Additionally, a large number of projects will be on display in outdoor public spaces throughout the city - a unique occasion to discover Prague through the eyes of the world's contemporary artists. Visitors will also be able to explore various disciplines essential to the performing arts thanks to special projects focused on lighting and sound design, architecture, and costumes. Over 40,000 visitors from all over the world are expected to attend, making Prague the center of the performance world for 11 days, from June 16-26, 2011.
The 12th Prague Quadrennial will explore an artistic thought: that scenography / performance design is a discipline between the visual and performing arts. As described by Sodja Zupanc Lotker, the Prague Quadrennial's artistic director: "Some of the best contemporary performances are based in the visual elements. It is noteworthy that some of the most interesting theatre artists today are the spatial artists, and some of today's most important visual artists work with performance."
The 12th Prague Quadrennial will offer much more than the traditional competitive world exhibition in which, for this edition, a record number of 62 countries will present the best of performance, sound, lighting, and costume design within three competitive sections, focusing on Countries and Regions, Students, and Architecture. Participating countries include traditional attendants such as the USA, Mexico, and Germany, as well as countries that will join for the first time including Armenia, Kazakhstan, Columbia, and Mongolia.
Attentive to those exhibitions, nine prominent artists from all over the world will serve on a jury that will present awards in the various artistic fields, including the prestigious Golden Triga. The jury includes, among others, director and scenographer Brett Bailey from South Africa (Golden medalist PQ 2007), Japanese architect and designer Arata Isozaki, Austrian scenographer Erich Wonder, and American theoretician Marvin Carlson.
Furthermore, the next edition of the Prague Quadrennial will focus on essential aspects of performance design thanks to special projects featuring particular disciplines. The Light and Sound project, curated by Boris Kudli?ka, PQ General Commissioner and Golden medalist of PQ 2007, and Steven Brown, a British sound designer collaborating with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, will include interactive presentations, panels, and discussions given by leading practitioners as well as sound installations and performances and a lighting design exhibition. Czech Costume designer Simona Rybáková will present, within the Extreme Costume exhibition, a selection of over 30 objects from the world's best costume designers including Paul Brown, Achim Freyer, and Pat Oleshko.
The Architecture project NOW/NEXT will present theatre architecture now and what it could be next, bringing to Prague exhibits from over 30 countries, media screenings, an open laboratory, guest lectures, panels, and presentations.
The next generation of artists and students won't miss out either. Scenofest, the PQ and OISTAT's educational project will consist of over 50 workshops, 60 performances from students from across the globe and 6 site-specific performances created by students in collaboration with internationally recognized artists including Louise Wilson and Uwe Köhler / Theater Titanick.
Over 2,000 students from all over the wo
