Signal is a festival of digital and creative culture. Over the past 12 years, it has welcomed more than 5 million spectators in Prague.

More about the festival

At its core, Signal Festival serves as a platform for internationally acclaimed and emerging Czech artists working across light design, visual and digital art, AI, and conceptual installations. With a strong commitment to education and artistic exploration, the festival merges Prague’s historic charm with forward-looking technologies and pressing social themes.

As one of the largest producers of contemporary art in the country, Signal Festival supports the next generation of local talent and has commissioned over seventy original installations created specifically for its audiences. Alongside its main programme, it hosts accompanying events for children, professionals, and students. The festival also actively collaborates with international festivals and cultural institutions.

Origins

Signal Festival was founded by producer Martin Pošta, curator Jan Rolník, and artist Amar Mulabegović, member of the artistic collective The Macula. The idea was sparked by the tremendous success of their videomapping project marking the 600th anniversary of Prague’s Old Town Astronomical Clock in 2010. This landmark event inspired the vision of establishing a festival dedicated to light art in the Czech Republic.

After three years of preparation, the inaugural edition of Signal Festival debuted with the support of the City of Prague, city districts Prague 1 and 2, and numerous partners. It introduced international luminaries in lighting and media art to Prague and laid the foundation for what has become a cornerstone of Czech cultural life.

Artistic council

The Artistic Council serves as an independent advisory body to the Signal Festival. Comprising esteemed figures from various artistic and cultural disciplines, the Council ensures the long-term quality, vision, and integrity of the festival as an internationally recognized platform for audiovisual art. Council membership is honorary, voluntary, and unpaid, reflecting the members' shared commitment to fostering artistic excellence and cultural dialogue.

  • Martin Pošta

    Martin Pošta is the founder of several major cultural initiatives and a seasoned cultural manager. He graduated from the Prague University of Economics and Business and from FAMU. He has worked with the Karlovy Vary IFF and produced documentaries and films such as Czech RAPublic. He co-created the animated film Even Mice Belong in Heaven and founded designSUPERMARKET. Formerly editor-in-chief at TV Nova, he later produced projects with The Macula. In 2013, he co-founded Signal Festival. He is an alumnus of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management and has curated events in Bucharest, Helsinki, Miami, and currently co-curates festivals in Hong Kong and Riyadh.

  • Pavel Mrkus

    Pavel Mrkus is a visual artist working primarily with new media. Together with Daniel Hanzlík, he co-founded the Time-Based Media Studio at the Faculty of Art and Design, JEPU, where he served as Dean from 2015 to early 2023. He creates site-specific audiovisual installations using digital technologies. His works have been presented at the Brussels and Venice Biennales, Chelsea Art Museum, Rudolfinum Gallery, and other Czech galleries. Since 2023, he has been Chief Curator of Signal Festival and introduced a three-year curatorial concept titled Ecosystems.

  • Jan K. Rolník

    Jan K. Rolník is a curator and producer behind numerous major cultural projects. He has co-founded, curated or managed the Prague Quadrennial (2007, 2019), Signal Festival, exhibitions at the National Museum, and Theatre Architecture in Central Europe. He also co-created the Institute of Lighting Design, worked with OISTAT, and contributed to the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2015 in Milan and the Interpretation Centre in Erbil, Iraq.

  • Anna Švarc

    Anna Švarc

    Anna Švarc is an architect, urbanist, and currently the lead architect of the Prague Metro. She studied in Prague and at UdK Berlin, and worked for OMA, Eva Jiřičná, and Studio Egret West. In London, she co-created the London Underground Design Manual. Back in Prague, she collaborated on Metro Line D and initiated the artistic and aesthetic revitalization of metro stations and public spaces. She promotes integrating contemporary art into the metro’s environment. She is currently dedicated to revising the design of the new Prague Metro line D and integration of artistic works within its premises. Simultaneously, Anna Švarc has initiated the aesthetic restoration of the existing stations and adjacent public spaces. She takes stock of the original works of art and raises wider awareness of the aesthetic qualities of the architecture and art of the metro. One of the main items on her agenda is to arrange for the current artistic scene to enter the public premises of the Metro in all its forms and manifestations.

  • David Kořínek

    David Kořínek

    David Kořínek is an artist and university lecturer. He teaches at JEPU’s Faculty of Art and Design and serves as Vice Dean. Formerly, he led the Centre for Audiovisual Studies at FAMU and co-founded the Supermedia Studio at UMPRUM with Federico Díaz. He also established the Digital Media discipline at Masaryk University. A long-term collaborator with Czech Television, he has been a member of the art group Rafani since 2007, which regularly exhibits across Europe and has won numerous awards.

  • Marie Foltýnová

    Marie Foltýnová has been a curator of public sculpture at the Prague City Gallery (GHMP) since 2013. She studied art history at Charles University and contributed to the creation of Prague’s public art support programme, now known as Art for the City. Since 2018, she has led the GHMP department managing public sculptures and commissions.

  • Markéta Fantová

    Markéta Fantová

    Markéta Fantová is a performance designer and experienced artistic leader. From 2016 to 2023, she served as Artistic Director of the Prague Quadrennial. She has worked in theatres, galleries, and site-specific projects across Europe and the US. She currently leads an international educational platform for lighting design students as part of the Next Robe Generation programme.

  • Jindřich Ráftl

    R/FRM - Jindřich Ráftl

    Jindřich Ráftl graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at TUL. He explores natural forms and their translation into architecture and art. His works have been featured at the Experimental Architecture Biennale (2013–19). He co-authored Laboratory of Silence, exhibited at EXPO 2015 and EXPO 2020, and co-founded the JinJan studio.

  • Jan Tůma

    Jan Tůma studied architecture and completed a Ph.D. on public space art installations. His work bridges art and technology with spatial design. He has contributed to the Signal Festival and co-founded the JinJan Studio with Jindřich Ráftl.

  • Ondřej Kašpárek

    Ondřej Kašpárek is a manager in the creative industries. He runs the prototyping and experimental workshop PrusaLab at Prusa Research and co-developed Signal Open Call, which allows realization of innovative art installations. A graduate of Leeds University in Culture & Creative Enterprise, he formerly worked at DEPO2015 in Pilsen. He founded Make More, an organisation driving the maker movement in Czechia and coordinating Maker Faire festivals in 12 cities.

Our team

Festival in years

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