European artists create illumination designs for Prague

Jaume Plensa's project Transparency 2009 is a new piece of art on Palachovo Square in Prague. (ČTK)

Prague, Jan 7 (CTK) - Six light and space installations designed by artists
from several European countries to mark the Czech EU presidency will be
seen on Prague's public premises as of Wednesday, Quirin Wimmer from the w.art
projects agency presenting the Transparency 2009 light art project told
journalists Wednesday.

The statues and light works on the facades of Prague's buildings, the
Vltava River and in other unexpected locations in the centre of the city
will be installed during the entire six-month period of the Czech EU
presidency.

The project was prepared and implemented by the w.art projects with
Prague's financial support.

The Czech government included it among the events that bear the Czech EU
presidency logo.

Wimmer said the agency was glad to support the Czech Republic in this
complicated period.

The light art project Transparency prepared by the w.art projects agency
aims at bringing light art to public areas of Prague. It will allow its
citizens and foreign visitors to see the oversized light installations in a
dimension never seen before.

Six well renowned artists - Julian Opie from Britain, Jaume Plensa from
Spain, Stephan Reusse from Germany, Arthur Duff from the USA, Ulla Rauter
from Austria and Jenny Holzer from the USA - have created visual high
lights that have been installed on Prague's public places.

According to information from last November, Prague has earmarked ten
million crowns for the Transparency 2009 project of which two million
crowns were provided from the city's budget and eight millions came from a
company's donation.

While approving the project, city representatives stressed that they
expected the event to make Prague more attractive and increase tourists'
interest in the Czech capital.