The festival's underlying idea is to raise awareness of the scope, meaning and significance of landscape architecture in relation to contemporary architecture, art and public space. The Landscape Festival project seeks to raise awareness and promote interdisciplinary dialogue not only among Czech but also international experts, artists, politicians and the general public.
The central theme of this year’s festival is the support of cultivating public space in the towns of the Ústí nad Labem Region, specifically in Kadaň, and the effort to raise awareness of the Dolní Poohří region, with a focus on the transformation of economically affected areas and the restoration of the Podkrušnohoří landscape.
The four-month international project is being held in cooperation with the royal town of Kadaň, the Dolní Poohří Destination Agency, the Transformation Centre of the Ústí Region, the local organization Karsch House, ČAKA, as well as universities (TUL, UJEP, and ZČU) and other entities.
The festival presents the concept of so-called "green urbanism" and uses temporary interventions to offer a new perspective on different parts of the town of Kadaň. A key role is played by the participation of local residents. Thus, the project becomes a living laboratory and a platform that helps to explain and plan transformations of public spaces in the town and its surroundings, extending to the broader Dolní Poohří and Podkrušnohoří region.
The festival’s significance for the region focuses especially in connecting experts and local stakeholders from different areas and sharing their experiences. At the same time, it provides support for discussion about the state of public spaces in the towns of the Ústí Region and the Krušnohoří Euroregion. Another goal is to enhance the revitalisation of certain areas and to encourage collaborations between local institutions. Discussions will involve representatives from the leadership of the town of Kadaň and other towns in the Dolní Poohří region, universities, investors, the cultural sector, and both the expert and general public.
Accompanying exhibitions, discussions, and lectures will offer space for current topics such as art in public space, people-focused urban planning, green approaches to urban development, climate change adaptation, and creative approaches to designing children’s playgrounds. The festival will also support interdisciplinary dialogue as part of the “Region for Life” strategy, aimed at the sustainable revitalization of post-mining areas, the use of renewable energy sources, the implementation of new ideas, and the overall improvement of quality of life in the region.
Festival Route and Locations/
The core idea is to connect the historic city center with the outer districts and garden allotment areas, which - together with the Ohře River embankment and the surrounding hills - forming the city’s green axis.
Two main routes will be designed for visitors: One through the historic center, and the other along the city’s outskirts, including formerly industrial areas such as the Cihelnas Kadaň, Kaolinka and Prunéřov II power station.
The festival organiser is Architectura association
For more information visit www.architectura.cz.
Curators/
Hana Procházková, Martin Kloda
Creative council/
Jan Losenický, Dan Merta, Josef Kdolský, Petr Liebsher, Alena Benešová, Radek Kolařík, Mária Maninová, Jan Šépka, Michal Fišer, Linda Kovářová, Eva Němcová, Petr Uhlík, Ondřej Busta, Lukáš Pichlík, Štěpán Špoula, Ferdinand Leffler
Summer school of architecture/ 7.–12. 7.
Team/ Radek Kolařík, Iva Dvořáková, Michal Fišer
Production/
Josef Kdolský, Irena Mertová
PR/
Klára Pučerová