For the first time, the Signal Festival will transform Prague Castle into a projection surface and gallery zone. The Hradčany Route will be one of the two routes for the twelfth edition of the festival, which will take place from 10th to 13th October and showcase the best of digital and creative culture.
Visitors to the Signal Festival can look forward to two routes this year, covering well-known and previously undiscovered locations in Prague. For the first time, Prague Castle will serve as a festival venue. “The opportunity to integrate the historically and architecturally unique Prague Castle into the festival has been a long-held wish. Now, after twelve years, this wish is becoming a reality,” says Festival Director Martin Pošta. “Prague Castle is a significant historical monument and the seat of the President of the Republic, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for contemporary art. On the contrary, we want to integrate contemporary elements in a natural way,” adds Veronika Wolf, the Culture and Programme Director for the President of the Republic.
The Hradčany Route begins at the Riding Hall of Prague Castle and leads through various palaces to Hradčany Square and the southern gardens, which will be opened exclusively for the festival. A highlight is the work of Czech artist Jiří Příhoda at Sternberg Palace. His installations include the object Capriccio, the oval object UAPs, a projection with artificial intelligence inspired by Renaissance masters, and the experimental installation Karbola, which resembles an extraterrestrial spacecraft. 3D artist Filip Hodas presents the multi-layered video mapping Eternal Recurrence, which explores the digital emergence and development of life. The London studio UVA showcases Strange Attractions, a combination of kinetic pendulums and multimedia installations.
The second route runs through the Old Town and central Prague, featuring installations at Old Town Square and its surroundings. The façade of the City Library at Mariánské náměstí transforms into the depths of the ocean through the video installation The Rhythm of the Ocean, accompanied by music from five-time Grammy nominee Suzanne Ciani. In the hidden refectory of the Dominican Monastery, Bill Fontana’s sound installation Silent Echoes will be presented, connecting sounds from the Brooklyn Bridge, the Arc de Triomphe, and Big Ben. To conclude, Quayola will present the video series Effets de Soir at CAMP, capturing the captivating transition between light and shadow at dusk.
The Signal Festival brings together internationally renowned digital artists such as Filip Hodas and Jana Bernartová and collaborates with leading cultural institutions like Prague Castle, the Art Hall Prague, the National Gallery Prague, the National Theatre, CAMP, and international partners like the Austrian Ars Electronica Festival. These collaborations create unique experiences and connect historical and modern perspectives.
“One of the festival’s visions is to make innovative art accessible to as wide an audience as possible. By purchasing tickets for the paid Gallery Zone, visitors not only support the festival and the artists but also experience unique artworks,” explains Martin Pošta, founder and director of the festival. The Gallery Zone provides access to seven exclusive locations in Prague, with tickets already available in advance. For a special experience, there is the Signal VIP ticket, which includes access without waiting times and a welcome drink at the Art Hall Prague.
This year, the Signal Festival is complemented by the Signal Forum, a new platform for education and networking. The Forum, created in collaboration with the Slovak festival Sensorium, will take place on 11th and 12th October at CAMP in Prague. It offers lectures, workshops, and accompanying activities on 21st-century trends and brings together experts from the fields of art, science, and technology, including personalities from NASA and CERN.
