Culture this week: Flower Union makes its way from Brussels to Prague

Last chance to see|The Builders of Temples exhibition at the DOX Contemporary Art Center has been extended until Feb. 19. An exploration of how religions and rituals come into being, sometimes from mundane objects, its iconoclastic premise is "nothing that cannot be elevated to an altar or a ritual object. There is no place where a shrine or a temple cannot be built."

Study of transformation|Take a moment from your daily commute to explore the Euthanasia Sports Showcase, located in the vestibule of the Můstek metro stop until March 12. Organized by Karpuchina Gallery, the exhibition set out to answer pressing questions along the lines of: Do some of us look like dinosaurs, or are there dinosaur souls inside us? Who are we in the hybrid era? How naïve is fighting against AI?

Flowers and EU diplomacy|After a successful run in Brussels, the Flower Union exhibition is in Prague until May 7 at the Trade Fair Palace. A symbol of the Czech presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2022, the project was custom-made for the specific needs of two of the Council’s buildings in Brussels, and based on the idea of a "community of plants sharing a single piece of soil."

Russian cinematic history|Kino Ponrepo presents on Feb. 13 Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece Andrei Rublev. The biography of the 14th century Muscovite icon painter embodies Rublev's credo that art's sole purpose is to save the world, and that the best way to grasp life's meaning is by using one own's experiences.

Back to Czechoslovakia|“Ucho” (The Ear) from director Karel Kachyňa is at Kino Lucerna on Feb. 16, part of a new series of movies called Made in Czechoslovakia (with English subtitles). Communist authorities banned the psychological drama due to its subject matter, so it was only presented to the public in 1990. Last year, its digitally restored version received a world premiere at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival.

Beloved Sissi|Watch a different take on love, beauty and femininity in Corsage at Bio Oko on Feb. 14 and 16 (with English subtitles), part of its Girl Power series focusing on strong and independent female film characters. Screened on the eve of Valentine's Day, the movie looks at Elisabeth of Bavaria, known best by her moniker Sissi, and for being a symbol of romantic love, as she nears her 40th birthday and faces her legacy.

Do not cross|The surreal performance Přecházení/Across is at Divadlo Bravo! on Feb. 15 and 16. Come and see five smartly dressed clowns embark on a quest to answer the age-old question To Be or Not to Be, while using suspended buckets and poles as props to emphasize the absurdity of everyday life and the inner logic of dreams.

Objects in motion|Italian circus artist Andrea Salustri is at Palác Akropolis on Feb. 15 with Materia, a "choreography for polystyrene objects and one person." The polystyrene itself takes center stage, while the performer transforms into a mediator, and audience is free to project their own story into the events taking place on stage.

Swedish psychological dramas|The theatrical version of cult Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's Personas is on stage at Divadlo Na Zabradli on Feb. 16 (with English subtitles). Directed by Jan Mikulášek, the production follows eight characters playing out different stories that take on a gloomy undertone in the setting of an unspecified apartment.

Ignorance is strength|English novellist George Orwell's acclaimed masterpiece 1984 comes alive on stage at Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově on Feb. 17 (with English subtitles). The dystopian love story of Winston Smith and Julia, happening under the watchful eye of Big Brother, has a number of timeless lessons that could prove useful for our age of fake news and disinformation.

Minimalist rock|French pop-rock duo Orange Dream plays at Palác Akropolis on Feb. 13. The mix between guitarist Guilaume old electric guitars and blues-inspired riffs and singer Melissa's dreamy voice creates an atmosphere of melancholic roadtrips. The band, which hails from the northern city of Lille, released their first album at the end of last year.

Jazz on Valentine's Day|Celebrate love with songs from the "High Priestess of the Soul," Nina Simone, at Reduta Jazz Club on Feb. 14. Czech singer Tereza Krippnerová with the backing band The Masters bring her repertoire to life in a Special Valentine Tribute.

Avant-garde|Experimental rock Dutch-British band The Legendary Pink Dots is at the Underdogs’ Ballroom on Feb. 16. With a career spanning over four decades, the band, whose core members are Edward Ka-Spel a Phil Knight, earned praise for its ever-evolving style in the vein of krautrock giants such as Can, Faust, or Neu!