Display is not your average window treatment

If you haven't already noticed, Chapeau Rouge has some weird things in its windows.

One of Prague's most famed bars/clubs, it has always had an odd collection of bazaar and flea market finds, eccentrically arranged and - in one slowly pirouetting Barbie's case - mechanized to catch the eyes of passers-by on Jakubská street, close to Old Town Square.

Dan Doležal, who's been the club's DJ and concert promoter for more than four years, has always kept an eye on the local art scene, including artists in small productions and shows. Through his work for Chapeau Rouge, Doležal has met and befriended a number of young artists in Prague, and wanted to find an outlet for their works at the club. The result is Fenester, a gallery curated by Bára Špičáková that stretches the very definition of "gallery."

The space is the last window on Chapeau Rouge's Jakubská side, its exhibits changing by the month in an attempt to bring art to both the bar's patrons and those who pass by on the street.

"There are so many interesting, talented people in Prague, and I thought it would be nice to collaborate and bring something into the public space," Doležal said. "We decided we wanted to create a really independent gallery, hire a curator and host 12 exhibitions a year with 12 different artists. ... Something that will change and won't just be ad hoc."

Fenester unveiled its third exhibit Aug. 12: a joint project by artists Jan Čumlivski and Ondřej Přibyl called "Sonda Palacky." The work illustrates a sci-fi story written and illustrated by Čumlivski about lunar travel in the interwar period, and is presented as a lighted diorama that people can see by peeking through a small peephole. While this latest exhibit can't be seen from inside the bar, Fenester's exhibits are typically seen from both sides of the glass.

"This latest exhibit has been a little problematic, because for the installation to work, it must be dark outside to see the diorama, which is lit by a small light. From the bar side, it's completely dark. It's great, but it's a little different from the other [exhibits], which can be seen from both sides," Špičáková said.

Outside the box

The exhibit has been embraced by younger artists who are more open to alternative spaces and eager to show work that might not always work in traditional gallery settings, said Špičáková, a 28-year-old art history student at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design.  Špičáková in fact has found many of the participating students at the academy: students who study typography, architecture and other applied arts.

"It's true, in Prague there is quite a lot of space in galleries where you can present your work. But it also depends on the curators and who you might know. We're working with typographers and other 'applied arts' artists who don't always get to have exhibits," she said. "I've been trying to find young people, either students or [those who are] a couple years out of school."

Fenester's direction is completely independent from Chapeau Rouge, and even the organizers are a bit in the dark about what the window will show next. Artists are asked to create something completely new for their exhibit in Fenester, so the curator is not simply picking works from the artists' studios, Doležal explained.

"I was a bit scared to see how it would go, but so far everything has been great and has had a bit of humor to it. We've been pushing [the artists] to do something new, and even up until the day of installation, we have no idea what they're bringing," he said. "It's a nice aspect."

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com