There's Brno Place Like Home

This weekend, the Dream Team shipped off (more literally, trained off) to the the Czech Republic's second largest city, Brno, for an overnight field trip. Our first itinerary item was a tour of the city with a local guide.  We learned so much about Brno's history, architecture, and even urban legends--and how they are all interconnected.  Some fun facts:

• The very first electrified theater in all of Europe was built in Brno with the help of Thomas Edison.  A sculpture of 4 lightbulbs sits in the city center to commemorate his contribution.
• In the picture gallery above, you can see the Saint James Church, which was being constructed around same time as nearby Peter and Paul Church. A competition ensued over who could build the tallest spire and who could build it fastest, and Saint James Church won.  To celebrate their victory, they adorned the cathedral with a statue of a baby's rear end...facing toward Peter and Paul Church.  Sore winners, if you ask me.
• Gregory Mendel, known as the "father of genetics" for his famous experiment with pea plants, also lived in Brno most of his life.  He was a monk at the city's monastery, and science was merely his hobby!  At this monastery, there is a fountain representing the 12 months of the year.  Supposedly, if you make a wish and walk around the fountain twice, it will come true in one year's time. 

From our tour, we headed off to our first art workshop at the Adam Gallery, a repurposed factory containing giant sculptures.  Our workshop was led by a soft-spoken but wonderful guide, who showed us a few examples of how sculptures can serve a social purpose.  One such piece was a collection of clay animals, which represented the threat of species extinction.  In each case, the guide explained the artist's intention while also encouraging students to find their own interpretation of it.  From there, it was time for the students to try some art!  They created their own pieces to represent the environmental or social issue most important to them.  Katie G. reflected on this experience, saying "Of all of the art activities we have done, this was the best.  In just an hour, we were able to create a meaningful finished product that really lived up to our guide's vision." 

We ate dinner an underground restaurant (so cool!) and celebrated Sofija's birthday, after which we headed back to our hotel. We got a great night's sleep, woke up to an indulgent breakfast, and began our second day of workshops.

At the Museum of Romani Culture, we learned about a Romani art technique in which crushed glass was glued in order to form a mosaic, and students got to try it out for themselves.  After our art project, the guide took us on a tour of the ethnographic museum.  The Romani people are often known as gypsies, but we learned that the word "gypsy" is a pejorative word with negative connotations, whereas Romani is the name that these people gave themselves.  Our guide informed us about their migration from India, their lifestyles, and of course--the art and music they produced.  We also learned about their persecution during the Holocaust, which was a particularly harrowing part of the exhibit.  After the museum, Chloe H. said it was her favorite museum she has ever visited.  I couldn't agree more!

Our last workshop took place at the Moravian Gallery, which contained art pieces across many mediums that address the impact of technology on our lives.  It illustrated many negative features of technology, including the way technolgoy numbs us and fragments us.  Nevertheless, it also showcased technological innovation as a reflection of the complexity and brilliance of the human mind.  After our tour, students took part in a printmaking activity in which they created prints of everyday tools.  It was a lovely, relaxing activity in which to wrap up our busy weekend.

We enjoyed Brno, but there was a discernible itching to return to Prague.  We were excited to return home, and we weren't refering to the United States.  In just two weeks, Prague has become the center of our world.  It is the place we miss when we go away, and the place that feels so familiar when we return.  Brno, you were wonderful, but there's just no place like home.