The statue of Karel Hynek Mácha in Petřín Park becomes a performer inthissite-specific dance performance. But don’t expect any romantic cliches. Instead, we encounter Máchaas a symbol of rebellion against the conventional vision of theromantic poet. 

16 June 2019, part of PQ 2019

11:00 and 16:00

Petřín Park

Mácha is a Romantic poet and a national hero: his Máj(May) is one of the most published books in the Czech Republic. But what Mácha would we see, if we looked past the obligatory “Late evening, the first of May…”? What becomes of the hero on the pedestal, if we perceive him clearly, in all his human weakness? Heroes are ideals, unsullied by everyday humanity. But perhaps Mácha would still be a hero, even if we consider “only” the reality. 

The bronze statue of Karel Hynek Mácha in Petřín Park on Nebozízekis the centre and point of departure for this site-specific project from the Dance in the Gallery cycle, realised by SE.S.TA Centre for Choreographic Development in collaboration with Prague City Gallery. This bronze monument to the founder of modern Czech poetry was made between 1910 and 1912 by sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek and architect Antonín Balšánek. The site, which is a byword for romantic meetings for couples of all ages, was chosen for its proximity to the House of the White Eagle, where Mácha was born on 16 November 1810. 

“I can still see that remarkable man right in front of me, alive. His upright figure of average height, his slightly oval, swarthy face with its aristocratic expression, a well-formed nose, sparkling black eyes, a smooth, high forehead, black hair and a beard, which, contrary to the custom of the time, covered his whole chin and upper lip. Even in his clothes, there were peculiarities. Against the prevailing fashion, he always wore a black vest done all the way up, a black scarf around his neck, no collar, a blue tailcoat with gold buttons and light grey pants… He was also enamoured of a light grey cloak with a red collar and a red lining, which I had made him myself.”

Jan Kaška, From the Memoirs of an Old Comedian

Concept, Choreography: Petra Fornayová

Creation, Performance: Helena Ratajová

Expert Consultation: Mgr. Marie Foltýnová, Ph.D.,Curator, Public Sculpture Collection, Prague City Gallery. 

Running time: 30 min

Petra Fornayová

Petra Fornayová is a director, choreographer, performer, actor and publicist. She has created a number of original dance-theatre productions, collaborating with many choreographers, directors and musicians. Her original work has been presented in festivals in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and across Europe. She is the co-founder of A4 Theatre, co-founder and director of NuDance Fest and a member of the editorial board of contemporary art magazine VLNA. In 2018, she was nominated for a Sun in the Net (Slnko v sieti) award for her role in Juraj Lehotský’s film Nina.

Tanec v galerii

The Dance in the Gallery cycle is characterised by interdisciplinary collaboration between dance and fine art, offering the spectator an opportunity to encounter artworks anew and through an uncommon means of expression. Among other principles, Dance in the Gallery embraces dance as an art form accessible to everyone, whether encountered in the theatre, or in the unexpected context of public spaces. At the same time, dance, in this context, offers a new way of perceiving exhibitions. 

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