The BILINALE is an exhibition format with a supporting program, which was held for the first time in 2019 and which will take place annually over the long term and should add a nuance to the cultural landscape of the Bohemian Central Uplands. The Czech association Omnium, as the owner of three churches in Bílina, Hrobčice and Chouč (Czech Republic), faced the problem of sustainable use of the buildings. A group of Czech and German artists under the direction of the Dresden gallery Stephanie Kelly wants to intervene here: The festival in unused, partly desecrated churches is intended to restore important places of social cohesion to the congregations and fill them with new meaning and life. The sacred buildings, which had been vacant for decades, were long centers of community life. After the departure of the German residents after the Second World War, the importance of religious life in the region declined sharply. The aim now is to use contemporary art to reverse this loss of meaning and to offer today's residents new perspectives. The BILINALE should be a center of creative exchange between artists and the public, Germans and Czechs. 2-3 artists each deal with a church and its surroundings, after which the works are to be presented in exhibitions and guided tours. In addition, concerts and poetry readings with Czech and German actors are to take place. In dealing with the festival locations, the artists should direct the focus on the common German-Czech history and culture, enliven the places in the periphery sustainably and enter into a dialogue with the region and its residents with their positions. To this end, we work closely with local residents and communities and involve them in the activities. The aim is to bring the unused sacred buildings to the attention of the locals and to strengthen them as places of identification. The proximity to the border is an important factor: many German visitors were already welcomed in 2019. The BILINALE is thus raising awareness of German-Czech coexistence. It's a mirror project.

(This is an automatic translation by Google Translator.)

- Strengthening awareness of shared cultural heritage and shared history - Appreciation and use of historical buildings - Dialogue with citizens and communities about historical heritage and contemporary art - Establishment of a German-Czech art festival in the periphery - Dialogue and networking between German and Czech Artists or between Saxon and North Bohemian actors - platform for contemporary German and Czech art in the Czech Republic Two catalogs are listed in the mirror application. On the German side, a print product is requested that highlights the work of the participating artists and presents the BILINALE as an international art festival. The Czech application relates to a book that documents the history of the churches in the festival, explains aspects of monument preservation and shows the possibilities of how destroyed and empty sacred buildings in the Czech Republic can be used sustainably. Both publications are to appear bilingual in German and Czech.

(This is an automatic translation by Google Translator.)