Prague Quadrennial strives to present performance design as an art form concerned with the creation of active performance environments, that are far beyond merely decorative or beautiful, but that are emotionally charged; where design can become a quest, a question, an argument, a threat, a resolution or an agent of positive change…
We will use the metaphor of the Triga to explore three areas connected with cyclical phases of creative process: Imagination, Transformation and Memory.
IMMAGINATION
The first area of interest will be dedicated to the beginnings of the creative process; searches for an artistic identity, strengths of formative energy and imagination. This is the phase where the work is raw, visceral, and untamed. Together we will explore the fragile moments of finding a balance between the isolated individuality and ability to share even the most extreme ideas with others. We would like to focus on projects where the leading force is intuition and instinct unlimited and unaffected by routine. We will be interested in new concepts, experiments, discoveries, utopias and records of the invisible and fantastic interior world of human imagination.
TRANSFORMATION
Transformation is concerned with the core of the creative process, where artists develop strength, confidence, and the ability to discover anew within the limitations of the professional task. It is about the exciting process of surpassing the individual personality and the realization of the power of shared awareness and the collective vision of a group. In this section we will strive to inspire by looking for the best samples of outstanding collaborative performance design and architecture, where experience and deep understanding played a major role in its successful realization. The focus will be on in-depth explorations of the possibilities within the limitations of each task, where the limits determine new styles, engender new forms, and give impulse to new creation.
MEMORY
In this section we will celebrate the phase in life and the creative process where all learning, gained experiences and memories merge and crystallize into a strong life philosophy and individual art form. Each era and each generation is affected by a different set of circumstances, socio-economic and political environments and moments of important changes that propel new ideas. Those moments are written into the memories of generations and become connective markers on the map of shared emotions. The best works of performance design, which only are complete during the performance, are saturated with the emotions of the era and often play an important role in the awakening of public consciousness.
After the performance is over there are only fragments of design work left such as models, drawings, costumes and objects. Those fragments become capsules filled with the essence of their time, are part of important memories and help us understand the complex currents of here and now.