Prague’s Mesmerizing Signal Festival, 2018
Exploring the annual celebration of light art and emerging technologies
Prague abounds with historic quaintness. Hotel lobbies are traditionally opulent and grand, established restaurants serve time-honored food paired with Czech dumplings and beer, streets bear the names of residents from times gone by, and the magnificent Prague Castle above the city speaks of the royalty that once presided over the country.
It is with this classic backdrop as a canvas that Prague hosts something intriguing and arguably out of character: an annual show of modern lights and technology, known as Signal Festival, which is now in its sixth year. Over four evenings this past weekend, Signal presented 22 art installations across three routes in the city—the center, Vinohrady and, for the first time, Karlin.
We went to Prague to check out this celebration of light art, urban space and emerging technologies—and the following six experiences captivated us the most.
Organik, Struny Signalu
Organik combined musical dramaturgy with digital visuals to create a dramatic soundscape with classical church organs and cosmic sounds. The audience, seated on the pews, watched as sweeping digital lights bounce on and off a large swinging pendulum in the center of the church. In front, a mirror covered the wall and reflected to the back, making the church look like an infinitely large space; the pulsating beams that shined through seemed to reach limitless depths. The church organ itself is played live by singer and composer Katta, who emerged at the end of the performance to lend a face to the music.
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