Landscape festival Prague 2018 - Escalation of Goodness at Vítkov

The festival does not have a central space; its main idea is to create an alternative tourist route against the overheated center, interlinking Holešovice, Karlín, and Žižkov, and showcasing the potential of possible future centers of social activities. “One of the basic ambitions of the festival is not only to point out problematic areas but also to provoke discussion and search for or outline new solutions. This urban acupuncture could, with a bit of luck and listening from the establishment, initiate positive changes in the organism of the Czech metropolis,” says Jakub Hepp on behalf of the organizers. “We are interested not only in neglected objects and areas, whose value should be preserved for future generations, but also entire territories that deserve a sensitive urban and landscape approach with an emphasis on the sustainability of local development. The attractiveness and quality of the environment directly depend on understanding and connecting its past, present, and future,” adds Dan Merta, the festival's founder and director of the organizing Gallery Jaroslava Fragnera. In the past, the festival has dedicated itself to industrial heritage sites such as the Freight Station in Žižkov, the closed Slezanka shopping center, and the Karnola textile factory in Opava, as well as hospital areas in Plzeň.

ŠTVANICE – BIG VENICE
The route starts on Štvanice Island. This significant Prague island with a rich history, once called Big Venice, is still waiting for the revival of its former glory. The Landscape festival will intervene in this location in several ways. In collaboration with Villa Štvanice, the heritage-protected and dilapidated Fuchsova café will be transformed into a publicly accessible gallery for the duration of the festival. Visitors will be able to see, for example, a presentation of the winning project for the island's revitalization from the RKAW studio or a model of the winning design of a footbridge connecting the city districts of Holešovice and Karlín across Štvanice. They can also look forward to an exhibition dedicated to art in public space titled Place of Art or the exhibition Garden Modifications of Swimming Pools Through Time, which will be supported at the western tip of the island by installations from Slovak architects from the Vowen studio, returning the tradition of river baths to Prague. A remembrance will also be dedicated to the sad fate of the legendary winter stadium that was demolished in 2011. A large-format exhibition titled Landskate, focusing on the relationship and interactions of skateboarding and public space, will be on display at the Mystic skatepark. Through several other site-specific installations, the festival will attempt to highlight the landscape and recreational potential of this location. The vision for a possible future form of this island will be presented by installations from the Institute of Planning and Development of the City of Prague (IPR) showcasing the Concept of Prague's Banks or installations by landscape architecture students at Czech University of Life Sciences.

FERRY TO ROHANSKÝ ISLAND
From Štvanice, visitors can quickly find themselves in another Prague wilderness – Rohanský Island, thanks to the ferry. This area currently contrasts with the new administrative and residential development and the undeniable urban wilderness that is still waiting for its further development. The seemingly unclaimed territory will not only be dominated by residential construction in the future, but since it is a supra-regional biocorridor, a large green area will also emerge here, serving not only to capture flood waves but also for the recreation of Prague residents. The current bush landscape will be offered from the Viewing Tower designed by architects from studio H3T. The battle of concrete with natural succession will be accompanied by sculptures from Dagmar Šubrtová and Marie Zandálková. At Přístav 18600, an installation titled River Garden will be created under the direction of a group of landscape architects from ČKA – SZKT. Further interventions will be visible in the green undeveloped areas behind the new administrative buildings and many other places in the extensive ruderal jungle.

KARLÍN
At Karlín Square, an exhibition titled Public Space CZ will be prepared for visitors, but the main focus in this location is on a significant barrier – the northern slope of Vítkov Hill, which is cut off from the residents of Karlín not only by the railway but also threatened with irreversible separation by a wall of new buildings in the most recent areas of potential permeability. The connection of Karlín with this unique island of "wild nature" is still missing. The project for a new train stop near the Karlín tunnel seems to be sleeping, and the access to Vítkov from Florence is also a very bleak area. Several installations respond to this issue, authored by Deana Kolenčíková, Ondřej Pokoj, Iva Dvořáková, or Jakub Fišer.

VÍTKOV
Nonetheless, the route will guide visitors to Vítkov Hill – a distinct landscape landmark in the heart of Prague and a site associated with significant periods in Czech history. This symbol of Czech statehood, located at the intersection of three city districts, is a place that is also awaiting strategic integration into the public life of Prague residents and visitors. Vítkov currently divides the city rather than connects the urban districts. Interventions based on the emerging renewal study will attempt to anticipate its future form. The Landscape festival will feature refreshments and artistically designed toilets by sculptor Kurt Gebauer in areas where the author team, led by landscape architect Zdeněk Sendler, plans this program. Additionally, invited leading Czech and Slovak artists and architects will attempt to transform Vítkov into a landscape of art with sensitive touches and transformations. Visitors will encounter works by Milena Dopitová, Tomáš Vaněk, Lenka Klodová, Lukáš Ehl, the Slovak studio 2021, and other authors who created installations for this occasion responding not only to the genius loci but also to the centenary of the founding of Czechoslovakia.

LOW ŽIŽKOV
The festival will also revive selected squares of lower Žižkov and the wider area around the unique bike path that runs along the southern slope of Vítkov on the original structure of a single-track railway line from the late 19th century. The aim is not only to enhance its surroundings but also to connect Vítkov Hill with the intensively reconstructed area of lower Žižkov. Most installations here emerged from an open call issued by the organizers of the Landscape festival this spring. From more than forty ideas and proposals, experts from among architects, landscape architects, visual artists, and theorists selected primarily student projects.

The advance of the festival was a March exhibition at the Gallery Jaroslava Fragnera titled Discover Prague's Wilderness! This presented conceptual studies and competition and student projects that had been developed for the designated areas or are currently being developed. Prague residents could then take a stroll along the future festival route early in the spring when the line of daffodils, nearly 25 thousand of which were planted along the route during the autumn workshop, bloomed in many places (link to video).

THE LANDSCAPE FESTIVAL is being held for the sixth year. It focuses on urban public space: the relationship between urbanism, architecture, garden architecture, public art, infrastructure, and city residents. It builds on and complements the activities of the Gallery Jaroslava Fragnera. In addition to the Prague environment, it has also taken place in Opava (2016) and Plzeň (2017).
The aim is to prepare an interesting showcase of exhibitions, land art, and meetings of a wide audience and experts. Besides creating an inspiring open-air gallery, promoting important topics related to urban development, the Landscape festival also aims to draw attention to problematic locations and initiate their transformations.