Czech culture this week: Illustration as art and Oktoberfest in Prague

Come to Loď Tajemství at Náplavka to see a seven-meter-long sculpture of a lonely dog made by František Skála. It will be there for two weeks before going to Germany for All Power to the Imagination: Czech Season in Dresden.

Time is running out to see an exhibit about Czechoslovak athlete Věra Čáslavská, who would have been 80 this year. It closes on Sept. 25 at the New Building of the National Museum.

An exhibition of Japanese Zen paintings has proved more popular than expected. Zenga, with works⁠ from the Kaeru-an collection, has been extended to Dec. 4 at Salmovský palác.

You can try before you buy at an exhibition of games and puzzles at the New Town Hall from Sept. 21 to 24. Tickets can be bought at the venue.

The illustration festival Lustr9 draws attention to Czech artists past and present at Kampus Hybernská from Sept. 22 to 28.

The new Czech film Arvéd, about a real-life occult practitioner in the first half of the 20th century, plays with English subtitles at Edison Filmhub on Sept. 20. It will be followed by a Q&A with director Vojtěch Mašek. A subtitled screening without a Q&A takes place at Světozor on Sept. 20 as well.

A new season of short films starts with iShorts: Girls in Film 2022 at Bio Oko on Sept. 21. The films have been selected from hits at major festivals and showcase the new generation of female filmmakers. All the entries will be English-friendly.

The series Some Like It Czech starts a new season with Loners (Samotáři), a comedy that shows life in the late 1990s in Prague. the screening, at Aero on Sept. 21, will include a short standup comedy bit to add some context. Read more about the festival in our article.

A mini-festival of Olivia Wilde films includes "Booksmart" and "Don't Worry Darling." They are at Bio Oko on Sept. 22.

The English-friendly film night Film Barf celebrates its birthday with a screening of the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream on Sept. 23 at Edison Filmhub.

You have four chances to try to laugh this week with the help of the folks from Velvet Comedy. Monday Open Mic at Ty kávo on Sept. 19, Velvet Comedy Show at Czech Inn Bar on Sept. 20, Kontakt Comedy Night on Sept. 22, and Velvet Friday: Stand-Up Show at Pracovna on Sept. 23.

The satirical ballet Leonce & Lena has choreography by Christian Spuck and music ranging from Johann Strauss to the Mamas and the Papas. The plot, from a 19th-century novel, has something to do with two people fleeing a forced marriage. It is at the Estates Theatre on Sept. 20.

Flamenco dancer  Jana Drdácká blends various styles including. Moravian folk dance into Dreaming of Božena. The performance reflects the various stages of life from childhood to death. It is at Ponec on Sept. 23 and 24.

There are just six stagings left of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Estate Theatre this year, including Sept. 23 and 25, and then four dates in October. Mozart conducted the premiere on the same stage in 1787. This new staging is by Swedish-Norwegian stage director Alexander Mørk-Eidem and German conductor Karsten Januschke.

A large celebration focused on Bavarian beer, Holešovice Oktoberfest is at Pražská tržnice from Sept. 21 to 24. There will be typical German food including pretzels and sausages along with imported Bier.

Enjoy an evening of jazz and wine at Manifesto Anděl on Sept. 21. Music this week is an acoustic set by Petr & Farhia.

Manifesto Anděl from Sept. 22 to 25 hosts BEERfesto Vol. III with well-known as well as undiscovered brews as well as "beertails" or beer cocktails and different music each day.

The first part of a two-day wine festival Vinobraní na Grébovce takes place at náměstí Míru on Sept. 23 while the second and much larger part is at Havlíčkovy sady on Sept. 24. You can expect wine, burčák, and food on both days.

On Sept. 20, 2015, the art group Ztohoven hung giant red shorts in place of the presidential flag at Prague Castle, sparking a considerable controversy over security, art, and free speech. The shorts were a comment on President Miloš Zeman's ties to Putin.

Emperor Rudolf II was crowned King of Bohemia at St. Vitus' Cathedral in Prague Castle on Sept. 22.

The first horse-drawn tram line in Prague went into operation on Sept. 23, 1875, at 3:15 p.m. Belgium businessman Édouard Otlet obtained a permit to build tracks and operate the system. The route went from where the National Theatre is now located to Invalidovna in Karlín.

Rock and hip-hop crossover musician Machine Gun Kelly arrives with his Mainstream Sellout Tour. He will be at Sportovní hala Fortuna on Sept. 19. The venue was known as Tipsort until recently, and is the larger arena in Výstaviště.

UK electronic music Kosheen will be at Lucerna Music Bar on Sept, 19 with an added show, as the first one sold out quickly. The band's biggest hit was "All In My Head" from 2003, and their most recent album is 2013's "Solitude." The members have been working on solo projects since then.

The festival Žižkovská noc (Žižkov Night) fills clubs across the upper part of Prague 3 with music It runs from Sept. 22 to 24 with Palác Akropolis as the main center.

Spanish-German singer Alvaro Soler had a big hit with "El Mismo Sol" and has had his music and videos streamed billions of times. He will be at Sportovní hala Fortuna (Tipspot) on Sept. 23.