Tomáš Vaněk: Vinyl

(jiří macek) Vinyl records with traces of burst balloons scattered all across Prague represent the campaign of the most progressive Czech music festival, Sperm, which returns after a one-year hiatus. The concept of this year’s promotion campaign was designed by Tomáš Vaněk, the winner of Jindřich Chalupecký 2001 Award, and the graphic studio of Advancedesign, which collaborates with the festival on a traditional basis.

“The graphic concept is inspired by my Particip 45, which I presented in the etc. gallery in 2005 when I inflated three huge balloons with a diameter of one and a half meters, burst them during the exhibition opening in front of the guests, and then began to stretch them. The motto of this Particip is the method “think in a round way – act in an angular way”. We decided with Advancedesign to apply this method in the concept of the Sperm Festival this year,” explains Tomáš Vaněk. “The membrane of the balloon was stretched and attached to the wall in the studio in the Meet Factory, where we also took photos of it.”
Instead of traditional leaflets, the campaign has the form of three thousand vinyl records, which promote the opening of the festival all across the city – in cafés, shops, bars, and streets. “Records were purchased in second-hand shops and bookstores. We wanted to revive the city with a non-traditional format and to hint that the festival comprises urban culture as well,” says Michal Brenner on behalf of the organizers.

Apart from progressive music formations, one will find visual works and performances at the Sperm Festival, which takes place at the Meet Factory from April 23–25. For more information on the program, see www.sperm.cz.

< back