Exhibition of the Michael2007 Project in the unique Karlin Halls

The unique space of the Karlín Halls has become part of the unique exhibition Michael2007 this month. For the first time, not just as an exhibition space but as an exhibit itself. The exhibition features paintings, drawings, spatial collages, clothing, jewelry, and photographs as artistic reflections on poetry.

On Monday, September 8, the vernissage of the unique art project Michael2007 was held at the venue of the Prague Biennale of Czech Visual Art and the Czechdesign block - Hall Thámova 8, in Prague - Karlín, where members of the Czech Art Avant-garde of the 3rd millennium present their reactions to poetry.

Words as inspiration for music and visual art in the works of the members of the group Czech Art Avant-garde of the 3rd millennium.

The project's godmother has become Bára Basiková, and spiritual support was provided by Monsignor Tomáš Halík. At the vernissage, we welcomed Annemarie Lang, director of international art projects at Schauspielfrankfurt Deutschland.

Given the uniqueness and scope of this original Czech author project, the vernissage was also attended by a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The artistic reflections on nine key poems from the Michael2007 collection are presented at the exhibition by:

- Czech fashion designer Jakub Polanka, based in Paris and collaborating with companies like Philippe Starck, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer (Hubert de Givenchy award, 2008, Florence, Italy, Vienna Fashion Week award 2008).
- Jeweler Zdeněk Vacek, author of the first design of the Academy of Design Czech Grand Design 06 awards (presentation at exhibitions DesignMai 07 - Berlin, iSaloni Milano 08, Talent of the Year Designblok 05).
- Photographer Lukáš Horký, who captivated the Czech public with exhibitions of cycles of photographs on provocative themes: "Mental Anorexia and Bulimia - Two Deep Abysses" and "Home" - from the environment of drug addicts and the homeless.
- OLO - fashion stylist and visual artist, known primarily for her collages and photographs (solo exhibitions 2002, 2005, 2007), staging and directing experimental fashion shows (Fata Morgana Olo - Polanka 2008).
- Vladimír Houdek, who started with graffiti, was accepted to AVU "only" with a vocational diploma, and is currently one of the most prominent talents in modern Czech painting.
- MARIE - The first lady of Prague street art, masterfully working with detail in drawing (participation in national exhibitions of street art and graffiti, invited to the International Street Art Festival NAMES Prague 2008 for the Czech Republic).
- "Silent street art support" :-) is provided for the project by Ondřej Opekar (this year accepted to study at the School of Intermedia Arts of Milan Knížák at AVU in Prague).
The music for the poetry was composed by the composer Pavel Zemek - Novák. The leading Czech cellist Jiří Bárta presented an improvisation on his work at the vernissage.
Reciting excerpts from the poetry collection Michael2007 was Dr. Miroslav Kovařík, a leading figure in artistic recitation in the Czech Republic and a teacher at the Literary Academy of Josef Škvorecký.

You can view the project daily from 10 AM to 6 PM in the hall
Thámova 8, in Prague - Karlín, until October 5, 2008.

www.michael2007.cz

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Michael2007 is about ...

Is it possible to live a story from a world you believe does not exist? Can passion and faith be combined? The purity of thoughts and physical desire?
Can someone take an angel and place it on the ground?

At the time when the Toy was printed, christened, and began to be sold, a time that was very intense and worldly successful, a story of love and pain was being created at night. It was everywhere, things were happening, energies were mixing. Michael2007 was born.

Michael2007 tells a story of loneliness and betrayal, a story full of blood, yet full of light. A story thousands of years old. It tells it in a remarkable literary form. This time it also aims at the most demanding reader, along with prose, it "pushes" a few poems right "under their nose" and says: "Here! Can you even still read it?"

Michael2007 is passion and faith squared. Michael is love. Michael is hope. Invite him to yourself - he performs miracles. Against the backdrop of a passionate affair of one woman and two men, a drama unfolds, impacting human history and influencing human events. Is there perhaps something beyond our earthly dimensions that compels us to fulfill our mission regardless of whether our physical bodies die in the process?

Michael2007 is miles away from the Toy. Perhaps the Toy was necessary for Michael to emerge. Some may ask how it is possible that I come with something so contradictory, enthusiastic supporters of the Toy will be disappointed, and admirers of Michael will despise the Toy. But aren't both projects just two sides of the same coin?

The answer is simple. Human nature - still is - duality. After all, why do we have God and the Devil? Why good and evil? We struggle with temptation and often delude ourselves about how strong we are. We try to go straight towards the light on our path while anxiously avoiding looking into any dark corners that accompany our journey. We lie to ourselves, we lie to others, we pretend - for others, for public opinion, and we often do not admit our weaknesses even to ourselves. And I do not intend to do this.

Sylva Lauerová