Where in Brno

If you want to keep a breast of the action in Brno and not miss out on anything spectacular, then please consider getting a subscription to Kam v Brně / Where in Brno. From of all the team we wish you a wonderful and successful 2022.

In Plan DELTA, Daniela Ponomarevová first constructs and then deconstructs a post-apocalyptic story in reaction to the current state of civilization. Photo: Galerie TIC

Welcome to 2022! Welcome to Kam v Brně!

This is it folks, we’re in the future. The future is now and Brno is in the future. 2022. I think this time around, to be honest, we’re all just hoping that 2022 is a shade better than 2021, because looking back, we may have over-done the optimism for 2021.

In keeping with this futuristic theme, there is a exhibition at TIC, the Infomation Centre gallery (Radnicka 4), entitled Plan DELTA which comes highly recommended. In this project, Daniela Ponomarevová first constructs and then deconstructs a post-apocalyptic story in reaction to the current state of civilization. At the core of the dystopian narrative is the anticipated demise of an Earth turned into a testing site, a transit hub for humanity destined to be destroyed by an enormous asteroid. The ever-present motif of catastrophe is conveyed not only by genre clichés and pop-culture conventions, but also by the human obsession with images of its own destruction. All month. One event that has the theatre-loving public going mental this month is a serendipitous, accidental double bill of Hrdý Budžeš, a play by B. Proudew. Firstly, in English, put on by Czech Theatre on the 29th and 30th of January and on the 5th and 6th of February. Then, for those of you who want a compare and contrast exercise, in the original Czech Language on the 31st of January at Divadlo Bolka Polívky. 2022 will be great for music though, of that we have no doubt. There are lots of exciting things on the more distant horizon, Pat Metheny, Pop Messe, Panelak of Love, Jacob Collier (!!), but January is no slouch either in terms of great music. The Thistle album release party on the 15th at Kaznice stands out as a pretty cool and unusual event, supported by Natalie Plevakova and Avsluta. Fans of underground electronica should not be missing this one. My favourite event in January is a night dedicated to the best living composer in the world, Philip Glass. Pianists Maki Namekawa and Dennis Russell Davies will be performing Six Etudes, Piano Sonata (first Czech performance of this piece) and Four Movements for 2 pianos. On the 30th at Besední dům.

Robin Smith Where in Brno editorial staff

Metropolitan Opera in Brno

Enjoy great singing performances by world-class stars in live broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera, bringing you the most famous opera pieces. All this from the comfort of Brno‘s Reduta Theatre!

If you missed the previous events, don‘t despair. One of the most beautiful pieces ever composed by Giuseppe Verdi, the drama Rigoletto, will enchant its audience on January 29. The Duke of Mantua, a renowned philanderer, seduces the beautiful Gilda, daughter of his plain-spoken court jester Rigoletto. The jester vows revenge on his master. However, haunted by a curse previously placed on him and the duke, Rigoletto makes a decision that will have tragic consequences for him. Traditional cinema screenings will be staged until June and, in addition to Rigoletto, they will offer classic pieces as well as modern music, including several premieres. You can look forward to Mussorgsky‘s Boris Godunov, Verdi‘s Don Carlos, Blanchard and Lemmons‘ Fire Shut Up In My Bones, and many more.

All broadcasts are with English and Czech subtitles. An informative introduction always starts 30 minutes before the broadcast. Photo: www.arts-ny.com

A sinfonietta about a femme fatale from Brno. Photo: Goose on a String Theatre

29/12

Rigoletto Reduta Zelný trh 4, Brno www.ndbrno.cz

VITKA

She began composing at the age of nine. She conducted the Czech Philharmonic and the BBC Orchestra. She established herself in a field that is still largely the preserve of men and surrounded herself with numerous lovers.

She maintained a longstanding romantic and creative relationship with Bohuslav Martinů, who was married and a quarter of a century her senior. She died at the age of twenty-five. She remains one of the most frequently performed Czech composers. She even has her own postage stamp. If she had lived longer, she would have been one of the most famous Czech women. A production by director Anna Davidová and writer Kateřina Tučková about the talent and passions of the Brno-based composer, conductor and femme fatale Vítězslava Kaprálová. A story of the tenacity with which a person can follow their desires and search for their purpose in life, in defiance of expectations. A story of an unbridled, passionate free spirit – in defiance of everything and everyone! (red) 27/1, with subtitles Goose on a String Theatre Zelný trh 9, Brno www.provazek.cz

Brno Daily – News Highlights

Brno Scientists Help With Sustainable Mango Production in Cambodia. Thanks to Czech scientists from Mendel University in Brno, farmers in Cambodia have mango dryers that can solve the problem of often rotting overproduction of this quickly-decaying fruit.

