicious dishes. 

Chinese New Year menu|Through next weekend, Prague's Asian fusion restaurant Tepla Kacka has prepared a special menu to welcome the Chinese New Year. Each of the traditional dishes has a special symbolic meaning for the New Year, with Wonton dumplings bringing wealth and new beginnings, duck for unity and loyalty, and more.