Avant-Garde Inscribed into a Space; A Space Inscribed in an Avant-Garde 333132@Mail.Muni.Cz

The purpose of my study is to analytically describe the everyday functioning of the Theatre Husa na Provázku (HnP). HnP is an avant-garde theatre which is regarded one of the most important institutions in Czech “artistic and political field” – for its history (established in the year 1968 and during “normalization” times, it was entangled in the dissident and underground circles) and current political influence. Particularly, I will focus on material conditions of the theatre building and its interconnectedness with cultural narratives which are being told and believed in the institution. In my paper I will also reflect a debate on materiality within the field of cultural sociology and, more broadly, on conceptualization of materiality in contemporary studies of culture. I will argue that the “material” and the “ideal” are inseparable in our (everyday) lives. This theoretical position will be shown on the empirical example of the theatre building. I will describe how (and what) narratives, ideological and esthetical positions were inscribed into the “stone” and consequently how this “material background” determines interactions, narratives and meanings. My study is based on the ongoing ethnographic research combining several qualitative methods – participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis.