Peter Cook in Prague

Thanks to Frágner's gallery and the British Council, Peter Cook came to visit us again after fifteen years. Right at the beginning, he warned us that with his arrival, a greater or lesser revolution always follows. The last time he was here, the Velvet Revolution broke out, and even earlier, his arrival triggered the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia. While Winy Maas was a man of multimedia events during the lecture, Cook could easily manage by himself. He was a stage performer and a man of verbal action, unafraid to use foul language in an academic setting. Jára Cimrman in his plays also counted on one or two vulgarisms that would not offend and would spice up the performance.
At the Světozor cinema, his lecture from two weeks ago at Columbia University in New York was presented with minor modifications, and after us, it will also be heard by students in Japan. Unfortunately, he did not mention the Archigram society he co-founded. Considering that the number of realizations by this soon-to-be seventy-year-old man could be counted on the fingers of one hand, he radiated optimism and joy for life. We could glimpse his most current project together with a verbal accompaniment at this year's Venice Biennale.
As studies suggest, long texts no longer interest anyone today. This trend can easily be observed in tabloids, newspapers, and even professional journals. More than to educate, their task is to entertain readers and satisfy the advertising clients. FAZ is fading. We are heading in this direction, at least for once. Enjoy the mega-collage from the lecture.
related links:
> Friendly Alien - Kunshthaus, Graz
> book A Friendly Alien