Festival Shows Prague in a New Light

Prague, a UNESCO World Heritage City, with its historic facades, will be aglow in a colorful sea of lights for four days. From Thursday through Sunday (October 15–18), the “Signal Festival” brings spectacular projections, video mapping, and light installations to the Czech capital. This year’s theme is “Dream On! Dreams and Visions.” Thirteen of the 21 art installations are free to visit—each from 7:00 p.m. to midnight. A one-day ticket for the paid events costs the equivalent of about 20 euros.

Rediscover a Neighborhood

In addition to Old Town and New Town, another focus this time is on the Dejvice district, home to the Technical University. For visitors to Prague, this is a chance to discover a previously lesser-known part of the city. Among other venues, the former sewage treatment plant in Prague-Bubenec—a historic industrial monument—will be transformed into a space for light art.

Next to the modern headquarters of the investment firm PPF, the sculpture “Black Mechanical Planet” by Czech artist Jan Kalab will be on display. “I like the idea that something can emerge from simple geometric shapes that almost seems like a living, mechanical organism,” the artist said.

This marks the 14th edition of the “Signal Festival.” For the past year, the organizers have also been operating a permanent gallery called “Signal Space” in the premises of an old market hall in the city center. According to the festival organizers, last year’s event attracted more than half a million visitors to the streets of Prague.