Photo: MENDELU archive

CZK 150 Million Renovation of Villa Arnold Has Begun. The city representatives tapped the building stone at the ceremony in December. “Within three years, this national heritage-listed building will be transformed into a Dialogue Center, a space for exhibition and research activities. Landscaping of the gardens will also allow you to walk from Lužánky to Černá Pole,” said Brno mayor Markéta Vaňková. Summer 2021 Sees More Tourists In South Moravia Than Last Year. South Moravia is once again at the top of the list of visitors per region in the third quarter of 2021. According to the Czech Statistical Office, almost 817,000 tourists came to the South Moravian Region in this period, of which more than 125,000 were from abroad. Brno Daily – Brno’s Online News in English at brnodaily.com

Juris Duka Brno Daily www.brnodaily.com

Projects prepare students for life in the 21st century

What does the future hold for our planet? How should I behave as a global citizen? Students from the American Academy in Brno tried to answer questions similar to those asked by world leaders at international summits during their Global Citizenship theme week.

Photo: American Academy in Brno

Each student chose one aspect of global citizenship, delved into the topic and prepared a presentation on it for the final fair. At the American Academy in Brno, students spend one week each trimester on school-wide projects such as this, during which they learn skills they will apply later in life. The students soon become project managers who are in charge of the whole event. Thanks to these projects, knowledge gained at school is immediately put into practice. Students also develop practical skills in school clubs, and last year they created their own podcast. Nowadays, employees are required to have skills that students don‘t have the chance to learn in mainstream schools. The American Academy Network, however, focuses on the practical application of knowledge as a matter of course and seeks to prepare students for education and professional life in the modern 21st century. (red)

Eva Cvachovcová Dean of Students and Faculty American Academy in Brno

Welcoming 2022 with Ballet NdB!

As the new year begins to heat up, so does the stage of the Janáček Theatre. Ballet NdB welcomes the new year with performances of Valentina Turcu’s Lady of the Camellias.

After the recent success of the show during the Dance Brno festival, the NdB is excited to present a longer run of this show. In juxtaposition to this evening, the Ballet of the NdB is excited to announce performances of the classical ballet La Bayadére with a star-studded cast list on February 8th. Dancers and soloists of the Ballet NdB will be joined by three principal dancers from the Royal Ballet London, Fumi Kaneko and Yasmine Naghdi. Included in the cast will be Vadim Muntagirov, who returns to the stage in Brno after his dynamic and masterful performance of Swan Lake earlier in the season. We look forward to these upcoming performances and wish the Brno community a wonderful 2022! (red)

Photo: Marek Olbrzymek

World-famous tenor in Brno

A truly stellar cast is promised in January for the opera L’elisir d’amore. The romantic story of the shy Nemorino, who falls in love with the rich Adina and tries to win her affection through the „love potion“. In the lead role you will see the excellent tenor Pavel Breslik, winner of the prestigious Bayerischer Kammersänger award at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Nemorino is his love role and he has sung it in opera houses all over Europe. (red)

5/1 and 30/1 Gaetano Donizetti - L’elisir d’amore Janáček Theater www.ndbrno.cz/en

Photo: Bill Cooper

14–29/1

Lady of the Camellias, January 8–24/1

La Bayadére, February Janáček Theatre www.ndbrno.cz/ballet

Photo: Yoga Freaks

Yoga Freaks

Have you decided to get moving but don‘t know where, how or what to start with? Yoga Freaks is a relaxed, safe space where you can fully embrace yourself and find your own yoga path. And that´s not all - the studio also offers a welcoming environment and excellent, experienced instructors. Try out different concepts and unique takes on topics under their guidance and let yourself be swept away into the extraordinary world of this exercise and lifestyle.

Yoga Freaks Dominikánská 345/15, Brno www.yogafreaks.cz

Cooking Sections

As part of this year‘s 2021Jindřich Chalupecký Awards, the Jindřich Chalupecký Society and the Moravian Gallery in Brno are organising an exhibition presenting the foreign guests of the competition, the artistic duo Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe, operating under the name Cooking Sections.

