Metaphor
and Irony: Czech Scenic and Costume Design 1920-1999, will
cover nearly a century of costume and scene design from the Czech Republic.
Curated by Helena Albertova, a faculty
member of the School for Applied Arts, Charles University, Prague and former
director of the Czech Theatre Institute, and Joe Brandesky,
associate professor of theatre, The Ohio State University-Lima. The
exhibition will be on display from July 27-October 15, 2000, at the Ohio Arts
Council’s Riffe Gallery. Metaphor
and Irony was
organized by the Ohio Arts Council and the Theatre Institute, Prague, in
partnership with The Ohio State University Department of Theatre, Columbus and
Lima campuses, Spencer Museum of Art and the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum.
On
Sunday, October 1 from 2-4 p.m. the gallery will host
A Conversation with Jaroslav Malina
a scenic and costume designer from
Prague, as part of the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research
Institute Lecture series. The
lecture is presented by The Ohio State University Department of Theatre, in
partnership with the Ohio Arts Council.
Theatre
often is described as the art form that gives historians their best opportunity
to reconstruct a society at a given point in time. Much has been made of
Shakespeare’s and Moliere’s plays as windows into their cultures. While
plays provide many avenues for sociological, philological and philosophical
research, another source of insight is provided by costume and scene designs.
The
80-year span covered by Metaphor and Irony
traces the influences of European art movements and philosophies on theatre
artists in the Czech homeland. The external influences provide an historical
context for comparisons between Czech designers and their European
contemporaries. Even more fascinating are the insights those designs provide
into the Czech cultural landscape and national perspective.
The Czech Republic, bordered by Poland, Germany, Slovakia and Austria, lies at the crossroads of Europe. Geography partially explains the richness and variety of cultural activities in Prague and other main cities. Another source, also attributable to geography, is to be found in the Czech national consciousness. Irony, metaphor and a mighty sense of humor were necessary for the survival of a people who, between 1526 and 1918, witnessed the diminution of their national identity by Hapsburg rulers.
That Austrian dynasty’s domination of Central Europe ended when the region was recognized as Czechoslovakia by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Hitler’s invasion in 1938 ended 20 years of independence and the Soviet occupation after 1945 meant Czechs would not rule themselves for 44 years. Designers in this exhibition, and Czech artists in general, had to find ways around the censors, official pronouncements and, in some cases, work restrictions. Under those circumstances, metaphors, puns and dissembling became necessary for theatrical expression.
The earliest stages of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, a reference to the relatively non-violent transition from Communist satellite to independent democracy, took place in Prague theatres, with dissident playwright Vaclav Havel as one of its primary voices. The aftermath of the revolution challenged Czech artists to adjust to economic realities and the financial temptations offered by conforming to Western standards and aesthetics. In this new democratic era, contemporary Czech designers continue the line of whimsy and abstraction begun and extended by their talented antecedents.
The Czech national entry at the Ninth Prague Quadrennial, an international exhibition of stage design and theatre architecture, was awarded the Golden Triga, or main prize, in June 1999. That prestigious award bodes well for young Czech designers, but also reflects the talents and traditions of their teachers.
This exhibition reflects on the development of Czech design during three-quarters of a century. Traces of the trends and tendencies of past generations can be seen in current work and lead viewers to ponder the possibilities of Czech theatre design in the 21st century.
Metaphor
and Irony: Czech Scenic and Costume Design 1920-1999
will tour to The Ohio State University-Lima, November 4-11, 2000; Marion
Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas, February 5-March 25, 2001; and
Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas, April 7-June 3, 2001.
The
exhibition is
supported by the Ohio Building Authority. Media
sponsors include Columbus Alive, Small Business News and Time Warner
Communications.
The
Riffe Gallery, operated by the Ohio Arts Council, showcases the work of Ohio’s
artists and curators and the collections of the state’s museums and galleries.
The gallery is in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, State and
High Streets, Columbus, OH. Hours are Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m. and Sunday
12-4 p.m. Admission is
free. For information or to
schedule a tour call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.
The
Ohio Arts Council, a state agency established in 1965, builds the state through
the arts—economically, educationally and culturally—preserving the past,
enhancing the present and enriching the future for all Ohioans. The Council
believes the arts should be shared by the people of Ohio.
The arts arise from public, individual and organizational efforts.
The OAC supports and encourages those efforts.
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