Water and Civilization - Exhibition on the Terrace of the Thermal Hotel
The exhibition Water and Civilization, which was visited by hundreds of thousands of people in Prague last year, will move to Karlovy Vary in July 2020. The outdoor exhibition will showcase, for free, the key importance of the life-giving liquid on large-format panels, its past, present, and future on Earth. Viewers can delve into texts from a number of world-renowned scientists and view photographs ranging from Australia through Europe and Africa to Greenland and America, including images of significant water constructions from the Karlovy Vary region. Visitors can see the exhibition on the terrace of the Thermal Hotel from July 15 to August 9, 2020. The exhibition is also more environmentally friendly, illuminated at night by solar panels.
Twenty-four panels of the exhibition can be seen even after dark – thanks to lighting from alternative sources. "Water was at the dawn of life and paradoxically, it is not excluded that it can also contribute to its crisis. It is in the nature of the human mind to take the current state as a guarantee of its eternal duration. Yes, there is still plenty of water. However, this can change dramatically from day to day. It can, if we do not realize and understand that how our future, of which water is a fundamental component, will look is not just a matter for politicians or water managers, but for all of us. The exhibition Water and Civilization has had one fundamental goal from the beginning – to make people think about the world and water and realize their share of responsibility for them. Our future is solely in our hands. And no one will do it for us. This is also evidenced by the history of humanity on this planet," says the curator and co-author of the exhibition, Prof. Mgr. Miroslav Bárta, Dr., Vice-Rector of Charles University in Prague, archaeologist and Egyptologist.
The aim of the exhibition is to reach a wide audience and show the key importance of water for human existence from prehistory to the present day, including an overview of the current situation and possible future development scenarios. "There is no more urgent and important task before the Czech Republic than preparing and adapting to the impacts of climate change, primarily prolonged drought, but also torrential rains and sudden floods. We cannot manage that without a healthy and diverse landscape, which we must care for in such a way that we can retain as much water as possible in it. Water is simply the foundation of life," says Mgr. Richard Brabec, Minister of the Environment.
The exhibition will showcase important water reservoirs in the Karlovy Vary region.
"Water is actually the reason for the existence of Karlovy Vary, the city was founded on the banks of the Teplá River due to the amazing thermal springs, but for its development, it also needed drinking springs from its forests. Today, water is a crucial issue for humanity, determining the chances of success, health, and a happy life for entire regions and nations. We are fortunate to live in a country with a fairly favorable water regime. Most of our country benefits from the existence of well-designed water supply systems, our rivers are reasonably clean and full of life. Nevertheless, we must continue to work on the resilience and sustainability of our water system, because as the last two decades have shown, it can happen that there is too much water in the landscape, or, as in recent years, too little," says Ing. Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, MBA, Mayor of Karlovy Vary.
Over 2,200 km of watercourses are managed in the Karlovy Vary region by the state enterprise Povodí Ohře. It also cares for 16 water reservoirs. In the immediate vicinity of Karlovy Vary, these are the waterworks Březová and Stanovice, whose photographs are part of the exhibition. Their main purpose is to protect the city from floods, but they are also an important source of water. "The Březová reservoir ensures a minimum flow in the Teplá River during periods of low water. On the other hand, the Stanovice waterworks is a key water source for the entire Karlovy Vary area and accumulates water for supplying this area with drinking water. It is also the dam with the highest embankment managed by the state enterprise Povodí Ohře," says Ing. Zbyněk Folk, General Director of Povodí Ohře, state enterprise.
The photographs featured on the large-format panels illuminated at night come from many institutions and various authors. The images capture, for example, the springs of the Amazon River, research on the behavior of whales and dolphins, as well as images of water in various states or the devastating flood in Prague in 2002.
The main partner of the traveling exhibition Water and Civilization is the ČEZ Group. "The Czech lands have historically been pioneers and technological leaders in the use of water for electricity production; after all, Kaplan turbines can be found in hydropower plants around the world today. Water is a valuable source of ecological electricity and significantly contributes to the smooth operation of the entire energy system, whether it concerns large waterworks or small power plants on smaller rivers. We fully realize that water is becoming increasingly scarce, and therefore we are looking for ways to conserve it wherever possible. Last year, the consumption of drinking water in ČEZ's power plants fell by a significant 11 percent. Compared to 2001, we see a dramatic 65 percent reduction in consumption," says Ing. Daniel Beneš, MBA, Chairman of the Board and CEO of ČEZ, a.s.
The partner of the Water and Civilization exhibition in Karlovy Vary is also the Mattoni 1873 company, whose portfolio includes, among other things, Mattoni mineral water sourced from the Doupov Mountains. "Mattoni 1873 was born in Kyselka near Karlovy Vary. We are proud of our origins and feel responsible for further developing this heritage. That is why we are happy to support the exhibition Water and Civilization. Water is not only the foundation of life but remains the essence of our business. We strive to protect the sources of our mineral waters and behave sustainably towards the environment," specifies Alessandro Pasquale, CEO of Mattoni 1873 a.s.
