Czech culture this week: Cruise to the cinema for charity and feel the 'Wind of Change'

The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague unleashes the Power of Lace, depicting the cloth as fine art. The same ticket also gives you access to another just-opened show, Martin Janecký: Starman featuring art in glass. Read more here.

Minimalist paintings from the 17th to 20th centuries make up ZENGA ⁠–⁠ Japanese Zen Paintings from the Kaeru-An Collection. This is the first time the National Gallery in Prague is exhibiting works from a recently donated collection that translates to "from the frog's hut." The show at Salm Palace starts May 27 and runs to Oct. 2. Read more here.

Irena Dousková's B. Proudew looks at life after the Prague Spring in a Czech town from the point of view of a young girl. She faces typical issues of school bullies, clueless teachers, annoying brothers, and untrustworthy adults but manages to rise above it all. A play adaptation of the book will be performed in English at Prague's Divadlo D21 on June 24 and 25 by the Brno-based amateur group Czech Theater.

See a charity preview of Top Gun: Maverick at Kino Světozor on May 25, a day before the film goes into wide release. The Czech jet training aircraft Aero L-39 Albatros, manufactured by Aero Vodochody, took part in the filming of the sequel to the 1986 movie. The aircraft was used to familiarize actors with flying before sitting in the cockpit of a F/A-18 Hornet fighter. Aviation action scenes were also filmed from a specially modified L-39 equipped with a customized gyrostabilized camera system designed for shooting at high speeds. Ticket proceeds go to children's charity Spolu Detem. Read more here.

German metal band Scorpions, known for hits like "Rock You Like a Hurricane," comes to Prague on their Rock Believer World tour. The current lineup includes longtime members Klaus Meine on lead vocals, Michael Schenker on rhythm guitar, and Matthias Jabs on lead guitar. The group recently changed the lyrics in its mega-hit "Wind of Change" to show support for Ukraine. O2 Arena, May 26. Read more here and here.

Dry Czech humor is the hallmark of the plays allegedly by Jára Cimrman. Several have been rendered into English and are staged with the blessings of Zdeněk Svěrák, one of the original "discoverers" of the plays. The Stand In, set in 1910, concerns a self-impressed actor who generates laughs for all the wrong reasons. Žižkovské divadlo Járy Cimrmana, May 23. Read more here.

Czech actor Josef Abrhám died this week at the age of 82. The stage and screen veteran leaves behind a legacy of theatrical and film roles, though he was perhaps best known for playing a larcenous fake waiter in the 1980 film Run, Waiter, Run! (Vrchní, prchni). The comedy is currently streaming on Czech Netflix, as are several other of his films, including "Kráska v nesnázích" (Beauty in Trouble) from 2006.

The largest festival of national minorities in the Czech Republic, Praha srdce národů (Prague Heart of Nations), will give people a chance to explore over a dozen different cultures. The program runs from May 26 to 29 mainly at Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. It includes music and dance performances, costume shows, exhibitions, craft demonstrations, and workshops. A gala concert is at Divadlo na Vinohradech on May 28. Read more here and here.