Without words / Czech-german comics symposium

Exhibiting artists: Helena Baumeister, Gregor Hinz, Max Hrstka, Martin Schütz, Kristýna Skoumalová, Tereza Šiklová, Burcu Türker, Barbora Voštinková, Moritz von Wolzogen

Without Words is the sixth edition of the comics symposium hosted at Klenová. At previous editions, the comics were created with either Czech or German text in the speech bubbles, which was then translated (Czech into German and vice versa) so that visitors from both the Czech Republic and Germany could understand the comics. This edition, however, will be without words. The comic artists will be given the task of creating a five-page comic set in the present day and to present the plot using only their drawing skills. With this approach, we aim to show that sometimes we can understand each other even without words and that this is often the easiest and fastest way to do so, in part because of linguistic differences.

Project partners: Centrum Bavaria Bohemia in Schönsee, Czech Center Munich, Comicmuseum Erlangen, Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at University of West Bohemia in Pilsen

The project has been made possible in part through financial support from the Czech-German Fund for the Future.

Curators: Petra Mazáčová, Václav Šlajch, Michal Lazorčík

28/8/2025/9am–noon, 12:30–6pm – open house (chance to see the comic artists at work + comics workshop for children and youth)

28/8/2025/3pm – Lecture by leading Czech comics theorist Pavel Kořínek

20/9/2025/2pm – art workshop on the exhibition for the public, led by one of the comic-book authors and an educator at Klenová

27/9/2025/3pm & 25/10/2pm – guided tour with an exhibition curator