The Metacity CZ project will present the landscape of the Czech Republic in Italy

Prague - The landscape of the Czech Republic will be presented at the 10th international architecture exhibition in Venice, Italy, through the Metacity CZ project. The presentation by Atelier Ivan Kroupa will be open to the public from September 10 to November 16 in the pavilion of the Czech and Slovak Republics. It is organized by the National Gallery in Prague in collaboration with the Slovak National Gallery.
"Originally, we wanted to present three or four projects in the pavilion. However, rather than create a patchwork, we ultimately chose one cohesive idea," said Radomíra Sedláková, curator of the National Gallery, at today's press conference. A total of 13 works from Czech and Slovak schools entered the competition for the best project. The National Gallery required that students also be involved in the realization. "I decided that 99 percent of the exhibition would be made by students, although you will also see some of my realizations," claims Ivan Kroupa, who leads the atelier at the Faculty of Architecture, CTU.
Metacity represents the entire territory of the Czech Republic and encompasses six themes: the architectural development of cities, the transformation of suburban areas, small towns, architecture in the landscape and in extreme conditions, and communications. The organizers will construct a Metacity structure out of scaffolding for the presentation of the themes in the pavilion. The fabric surfaces of the model will serve as canvases for six projections. An "infinite" film will enhance the atmosphere, projected onto the walls of the pavilion in an oversized format.
"Every visitor who enters the pavilion will become part of the exhibition. Their silhouette will be projected onto the canvases and walls,” describes the project Kroupa.
The atelier has worked on the project for three years and will begin construction in the Venetian pavilion on Thursday. Curator Sedláková hopes that the National Gallery will also be able to exhibit it in the Czech Republic. "We believe that everything we present abroad should also be seen by people at home. However, we do not yet know exactly in what form we will present the project," said Sedláková.

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> At the architecture biennale, Ivan Kroupa will represent the Czech Republic and Slovakia [27.12.2005]
> Interview with the curator of the 10th Venice Biennale [30.11.2005]
> Competition for the Czech-Slovak pavilion at the 10th architecture biennale in Venice [3.10.2005]
> Theme of the 10th Biennale in Venice [28.8.2005]