The event will offer a performative walk around the Old Town Hall area directed by architect and artist Savka Marenić, a discussion panel with authors of the article and interview series Dreams of Utopia from Alarm newspaper Karel Veselý and Magdalena Dušková, a reading club with journalist and union organizer Maja Vusilović, and a screening of short films.
Program details:
👀 This will never work! / workshop with Maja Vusilović
17:00–18:40, workshop registration is limited, please use form
A collaborative reading and sharing workshop with Maja Vusilović titled This will never work. How often do we hear this phrase when encountering ideas that transcend the limits of ordinary imagination? It serves as a cynical shield against visions that seem overly ambitious, unrealistic, or naive at first glance. Yet, it is precisely these bold visions that shape the future. During this workshop, we will dive into fragments of various literary works that prove that utopias are present in many forms, all of which share one thing in common.
👀 Who’s afraid of utopias? / debate
19:00–20:40
The evening will feature a debate touching on areas of literature, art, poetry, music, and political philosophy. Feminist utopias will be discussed by philosopher Jarda Michl, athlete-artist-researcher Kris Országhová, and poet, educator, and theorist Zuzana Husarová. The debate will be led by Karel Veselý and Magdalena Dušková, authors of the Dreams of Utopia series for Alarm newspaper. How can we imagine a different world, and does our imagination have any limits? Let’s dream together of a better world.
👀 When no one is looking / performative tour
bring your own headphones and mobile data
21:00–21:40
In one of the oldest buildings in Brno, the Old Town Hall area, there are many stories and urban legends hidden. The place once served as an archive, government offices, a court, and a prison. Hundreds of people pass through here, using spaces like the U Raduita or U Pilgrama halls, the outdoor atrium, the dance hall, and more. But what happens in the building when the daytime hustle and bustle quiets down? What sounds do empty corridors make, and who moves through them when no one is around? This performative event will guide you through the nooks of the City Council’s Club and nearby halls: with a map in hand and your own headphones, you’ll have the chance to listen to what or who remains in the place after others have left.
👀 Máúcta / afterparty
22:00–00:00
The music will be provided by Brno DJ Máúcta.
Ongoing program:
👀 A Hideaway / Space for children and adults
17:00–21:00
For the duration of the main program, a play and relaxation room will be open in the Council Members' Hall, to which all children and their parents are invited. It has been prepared for you by scenographer Andrea Dudková, who in her practice enjoys creating spaces for intuitive play and rest. Tentacle-shaped cushions are the work of Markéta Skalková.
👀 Utopias are next door / reading room and cinema
17:00–00:00
Throughout the evening, the City Council Club will host a feminist-utopian reading room and cinema. In one of the rooms, visitors can immerse themselves in a program of short films by contemporary audiovisual creators, including some of the event’s guides, and get to know their artistic works. These films focus on fiction as both a distinct theme and a tool for anticipatory imagination. Next to the cinema, visitors will also find a reading room with selected texts or excerpts that address utopias and fictions in various contexts. The readings have been curated by the program's curators along with the event’s Artwife in the Field hosts.
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Biographies of the authors:
Maja Vusilović is a union organizer and journalist based in Brno. In 2022, she co-founded the magazine Druhá : směna. She studied Croatian language and literature at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.
Karel Veselý is a music journalist and editor at Deník Alarm. He collaborates with Full Moon music magazine and Radio Wave. In 2010, he published the book Hudba ohně and, with Miloš Hroch, wrote Všechny kočky jsou šedé (Paseka 2020). He is co-author of Planeta Nippon (2017), nominated for the Magnesia Litera award. In the same year, he published his first novel Bomba Funk, and his second novel Kov was released in 2022. In 2024, he published the book Hudba srdce.
Magdalena Dušková is an editor at Alarm. She studied political theory and anthropology at Charles University. She writes mainly about politics from an intersectional feminist perspective. She is co-author of the podcast Hysteria and the investigative series Mezi Bohem a ultrapravicí: Po stopách českého antigenderu.
Zuzana Husárová is an author and theorist of electronic literature and digital media, creating experimental and sound poetry, as well as poetic performances. She holds a PhD in literary studies and works at the Department of Digital Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. She is the editor of the journal Glosolália and a singer in the band Drť. She co-edited two publications on electronic literature and was a Fulbright scholar at MIT. Together with Karol Piorecký, she wrote the book The Culture of Neural Networks: Synthetic Literature and Art in (Not Only) the Czech and Slovak Context (2024). In 2024, she published the book Hypomnemata.
Jarda Michl studied philosophy and interactive media theory. He occasionally translates (Raymond Williams, Srećko Horvat, etc.) and publishes in Revue Prostor, Druhá : směna, and Alarm.
Kristina Országhová She studied artistic research and sociology. She explores the sonic dimension of sport, gender, and the body. She teaches at the Department of Gender Studies at the Central European University in Vienna. She represented Slovakia in synchronized swimming and has had several boxing matches.
Jonáš Balcar is a student at the Centre for Audiovisual Studies at FAMU (CAS). In his artistic practice, he focuses on music and sound creation, integrating them into gallery installations, performative situations, and narrative forms. Recently, he has been dissolving into time.
Savka Marenić is an architect and PhD student at the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM) in Prague. Her artistic research explores how fiction can be used to discover and transform public space and support its community potential. She combines architecture with performative art, community engagement, and site-specific interventions. Currently, she is trying to protect mice from her cat, who is a constant threat to them.
Gabriela Veselá is a performer and teacher in literary and dramatic arts, performing under various pseudonyms (most often as Eržika). She is currently in Brno, dressed in hunting gear, accompanied by her dog.
Adina Voldrábová is a performer and dancer. She studied at the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and La Manufacture - Haute école des arts de la scène in Lausanne. She is interested in improvisation, site-specific interventions, and the possibilities of applying permaculture principles in artistic creation.