"I have been dealing with the topic of water for several years now and I am glad that the realization of the exhibition is happening right now. We have had dry summers and winters, and the theme of water scarcity, especially the inefficient use of water, is alarming. Many of us likely feel that when we turn on the tap, water will flow from it forever. And this exhibition aims to lead us out of this misconception," says MgA. Olga Menzelová Dis., Producer of the exhibition.
More information >
Twenty-four panels of the exhibition can be seen even after dark – thanks to lighting from alternative sources. "Water was at the dawn of life and paradoxically, it is not excluded that it can also contribute to its crisis. It is in the nature of the human mind to take the current state as a guarantee of its eternal duration. Yes, there is still plenty of water. However, this can change dramatically from day to day. It can, if we do not realize and understand that how our future, of which water is a fundamental component, will look is not just a matter for politicians or water managers, but for all of us. The exhibition Water and Civilization has had one fundamental goal from the beginning – to make people think about the world and water and realize their share of responsibility for them. Our future is solely in our hands. And no one will do it for us. This is also evidenced by the history of humanity on this planet," says the curator and co-author of the exhibition, Prof. Mgr. Miroslav Bárta, Dr., Vice-Rector of Charles University in Prague, archaeologist and Egyptologist.
The aim of the exhibition is to reach a wide audience and show the key importance of water for human existence from prehistory to the present day, including an overview of the current situation and possible future development scenarios. "There is no more urgent and important task before the Czech Republic than preparing and adapting to the impacts of climate change, primarily prolonged drought, but also torrential rains and sudden floods. We cannot manage that without a healthy and diverse landscape, which we must care for in such a way that we can retain as much water as possible in it. Water is simply the foundation of life," says Mgr. Richard Brabec, Minister of the Environment.
The exhibition will showcase important water reservoirs in the Karlovy Vary region.
"Water is actually the reason for the existence of Karlovy Vary, the city was founded on the banks of the Teplá River due to the amazing thermal springs, but for its development, it also needed drinking springs from its forests. Today, water is a crucial issue for humanity, determining the chances of success, health, and a happy life for entire regions and nations. We are fortunate to live in a country with a fairly favorable water regime. Most of our country benefits from the existence of well-designed water supply systems, our rivers are reasonably clean and full of life. Nevertheless, we must continue to work on the resilience and sustainability of our water system, because as the last two decades have shown, it can happen that there is too much water in the landscape, or, as in recent years, too little," says Ing. Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, MBA, Mayor of Karlovy Vary.
Over 2,200 km of watercourses are managed in the Karlovy Vary region by the state enterprise Povodí Ohře. It also cares for 16 water reservoirs. In the immediate vicinity of Karlovy Vary, these are the waterworks Březová and Stanovice, whose photographs are part of the exhibition. Their main purpose is to protect the city from floods, but they are also an important source of water. "The Březová reservoir ensures a minimum flow in the Teplá River during periods of low water. On the other hand, the Stanovice waterworks is a key water source for the entire Karlovy Vary area and accumulates water for supplying this area with drinking water. It is also the dam with the highest embankment managed by the state enterprise Povodí Ohře," says Ing. Zbyněk Folk, General Director of Povodí Ohře, state enterprise.
The photographs featured on the large-format panels illuminated at night come from many institutions and various authors. The images capture, for example, the springs of the Amazon River, research on the behavior of whales and dolphins, as well as images of water in various states or the devastating flood in Prague in 2002.
The main partner of the traveling exhibition Water and Civilization is the ČEZ Group. "The Czech lands have historically been pioneers and technological leaders in the use of water for electricity production; after all, Kaplan turbines can be found in hydropower plants around the world today. Water is a valuable source of ecological electricity and significantly contributes to the smooth operation of the entire energy system, whether it concerns large waterworks or small power plants on smaller rivers. We fully realize that water is becoming increasingly scarce, and therefore we are looking for ways to conserve it wherever possible. Last year, the consumption of drinking water in ČEZ's power plants fell by a significant 11 percent. Compared to 2001, we see a dramatic 65 percent reduction in consumption," says Ing. Daniel Beneš, MBA, Chairman of the Board and CEO of ČEZ, a.s.
The partner of the Water and Civilization exhibition in Karlovy Vary is also the Mattoni 1873 company, whose portfolio includes, among other things, Mattoni mineral water sourced from the Doupov Mountains. "Mattoni 1873 was born in Kyselka near Karlovy Vary. We are proud of our origins and feel responsible for further developing this heritage. That is why we are happy to support the exhibition Water and Civilization. Water is not only the foundation of life but remains the essence of our business. We strive to protect the sources of our mineral waters and behave sustainably towards the environment," specifies Alessandro Pasquale, CEO of Mattoni 1873 a.s.
"I have been dealing with the topic of water for several years now and I am glad that the realization of the exhibition is happening right now. We have had dry summers and winters, and the theme of water scarcity, especially the inefficient use of water, is alarming. Many of us likely feel that when we turn on the tap, water will flow from it forever. And this exhibition aims to lead us out of this misconception," says MgA. Olga Menzelová Dis., Producer of the exhibition.
More information >
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