Jiří Petrbok is a mystic and alchemist by nature. The psychological background of his works is framed by his interest in Jungian archetypes, which accompany him on his journeys through his own subconscious. Together with these unconscious and unplanned worlds, a number of "ordinary things" from the artist's surroundings get onto the canvas, without him himself having control over the very process of connecting, assembling or, conversely, disassembling them. At the beginning, there is a certain number of ingredients from which the artist cooks the resulting dish in a complex process of partly conscious and partly unconscious creation.

In Petrbok's work, endless imagination naturally intertwines with subject forms, while the artist himself often refers to himself as a sculptor rather than a painter. And it doesn't matter at all that he doesn't carve stone and haul bags of plaster. In short, Jiří Petrbok does not create pictures, but sculptures — beings. And they live in the given environment in their own strange, egotistical, often unruly way. It might seem that they do not consider their surroundings or the viewer, but they know about him very well, sometimes they even look directly at us, provoking us. They are strange animated mannequins with the rest of humanity, phantoms filled with terrifying qualities, threatening everything around and finding themselves in difficult situations unable to breathe, move, see. Their bodies are subjected to invisible torture — stretched on an invisible vise, dissolved by unknown chemicals, burned by an unquenchable fire. The environment in which they move is mostly real. The artist creates a space into which he brings sculptures and other "junk" and creates an object carrying countless references, symbols, metaphors. The viewer is cordially invited to visit to experience everything deeply disturbing and at the same time wonderfully crazy.

The presence of real useful things is important for Petrbok. Objects such as drills, vacuum cleaners, brooms, hair dryers, gloves, exercise machines, spacesuits or gas masks are reference points that help the artist not lose contact with reality, even if in the context of the painting these practical things somehow fail due to their original character. However, they are also part of the necessarily present humor and irony that will encourage us whenever we stop hoping. It is also typical for Petrbok to use motifs from the works of other artists, whether from history or the present. The inclusion of the sculptures of the Chapman brothers or Cindy Sherman's photographs is a bit of an endorsement and completes the fantastic and at the same time real picture full of archetypal contents.

The unusual and extreme formats of the works refer to Petrbok's interest in transitional periods of art history. Narrow and disproportionately high canvases, together with wild colors, violations of symmetry and deformation strongly resemble the principles of Mannerism. The musicality of the works is also evident. The individual elements in the picture can remind us of the tones that the artist as a composer adds or subtracts, and in a lively, energetic work he boldly mixes the harsh and screeching sounds of death metal with the delicately noble tones of classical music. In this way, some beings in Petrbok's paintings can remind us of the author himself, who moves around the studio with his phantoms as if deprived of his senses, only to exchange this occult dance in an instant for a peaceful, almost spiritual passage through the universe of the unconscious.

Kristýna Jirátová, exhibition curator

_Jiří Petrbok (born 1962) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague from 1984 to 1990 with prof. Radomír Kolář and prof. Jiří Sopko. From 1995 he worked here as an assistant professor in the drawing studio of prof. Jitka Svobodová. From 2011 until this year, he led this studio. Jiří Petrbok's work is represented in numerous important collections, for example in the National Gallery in Prague, in the Prague City Gallery and other private collections in the Czech Republic and abroad. He has been presented in a large number of exhibitions in the Czech Republic and has also exhibited abroad alongside international stars such as the Chapman brothers or Maurizio Catellan. 
He lives and works in Prague._


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The festive opening of the exhibition JIŘÍ PETRBOK: IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!

Petrbok

Olsi Leka – cello
Peter Caelen – piano

Programme :

Igor Stravinsky: Suite Italienne
I. Introduzione (allegro moderato)
II. Serenata (Larghetto)
III. Aria
IV. Tarantaella (Vivace)
V. Minueto e Finale

Robert Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, op. 70

Antonín Dvořák: Silent Woods, op.68 No.5

César Franck: Sonata in A major, FWV 8
I. Allegretto ben moderato
II. Allegro
III. Recitativo - Fantasia: Ben moderato - Molto lento
IV. Allegretto poco mosso

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PH Concert Series: Love and Passion

Love and Passion

On November 17th, the Czech Republic commemorates two historically significant events. On November 17, 1939, which was eventually declared International Student Day, the Czech universities were closed by the Nazi occupiers and patriotic students were executed. On November 17, 1989, on the 50th anniversary of the events of the occupation period a demonstration took place, which grew into a protest against the communist regime of the time and, as a result, marked the beginning of the Velvet Revolution and, with it, the return of Czechoslovakia to the family of European democracies.