On a long-term basis they have focused on exploring the complex problems of a globally interconnected world, which they demonstrate primarily using examples from agriculture and food production. Cooking Sections‘ work thus reveals socio-economic, historical, political and environmental contexts. The new multimedia installation called Salmon: Traces of Escapees examines the ecological impacts of salmon farming and is part of their extended project Becoming CLIMAVORE. It also seamlessly builds on the previous exhibition titled Salmon: A Red Herring. The exhibition offers the Czech audience the most recent work of this artistic duo that has been nominated for the prestigious British Turner Prize this year. (rb)

Brno on Skates

If you don’t have time to venture out of town in pursuit of winter fun, don’t despair, since as in previous years, Brno is a paradise for skaters, offering many places to enjoy this exciting activity.

For one, there is the Lesná Skating Rink, which welcomes visitors every day and in all weather conditions. If Santa Claus didn’t bring you the right equipment, you can hire skates or even double-blade skates for the little ones right here. There are time slots reserved for schools, the public and private rentals. Until February 28 on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and at weekends from 9 a.m. you can also skate on the mobile Za Lužánkami Skating Rink. It offers great facilities, including refreshments, a rental shop and a skate sharpening service. Completing the skating triangle, the Vodova Skating Rink boasts the largest ice rink under the Brno sky. In addition to changing rooms and a rental shop, there is also a bar with hot refreshments. Can’t make up your mind? More information about the available rinks can be found in the footer of this article. (rb)

Cooking Sections’ exhibitions is at Pražák Palace. Photo: Moravská galerie v Brně

Until 27/2 Cooking Sections – Salmon: Traces of Escapees Pražák Palace Husova 18, Brno www.moravska-galerie.cz

Don‘t know what to do with your free time? Get on your skates! Photo: Vodova Skating Rink

Until 28/2 Lesná Skating Rink Za Lužánkami Skating Rink Vodova Skating Rink verejne-brusleni.info/brno

Master your Czech with Correct – insults

Have you ever noticed that in many languages a lot of insults refer to animals? Czech is no exception. But have you ever wondered why?

Photo: Jazykové centrum Correct

The purpose of insulting is to offend the other person – for that reason we use a reference to what we believe is worthy of contempt. The fact the naming of animals has become an insult points out that people have lost sight of their dependence on them. In the past, people who had domestic animals were usually rich. But times change. And what are such insults supposed to mean? These insults arose from the transfer of meaning based on common characteristics with the animal. For example:To je kráva! If we use a cow as an insult, we want to point out that the person is stupid or clumsy.Ty jsi ale prase! Pig refers to being dirty and smelly, so if we call someone a pig we want to say that he is not spotless. To je slepice! When someone calls us a hen, he wants to point out that we are chatty. And why chatty? It is because a hen won‘t stop moving its beak. And it also refers to a small chicken brain. (red)

Jazykové centrum Correct www.jc-correct.com

Kvíz: Staré Brno

Story tohoto vydání se věnuje Starému Brnu. Jak dobře jej znáte vy? Nachystali jsme si pro vás několik záludných otázek z historie i současnosti této městské čtvrti.

Foto: Archiv města Brna

Kterou brněnskou ulici vidíte na tomto snímku z roku 1898?

a) Kopečnou b) Křížovou c) Pekařskou

Foto: Archiv města Brna

Lamplův mlýn na počátku 20. století. Která stavba stojí na jeho místě dnes?

a) Městské lázně b) Palác Padowetz c) OC Letmo

Foto: Pocket media / Ivo Dvořák

Na které ulici byste nalezli tento street art od Tima?

a) na Pellicově b) na Anenské c) na Rybářské

Foto: Pocket media / Ivo Dvořák

Poznáte stavbu na snímku?

a) kostel Všech svatých b) Betlémský kostel c) kaple sv. Anny

Foto: Pocket media / Ivo Dvořák

Kde na Starém Brně byste hledali tento výrazný pavlačový dům?

a) na Václavské b) na Hybešově c) na Pekařské

Foto: Pocket media / Ivo Dvořák

Funkcionalistickou vilu na fotce si nechal ve 20. letech 20. století postavit brněnský starosta. Který?

a) Bedřich Macků b) Karel Tomeš c) Rudolf Spazier

Rádi luštíte? Vytvořili jsme pro vás křížovku plnou jednodušších i složitějších nápověd a držíme palce, ať se dostanete k tajence!