On the 25th anniversary, Mini teater in Bežigrad Gallery 1 presents the exhibition "From Sketch to Puppet" by the renowned Czech artist Robert Smolík. Smolík, who has collaborated with Mini teater for over 20 years, is one of the most recognizable creators in the field of puppet, theatrical, and stage arts. The exhibition opening took place on August 21, 2024, at Dunajska cesta 31 in Ljubljana. Mini teater prepared the exhibition in collaboration with Bežigrad Gallery / MGML.
Visitors can admire the exceptional creations designed by Smolík for the performances " Little Sleepy Star" by Fran Milčinski - Ježek, " The Mishmash Bakery" by Svetlana Makarovič, and "The Wishing Table" by the Brothers Grimm. The exhibition features 83 puppets, 24 stage elements and objects, and three stages. The exhibition will be on display until October 17, 2024.
Robert Smolík (1977, Jičín, Czech Republic)
Robert studied scenography at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre at the Prague Theatre Academy, where he has been teaching since 2004. From 2011 to 2018, he also served as the head of the scenography department. Since 2020, together with Denisa Václavová, he has been leading his own master studio for sustainable theatre at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre.
In addition to scenography, he is also involved in making puppets and mechanical objects. As a scenographer, he collaborates with professional puppet theatres such as Minor and Naive from Liberec, as well as other theatres.
Between 2005 and 2018, he primarily worked with the group Buchty a Loutky, focusing on research and development within the Handa Gote group. Currently, he is active in the group Škrobotník, Šlundra, and Šibrová. In his hometown of Jičín, he also works as an artist and activist. Smolík is a member of the associations Loggia and Balbineum, which are involved in the restoration of baroque landmarks in Jičín. Together with his wife Radka Mizerová, they have created a space for cultural events and meetings in their garden in the city center (Zahrada pod Koštofránkem).
He has received several awards for scenography at the Mateřinka and Skupova Plzeň festivals.
Colophon
Production: Bežigrajska galerija 1 / MGML
Co-production: Mini teater
Exhibition curator: Miloš Bašin
Artist: Robert Smolík
Design: Miloš Bašin
Tehnical design: Marko Tušek
Photodocumentation: Archiv Mini teater Ljubljana
Translation and language editing: Dunja Elikan
Promotion: Marina Mihelič Satler
Technical execution: Miloš Bašin, Mini teater Ljubljana, Naja Mlinar
The exhibition was made possible by: Mestna občina Ljubljana
