A Taipei exhibition in commemoration of renowned German-language novelist Franz Kafka allows visitors to explore Kafka’s works “in a modern way,” Czech Centre Taipei Director Marketa Zahumenska said on Saturday.
At the opening ceremony, Zahumenska said that Kafka, best known for his novels The Metamorphosis and The Trial, remains “an enduring part of Prague’s spirit” with the Czech capital featuring numerous tributes to him.
Kafka was born in 1883 in Prague, which was then in Austria-Hungary.
Photo: CNA
“We often imagine Kafka as a shy man, closed off in a world of writing and office work,” said Zahumenska, whose organization was established in June to promote cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.
In reality, he was active socially with many interests, she said, adding that “at his core, he was a person like any of us, and was definitely a man of his time and ours.”
The exhibition, featuring posters, a virtual reality show and a video game, all of which were inspired by his works, allows visitors to “experience Kafka’s work in a modern way,” she said.
The exhibition marking the centennial of Kafka’s death in 1924 runs through Oct. 13 at the Taiwan Literature Base.
Two talks, two dance performances and a painting workshop were held over the weekend, Goethe-Institut in Taipei director Theresa Hummer said.
National Museum of Taiwan Literature Director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said the commemorative event was part of the museum’s efforts to “bring literature into people’s lives” through the use of literary and artistic approaches.
The event was organized by the museum in cooperation with the Czech Centre Taipei, the Goethe-Institut in Taipei and the representative offices of the Czech Republic and Germany.
Chen said she hopes the event would pave the way for more collaborations between the museum and foreign cultural organizations, as well as opportunities to promote Taiwanese literature overseas.
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