usk news & events
SKETCHING THROUGH THE ‘GRAVEYARD SHIFT’
A BAND OF HARDY EUROPEAN SKETCHERS EMBARKED ON AN EPIC MISSION: TO SKETCH FOR 24 HOURS IN THE SPECTACULAR CZECH CAPITAL. ONLY A FEW REMAINED STANDING…BY JAN VÍTEK
O
n Saturday 16 October 2021, we embarked on our ‘Prague Marathon’ – a ‘sports art’ event in our spectacular city, aiming to sketch for 24 hours straight, changing locations every couple of hours. Representatives from seven countries took part: 18 sketchers, two photographers, a social media expert, an assistant and two special guests, making 24 participants in total. We started in Café Obecní dům for breakfast at 8am. Then we did a sketchwalk through the center, with fast 30-minute sketches. We had a wonderful afternoon session in the Residence of Turkish Ambassador Egemen Bağış who is a great lover of art. We sketched for two hours and spent one hour in a discussion. Then we went by tram to Café Platýz for dinner. Of course we drew during the tram trip. Sketching while riding was fun. From 8pm we recorded an amazing performance in Jazz Club Reduta. The night was challenging. Around midnight we sketched quickly on the Legií Bridge. After that we moved to Cross Club. Around 3am only three people continued, and we went on a sketchwalk from the club to the city center. We stopped at Letenský Tunnel. After half an hour and at two degrees above zero, we were frozen. We decided to order hot tea via Bolt, but I could not find any restaurant offering hot tea at 4am that would deliver to the tunnel. Luckily we found an open restaurant – Burrito Loco – only a 20-minute walk away. Unfortunately there were no hot drinks or hot food. But we were happy at least for cold food and a place where we were not freezing. Then we moved to Burger King near Jungmannovo náměstí. Finally hot tea and coffee! We made
8 drawing attention
a couple sketches and after 7am we headed back to Obecní dům for another breakfast at 8am. Three people did the whole 24 hours without sleeping: Adam Topór, Marta Rogalska, and Jan Vítek. The winners did not hesitate to share their opinions. Adam Topór, who represented Great Britain, commented, “I had experience from a previous marathon in Warsaw. Glad I could use it to plan my time and conserve energy for the whole marathon.” Marta Rogalska, who participated in the marathon as a social media expert, thinks, “I met so many cool people, and I have seen a lot of great art, I had a wonderful time.” And I represented Czech Republic: “I had a crisis around 3am, I was thinking of giving up. I didn’t and, in the end, I was satisfied with my performance.” We are holding a second sketch fest on 17-26 March www. sketchfest.cz. And we are throwing down another challenge: which city will organize the next marathon event?
AFTER MIDNIGHT: JAN SHARES WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS
ADAM TOPÓR, MARTA ROGALSKA, AND JAN VÍTEK MADE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
