Event / festival-majak

Rychnov Shone All the Way to the Stars

Over two evenings, the Maják festival transformed Rychnov nad Kněžnou into a place where cosmic fantasy met history, and familiar landmarks appeared in a new light.

As darkness fell over Rychnov nad Kněžnou, the Kolowrat Chateau and its surroundings began to tell a completely different story. The chateau grounds were immersed in colour, light installations appeared among the trees and historic buildings, and familiar places took on an almost fairy-tale atmosphere. On 30 and 31 October, the Maják festival invited visitors on an evening journey where the boundaries between history, art and cosmic fantasy briefly disappeared.

We started the Maják festival with the idea that contemporary art can show people familiar places in their region in a completely new way. The Rychnov area was a natural choice for its next stop – it has an extraordinarily rich history, and the Kolowrat Chateau and its surroundings beautifully demonstrate how cultural heritage can be linked with contemporary creation.

Ladislav Kučera

Director of the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund

One of the most striking experiences was a six-metre Earth, offering a view of our planet on a monumental scale. It was accompanied by a glowing Moon and other installations inspired by space, imagination and playful discovery. Visitors could take part in the interactive game Save the Planet or stop by the Grow sound installation. Each location offered a different experience, together forming a varied journey full of luminous surprises.

The historic architecture itself provided an impressive backdrop for the festival. Light installations in the chateau park highlighted the contrast between darkness and glowing objects, while video mapping on the Kryštof bell tower drew attention to the stories, figures and monuments linked to the region. The cosmic theme naturally connected with local history, reminding visitors that even familiar places can offer something new.

The highlight of the programme was Horizont nekonečna (The Horizon of Infinity), in which visitors were completely immersed in an audiovisual projection inside the Church of the Holy Trinity. Light and geometric patterns played across the baroque interior designed by architect Jan Blažej Santini. The images of universe were accompanied by music that combined contemporary electronic sounds and baroque motifs with the sound of the church organ.

The Maják festival thus offered more than an extraordinary evening spectacle. It showed that contemporary art can bring cultural heritage closer in a new way and give familiar places an unexpected dimension. The travelling festival in Rychnov nad Kněžnou was initiated and funded by the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund with support from the town of Rychnov nad Kněžnou.