Among the places and projects that should definitely not be missed this year are Young Selection 03<\/em> at The House, presenting the youngest generation of contemporary artists, and the related Open Studios<\/em>, offering visitors a glimpse directly into artists\u2019 studios and creative processes. Private collections are another prominent theme of this year\u2019s festival, including Cabinet of Life<\/em> at Magnus Art Gallery and Tom\u00e1\u0161 Ruller\u2019s collection at Prostora Gallery.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s festival opening will take place at the Trade Fair Palace of the National Gallery Prague. PAW26 will open there at 6:30 p.m. alongside the NGP LIVE 230 Years.<\/em> The evening will also feature Nils Amadeus Lange\u2019s performance Hildegard von Bingen<\/em>. The project NGP 230: Stories of the Trade Fair Palace<\/em> will introduce a series of temporary interventions throughout the building, recalling its history through works ranging from an object by Jan Kaplick\u00fd to contributions by Vojt\u011bch Kov\u00e1\u0159\u00edk, Jan \u0160er\u00fdch, Martin Zet and Magdal\u00e9na Cubrov\u00e1.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s programme in Prague 7 will offer several noteworthy stops before the evening opening at the Trade Fair Palace. The afternoon can be devoted to gradually exploring local galleries and exhibitions before the festival moves on to its main evening programme. At 3 p.m., the AVU Gallery will host a guided tour of the exhibition I Need It<\/em>. The project presents the technical workshops of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague as a space where craftsmanship, experimentation, new technologies and contemporary art intersect. An hour later, at 4 p.m., the programme continues at the private Clauda Gallery on Veverkova Street. Visitors can look forward to a guided tour of Tereza Kalousov\u00e1\u2019s exhibition Sorority<\/em>, which explores how digital technologies and contemporary economic and social systems transform our perception of the body, time and space. Another possible stop is the opening of Beside Bodies<\/em> at Berl\u00ednskej model. The project examines emancipatory and feminist approaches to the body, addressing bodily autonomy, queer histories and critiques of normative masculinity. If you are outside Prague 7, we recommend visiting Artium by KKCG and the exhibition Love<\/em> at 4 p.m., or Karpuchina Gallery at 6 p.m. for a curator-led tour of You Can\u2019t Return, You Are Here<\/em>.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s programme focuses primarily on smaller galleries in central Prague before gradually moving through \u017di\u017ekov to Hole\u0161ovice. Rather than revolving around a single main event, it offers several more intimate stops and guided tours. At 4:30 p.m., European Arts will host a guided tour of Maturation<\/em>, an exhibition connecting the work of S\u00e1ra Kone\u010dn\u00e1 and Tereza \u0160t\u011btinov\u00e1 through the theme of transformation. Another highlight in the city centre is the Prague City Gallery \u2013 Stone Bell House, where an English-language curator-led tour of The Headless Horseman<\/em> will take place at 5 p.m. The exhibition revisits the eponymous group of four artists associated with the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and the Czech art scene of the 1990s. In \u017di\u017ekov, HIDDEN Gallery will present the exhibition Spellbound<\/em>, followed by the opening of A Whole Different Animal<\/em> at Hunt Kastner. At the Trade Fair Palace, the guided tour Through the Eyes of the Curators<\/em> with Rado I\u0161tok will begin at 4:30 p.m., offering an insight into the NGP 230 programme from a curator\u2019s perspective. In Hole\u0161ovice, visitors can also attend a guided tour of Hollows<\/em> at Hole\u0161ovick\u00e1 \u0161achta from 6:30 p.m., or choose a guided tour of the educational and research programme As We Grow<\/em> at the independent gallery Sv\u011btova 1. Friday\u2019s programme will conclude at 7 p.m. with the opening of Julie B\u00e9na and Mark Ther\u2019s exhibition Le Chat Noir<\/em> at KodlContemporary on Smetana Embankment. The historic interior of the Parnas restaurant becomes part of the installation, creating a setting in which visual art, video, performance and the cultural memory of the site intersect.<\/p>\n Alongside exhibitions, Saturday will also feature open studios, workshops and guided tours. One of the programme\u2019s main destinations is The House in O\u0159echovka, where the third edition of Young Selection 03<\/em> is taking place in a functionalist villa. The exhibition introduces eleven emerging artists who are not yet represented by galleries and have not previously exhibited at major institutions. It will remain open throughout the festival, from 24 to 27 September. On Saturday, from 2 to 5 p.m., The House will expand its programme with Open Studios<\/em>. The studios of N\u00e9ph\u00e9li Barbas, M\u00e1ria Jan\u010dov\u00e1, Max van Olffen, Kate\u0159ina Rafaelov\u00e1, Anna-Marie Berdychov\u00e1, Samuel Stan, Taja Spasskova, Bystr\u00edk Kl\u010do and Marianna Str\u00e1nsk\u00e1 will open to the public. The programme will also include a relaxation zone in The House\u2019s garden.<\/p>\n In Prague 5, the studio of V\u011bra and Vladim\u00edr Janou\u0161ek will open to the public at 3 and 4 p.m. Two guided tours of the exhibition Couples<\/em> will take place, presenting not only the work of the Janou\u0161eks but also that of the contemporary artist couple Karol\u00edna Ross\u00ed and Janko Rouse. Saturday can be rounded off at HYB4 Gallery, where a guided tour with Vladim\u00edr Houdek and curator Filip Kazda will begin at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., it will be followed by a Cocktail Network<\/em> with residents from Hong Kong, providing space for informal encounters and networking with the festival\u2019s international guests.<\/p>\nFestival Opening<\/h2>\n
The First Days of the Festival<\/h2>\n
Weekend Programme<\/h2>\n
Festival Closing<\/h2>\n