VELVET PARTY featuring KJ SAX
In commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the Embassy of the Czech Republic invites you to a special Velvet Party featuring KJ SAX at the Dupont Underground on November 18, 2024. Doors open at 6 pm! The event will also include a projection of a selection of pictures from the revolution that brought about the downfall of the communist regime.
Date: November 18, 2024
6 pm - Doors open / Beer Happy Hour / Projection of Photo Exhibition
6:15 pm – Performance of KJ SAX
7:15 pm – Event Concludes
Admission free | RSVP required
Location:
Dupont Underground
19 Dupont Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Main Entrance: 19th Street, NW (between Starbucks and Hotel Dupont)
Accessibility: The main entrance features a wheelchair lift, ensuring accessibility for all guests. Note: There is no parking available at Dupont Underground. Guests are encouraged to use nearby parking garages or public transport.
Please note, there are no bathrooms in Dupont Underground. Guests are welcome to use the restrooms at the nearby Starbucks or the Pembroke restaurant at surface level.
FEATURED ARTIST
KJ SAX (Kateřina Janečková SAXophonist) is a charismatic saxophonist whose explosive energy and warm, interactive approach have made her very popular in recent years. During this time, she has managed to play at hundreds of events around the world. Her performances are renowned for their vibrant energy, authenticity and a very diverse repertoire that can captivate audiences of all ages. Her ability to improvise and create unique musical experiences makes KJ Sax a sought-after performer. She inspires and entertains audiences around the world with her music. For samples of her music, click here.
PROJECTION OF EXHIBITION
1989 | The Velvet Revolution – End of Totalitarianism in Czechoslovakia
The exhibition brings together iconic photographs by 15 leading Czech photographers capturing ground-breaking moments in modern Czech history as the communist dictatorship ended after 40 years: the demonstration against the totalitarian regime in 1988, Palach’s Week in January of 1989, Nov. 17, 1989, and the thrilled atmosphere that followed. The exhibit includes a set of photographs from the departure of the Soviet troops from Czechoslovakia in 1990-91, which brought the Velvet Revolution to its conclusion. The exhibition is curated by Dana Kyndrová.
VELVET REVOLUTION
Historical Background: On November 17, 1989, a student march in Prague marked the 50th anniversary of International Students’ Day, the day a young student was killed by the Nazis during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939. As the students moved towards the center of the city, the riot police brutally attacked them. In response, hundreds of thousands of citizens found the courage to take to the streets to protest the suppression as well as the ruling communist regime itself. As the mass demonstration grew with each day and spread throughout the country, the stage for the dissident political movement Civic Forum was set. The communist regime fell and democracy was reinstated. The courageous dissident, prisoner of conscience, and talented playwright Václav Havel became the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and later the first President of the Czech Republic.
Jan Kaláb created the huge graffiti art in the Dupont Underground featuring the date 17.11.1989 (please note: dates are listed reverse in the Czech Republic). The date of November 17, 1989, was the start of the Velvet Revolution, which toppled communism and led the country back to freedom and democracy.
Czech artist Jan Kaláb (1978) was one of the pioneers who started bringing urban art into Central and Eastern European countries after the borders opened in the early 90s. As a founder of the DSK crew, he made a name for himself throughout Europe as “Cake.” Later, he decided to broaden his horizon and move to New York where he changed his name to “Point” and started creating huge sculpted abstract letters, which he chose to put up in the streets and on walls. He thereby created another form of graffiti without a spray can, but truthful to the spirit of competition and innovation of the urban scene. These letter sculptures led him on a path towards total abstraction. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, he developed a more geometric style. He uses colorful squares and circles as his vocabulary for infinite variations around depth, time, and motion. Having gained recognition over the past years, Kaláb is on his way to a promising career as an abstract artist. He currently exhibits his work throughout the world.