Awards
 Czech version

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

PRAGUEBIENNALE is already in its third year. Having established itself as the only nationally and internationally acclaimed biennale in the Czech and Slovak republics, it has become an international reference point, especially with regards to painting and art as social catalyst. Eschewing the path taken by those biennales that, over the years, have turned into mere politically correct ‘group shows’ with infl ated budgets often reaching sixty million dollars, PRAGUEBIENNALE has remained a strictly low-budget affair.
This choice, albeit one that risks being derided, refl ects a fi ercely original character: much like the decision to explore painting in all of its possible variations and to represent a world-view of art as a form of transgression and cultural upheaval. The two main themes of PRAGUEBIENNALE 3, then, are painting and socially-committed art. However, a historical revisiting and an in-depth exploration of the contemporary art scene in the Czech and Slovak republics, Romania, Hungary and the Baltic regions are also essential. In order for a survey of this kind to be effective it has to not only touch on international trends: it has to delve into the very heart of the country it is representing, probe the surrounding areas, and uncover and analyse hidden or little known phenomena about these cultures. This was the pervading sense during PRAGUEBIENNALE 2, as well.
For, even though that year’s focus was international painting and the new Chinese contemporary art scene, its ‘trump card’, so to speak, was the exploration of Czech and Slovak art. It is the exploration of the concept of ‘Glocal’, the dialectic confrontation between local and global realities-that distinguishes and defi nes PRAGUEBIENNALE. After all, in order for a country or territory’s culture and global culture to integrate with and benefi t from each other, they fi rst have to meet. This is PRAGUEBIENNALE’s aim: to display both ‘Genius Loci’ and ‘Genius Globi’, so that each may grow, feed off of and complete each other.

Giancarlo Politi, Helena Kontová



After a two-year interval, the Czech capital once again welcomes the third consecutive exhibition of contemporary art - the Praguebiennale 3. We’re very much looking forward to Prague, the imaginary centre of Europe, also becoming for the third year a centre of the world’s culture in hosting a contemporary art festival. Mattoni, a mineral water brand, has also been a partner for the two preceding Praguebiennale exhibitions.
Mattoni’s general partnership for this year’s festival is a natural continuation of this brand’s activities supporting young talent in art, as well as fi lm, music, design and sport. Mattoni’s philosophy is not to support select individuals, but to provide the space for numerous promising talents, offer the chance to present their work and to be discovered by experts and the public. The Mattoni Water Colours project, which gives artists the chance to create “brand art” work with an ensuing exhibition of their work at an exclusive exterior and highly frequented place in Prague, is one such example.
Mattoni’s partnership in the Praguebiennale isn’t merely the role of the project’s sponsor and guarantor: it also becomes actively involved in the exhibition and provides media spaces for thepresentation of works exhibited as part of the Praguebiennale 3. We believe that the presence of many fi gures of contemporary art and visitors from around the world will contribute both to a greater awareness of the exhibiting artists and their works, but also to the visibility of Prague and the Czech Republic.
This year’s Praguebiennale 3 will undoubtedly become an important impulse for events on the European art scene and underscore Prague’s importance as one of the live centres of contemporary art. We’re extremely proud that our Mattoni mineral water is part of such an important event.

MATTONI Carlsbad Mineral Water, general partner