Prague’s Signal Festival drops first details about this year's program

Signal Festival is back, and its 11th year promises to be more captivating than ever before. Set to take place from Oct. 12 to 15, this year's festival will dazzle spectators with two video mapping projections on iconic Prague landmarks, along with an impressive lineup of art installations throughout the city.

The two routes will span 20 festival locations. The hallmark video mapping projections will illuminate two of Prague's architectural gems: the Municipal Library building on Mariánské náměstí and the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius on Karlínské náměstí.

One of the highlights of the festival is the groundbreaking video mapping titled Echo. This remarkable artwork, presented on Karlínské náměstí incorporates elements of nature, environment, and human connectivity with vital natural processes. The projection is the creation of the audiovisual studio Flightgraf.

The Municipal Library building on Mariánské náměstí will witness the fusion of history and modernity in the form of the Luminary Glyphs video mapping. Using artificial intelligence and programmed robotic lights, this projection extends the animation of the facade into three-dimensional space. The mastermind behind this artistic feat is Hungarian artist András László Nagy, whose background in visual arts and classical music brings a distinct blend of creativity to the project.

The new project called Satellites brings three existing works of art in public spaces into the festival's spotlight. "Most of the artworks are created every year specifically for the festival. But the 11th year brings something new. This year, we also included permanent art installations in Prague's public space in the program, which we consider to be of high quality and important. We would like to draw attention to the great works that already exist and present them to festival visitors in a new light," festival director Martin Pošta said.

The first Satellite is the eight-meter high-strength concrete sculpture Aerial (Na Horu) by conceptual and multimedia artist Federico Díaz. It is located in the public space of the Bořislavka Center. During the Signal Festival, it will be highlighted by the Concrete Layers projection, which is the result of Díaz's collaboration with the visual artist Jan Hladil and the musician Jonáš Rosůlk.

Signal Festival will also light up Zdenek Sýkora's iconic work Cladding of the Four Ventilation Chimneys of the Letná Tunnel from 1969. Sýkora is one of the first Czech artists who used a computer-generated visual language to create a work of art. It will be joined with his laser projections by audio-visual artist David Vrbík as part of the Signal Festival.

Signal Festival will also present the kinetic object Vista Mars by the Czech visual artist Jiří Příhoda. The object, located in the public space of the Rustonka administrative complex in Karlín, contains a video projection of the planet Mars with real footage taken from NASA.

Signal Festival is a groundbreaking celebration of digital and creative culture, blending contemporary visual art, urban landscapes, and modern technology. The most visited cultural event in the Czech Republic, Signal Festival boasts an impressive lineup of international and local artists from the realms of visual art and light design.

The festival serves as a driving force in contemporary art production within the country, nurturing young Czech talents and hosting enriching programs for professionals, students, and children alike. The festival is made possible with the support of Prague City Hall, the Czech Ministry of Culture, and the State Culture Fund.