Third Biennale 2012 Kafka/Borges – Prague/Buenos Aires

Third Biennale 2012 Kafka/Borges – Prague/Buenos Aires
The Biennale Kafka/Borges – Prague/Buenos Aires is a series of programmes
aimed at presenting the Argentinean and Czech culture on the example of the
work of two writers of world renown – Franz Kafka and Jorge Luis Borges. The
biennale’s umbrella institutions are Franz Kafka Society in Prague and
Foundación Internacional Jorge Luis Borges. They are preparing the already
fifth encounter of the two cultures. This time, it will also be a commemoration
of two great writers, Ernesto Sábato from Argentina and Arnošt Lustig from the
Czech Republic, both of whom died in 2011.
Prague, 16–26 April 2012
Dedicated to: Ernesto Sábato †30 April 2011
Arnošt Lustig
†26 February 2011
Ernesto Sábato is one of the foremost Argentinean but also Latin American writers. He was
born in Rojas, a small town in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1911. Although he
completed his studies in physics at the National University of La Plata, he devoted his entire
life to literature. He is known as the author of the novels The Tunel (El túnel, 1948), On
Heroes and Tombs (Sobre héroes y tumbas, 1961), The Angel of Darkness (Abaddón el
Exterminador, 1974) and several books of essays, such as The Writer in the Catastrophe of
our Time (El escritor y sus fantasmas, 1963), published in the Czech Republic as Spisovatel a
jeho přízraky. He died in 2011 before reaching 100 years of age.
Arnošt Lustig is one of the most renowned after-war Czech writers and publicists of global
importance. He was born in Prague in 1926; at the age of fifteen, he was transported to
Terezín and survived concentration camps including Osvětim. He became famous as the
author of an entire range of works with the theme of the Holocaust; his best-known works
include the books of stories Noc a naděje (Night and Hope), Démanty noci (Diamonds of the
Night), Ulice ztracených bratří (Street of Lost Brothers), the novellas Dita Saxová (Dita
Saxova) and Modlitba pro Kateřinu Horovitzovou (A Prayer for Katerina Horowitzova), and
the novels Miláček (Darling) and Krásné zelené oči (Lovely Green Eyes). He died in 2011 at
the age of 84 years.
Under the auspices of:
Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires Hernán Lombardi
Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic Alena Hanáková
Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri
Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda
Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the Czech Republic
Programme
Exhibition of Photographs ‘Atlas de Borges’ 16 April 6 pm
Place: Cervantes Institute, Na Rybníčku 536/6, Prague 2
Guest: María Kodama de Borges
Borges’ world through a selection of photographs that he took jointly with María Kodama
during their travels. Exhibition open until 19 May 2012
Grand Opening, 17 April 6 pm
Place: Prague Mayor’s Residence, Mariánské nám. 1, Prague 1
Welcome: Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda
Introductory Speeches: Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri, Minister of Culture of the City
of Buenos Aires Hernán Lombardi, President of Fundación Internacional Jorge Luis Borges
María Kodama de Borges, representatives of the Embassy of Argentina in the Czech
Republic, representatives of the FKS.
Dance performance of the Buenos Aires Tango School
Evening Devoted to the Work and life of Ernesto Sábato, 18 April 4 pm and 6 pm
Place: Cervantes Institute, Na Rybníčku 536/6, Prague 2
4 pm film: Mario Sábato: El poder de las tinieblas/ The Power of Darkness (1979)
The film version of the ‘Report on the Blind’, the most mysterious chapter of the novel On
Heroes and Tombs, was for the director of the film Mario Sabáto, the author’s son, a
challenge that he gladly accepted, working with the material completely freely.
6 pm forum: Mario Sábato on his father
Theatre: Rafael Spregelburd – Panic, 19 April 7 pm
Place: Pidivadlo, Letohradská 44, Prague 7
A play by the preeminent Argentine playwright in the version by the troupe Pidivadlo,
directed by Zuza Páleníková. (Motto: ‘Even the dead are afraid, fear of the fatal moment of
sudden awakening, when they realise that they are dead and will remain dead forever. And
the living simply fear everything. Everything. Without preferences and without certainties.’)
Film: Mario Sábato – Ernesto Sábato, mi padre, 20 April 6 pm
Place: Tranzitdisplay, Dittrichova 9/337, Prague 2
The document Ernesto Sabáto, My Father, was made in 2008 by his son Mario, who is among
distinctive figures of Argentinean cinematography. The film originally enters the life of the
writer who thanks to his talent transcended the borders of Argentine but whose privacy was
not known to many. Introduction: David Čeněk, guest: Mario Sábato. (English subtitles).
Evening Devoted to Arnošt Lustig, 23 April 6 pm
Place: Clam Gallas Palace, Husova St. 158, Prague 1
Literary programme, roundtable on the contribution of Arnošta Lustig to Czech and world
literature.
Moderator: Vladimír Karfík, discussion by: Jiří Peňás, Michal Bauer and others.
Argentine Literature in Bohemia, 24 April 6 pm
Place: Czech Centre Prague, Rytířská 31, Prague 1
Meeting and debate of translators, publishers and literary scholars. Moderator: Anežka
Charvátová, discussion by: Josef Forbelský, Josef Čermák and othrs.
Readings from Kafka, Borges, Sábato, Lustig, 25 April 7:30 pm
Place: Literary Café Fra, Šafaříkova 15, Prague – Vinohrady
Composed programme, performed by Věra Koubová, Marianna Gil Herrera, Anežka
Charvátová, Markéta Mališová and others.
Ceremonial Closing – ‘Concert in Honour of Two Countries’, 26 April 7 pm
Place: Spanish Synagogue, Vězeňská 141/1,Prague 1
The Stamic Quartet will perform works by Leoš Janáček, Astor Piazzolla and Bohuslav
Martinů.
The Biennale has been organised by the Franz Kafka Society
Široká 14, Prague 1, tel.: 224 227 452
[email protected]
www.franzkafka-soc.cz
The programme may be subject to change.
Entry to all the programmes is free of charge!