Public could join the commemorations traditionally by the candle lighting at the Havel's Place at 17:00 with the Ambassador Edita Hrdá.

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Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day and International Students' Day

Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day and the International Students' Day

Ukraine has been suffering from Russia´s agression for almost two years now, and the pressure on its possible membership to the EU and NATO is expontially increasing. While many EU politicians and experts are debating when Ukraine will be accepted into the EU, some voice a more skeptical point of view - is it truly about when or rather if? Ukraine´s membership would pose a significant challenge for the EU as a whole, as well as for individual member states. The membership would put a major strain on the EU´s finances and Ukraine would become a major net recepient of aid. Ukraine is not called a granary of Europe for no reason and, as an EU member, it would become the biggest recipient of CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) funding at a cost to the other member states. Ukraine has made clear it wants to be accepted by the EU (and NATO). On the other hand there is a growing cloud over the EU on whether the member states will find common ground on EU enlargement.

How can we convince EU citizens that accepting Ukraine into the EU is the right thing when for most of them it would mean tightening their belts and lowering their living standards? Ukraine would become one of the biggest and poorest member states. Is the EU structurally ready to accept such a challenge?

Welcome Speech: Alva Finn, Executive Director, European Liberal Forum

Speakers: Edita Hrdá, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU

Kira Rudyk, Vice President, ALDE Party; Member of Parliament, Ukrainian Parliament

Ondřej Knotek, Member, European Parliament

Tony Barber, Europe Editor, Financial Times

Host: Jan Macháček, Chairman of the Board, Institute for Politics and Society


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DEBATE: The Future of European Integration of Ukraine

The Future of European Integration of Ukraine

This year, the Václav Havel European Dialogues focused on the geopolitical issue of proximity and cooperation of neighbouring countries on foreign policy, the official title was: How can the EU bring its neighbours closer in the changing world order? Opportunities, challenges and the role of the civil society.

The geopolitical situation in Europe is changing dramatically in response to the Russian violence in Ukraine. Many European countries are now faced with the question of how to manage and formulate their foreign policy. The European Union has always been a good advisor in such situations, both for the member states and for the EU neighbourhood, and through reforms it has consolidated democratic processes and ideas concerning their internal and cross-border cooperation. But can the EU help now?

One of the main topics of Václav Havel was the anchoring of civil society in the running of the state. In countries with working democracy, there must be an active civil society that monitors policy changes and provides feedback not only to governments but also to other powerful institutions. This is why we need NGOs. But how does the mentioned geopolitical situation affect them?

Speakers:

Jan Lipavský
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Edita Hrdá
Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU

Jakub Skalník
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Kingdom of Belgium

Gert-Jan Koopman
Director General at DG NEAR of the European Commission

Daliborka Uljarević
Executive Director of Centre for Civic Education

Victoria Voytsitska
International Center for Ukrainian Victory

Moderator: Eva Hrnčířová

Organisers of EDVH in Brussels are Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union, Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Kingdom of Belgium, Czech Centre Brussels, Library of Václav Havel, co-organiser is Prague House. 

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Václav Havel European Dialogues 2023

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The event was attended by the representatives of Belgium, the EU and NATO, the diplomatic corps, representatives of the business, cultural and educational spheres, Czech compatriots and other friends of the Czech Republic.


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Reception on the occasion of the Independent Czechoslovak State Day

Reception

Czech Chamber Music

Charlène Deschamps – flute, piccolo
Sébastien Vanlerberghe – oboe
Daniel Mourek – clarinet
Benjamin Dieltjens – bass clarinet
Tobias Knobloch – bassoon
Michaela Bůžková – horn

Program
A. Rejcha: Wind Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 88, No. 2
I. Lento - Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo. Allegro
III. Andante grazioso
IV. Finale. Allegro molto

A. Dvořák: “American” Quartet, op. 96 (1st and 3rd movement)
transcribed for Woodwind Quintet by David Walter
I. Allegro ma non troppo
III. Molto vivace

L. Janáček: Mládí (Youth), Wind Sextet
I. Allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Vivace
IV. Allegro animato

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PH Concert Series: Czech Chamber Music

czech chamber music

The goal of the event was to establish and strengthen cooperation between the UK and graduates living in Belgium. The meeting was also attended by the representatives of the university who presented the current challenges within their agendas.

[Registration to the Alumni Club](https://cuni.cz/UKEN-403.html)

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Brussels Gathering of Alumni and Friends of the Charles University

Charles University

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We would like to introduce the Prague House, the residence of the City of Prague’s Representation to the EU. This place is an integral part of Prague’s City hall, and all its activities are targeted towards promoting the interest of the City.

Welcome to the Prague House!

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