About

BIO

Marianna Stránská (b. 1986) is a Prague-based artist. She attended the Prague Academy of Performing Arts, where she specialized in scenography and puppet making, receiving a BA (2009), an MA (2012) and a PhD in Theater (2019).

Since 2007 she has worked as a designer of sets, costumes and puppets for film, theatre, new circus stages and opera houses, including the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. She has collaborated with directors in the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. In 2013 Marianna co-founded the Stransky Art Company. Many of the projects she has collaborated on at home and abroad have received awards.

In parallel to her career in scenography, Marianna works as a freelance artist. In addition to painting, she has produced interactive objects for “Play,” a group exhibition at the Mánes Gallery (curated by Petr Nikl). Later, as a member of a creative group and the “Orbis pictus Play” project, she created other objects and installations in Linz, New York City, Vienna, Prague and Zlín, where they are on permanent display.

Since 2013, Marianna has been focusing on drawing, watercolour and painting, and since 2019, painting in particular, continuously developing the latter medium as another manifestation of her own creativity.

EDUCATION

2019 Ph.D. in Alternative Theatre, Puppet Theatre, and Its Theory, under the supervision of Doc. Pavel Kalfus and Prof. Miroslav Klíma
2012 MA at The Prague Academy of Performative Arts (DAMU) at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre, specializing in Stage Design and Puppet Design, under the supervision of Tomáš Žižka
2009 BA from the Academy of Performing Arts (DAMU), Prague, at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre, specializing in Stage Design and puppet design, under the supervision of Doc. Pavel Kalfus

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

‘The Art of Participation: The Audience as a Special Component in the Act of Art.’
Doctoral thesis, Theatre Faculty, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Prague 2019
Research into the phenomenon of the Art of Participation, ranging from the fine arts to ‘social practice’, and elevating the audience to be a creative component of the artwork.

EXPOSITION

2023 "Other Landscapes", collective exhibition of paintings, sculptures and objects, Galerie Bernard Bolzán in Těchobuz,
2023 an exhibition of paintings and watercolors and prints together with Matěj Lipavský, Adéla Strnadová, David Cajthaml and Karolina Mitašová, Private Villa Sušická in Prague on Hanspaulka
2015 - 2023 “Orbis pictus PLAY”, a Permanent exhibition of objects from the collective travelling exhibition curated by Peter Nikl, Zlín Museum Chateau
2014 “Broumovsko PLAY, An interactive large machine “Kuleta”, collective exhibition, Broumov
2013 “IN MOVE” outdoor installation under the Žižkov Tower, Tanec Praha festival
2013 An interactive hanging object HNÍZDO, an exhibition “VIKÝŘE”, Malostranská beseda
2013 “THE TABLE” an interactive machine, exhibition PLAY Petr Nikl et al., Brno Chateau
2012 “Marble Slide” a stair installation, interactive exhibition PLAY WELL Petr Nikl et al., Czech Center in New York, interactive installation
2012 LABYRINTH OF SENSE, interactive exhibition, Linz, interactive object TABLE
2012 4th SYMPOSIUM OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE INDUSTRY, Milan, video document
2011 Prague Quadrennial, interactive machine, Prague Nation Gallery
2010 “ORBIS PICTUS PLAY”, interactive exhibition Petr Nikl et al., Gallery Mánes, Prague, exhibited objects: Kuleta I, Hads, Walda
2010 THE REST OF THE MINDS, an interactive program within the VyšeHrátky Festival, set of interactive objects and artistic concept

OPERA

2020 costume design for Cavaleria Rusticana, at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, stage director Arnaud Bernard
2019 costume design for La Fanciulla del West at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, stage director Arnaud Bernard
2018 costume design for Simone Boccanegra at Opéra de Lausanne directed by Arnaud Bernard
2017 costume design for Verdi’s Vespri Siciliani at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg directed by Arnaud Bernard
2017 design and implementation of costumes for Puccini‘s Tosca at the National Theatre in Prague directed by Arnaud Bernard

THEATRE

She has collaborated with director Jiří Havelka, Ondrej Spišák and Linda Dušková. She has collaborated with Veronika Poldauf Riedlbauchová on the successful productions The Swimming Pool (2013) and LOV (2018), Do Hajan (2020) and To je andělení (2023). Through the project "puppet occupation" she met Slovenian puppeteer Matija Solc, with whom she created two important interactive puppet shows for the National Puppet Theatre in Ljubljana (Kabaret Luknja, Four Musicians). In 2016, she participated in the musical and artistic production Kar for the band Fekete Seretlek.

DIRECTING / AUTHOR PERFORMANCE

2016 O SOBĚ A O SEZENÍ, directing an experimental author performance in collaboration with Vit Klusák and Barbora Chalupová in La Fabrika
2016 BARROCK, directing an original performance for the Nomadic Theatre Žebřiňák
2015 KILL TYL, directing an original performance for the Nomadic Theatre Žebřiňák
2014 CIRCUS HEAD NEHLAVA, directing an original performance for the Nomadic Theatre Žebřiňák
2013 GULLIVER'S ROADS, directing an original performance for the Nomadic Theatre Žebřiňák
2008 EXHALE - author's performance, Skupova Plzeň
2007 SKRZNASKRZ, Wooden cream, performance connected with installation, NoD
2006 - 2010 "PUPPET OCCUPATION", monthly performed improvised original performance

FILM

2018 documentary movie “The White World According to Daliborek”, nominated for the Czech Lion Award for a as an art director and co-screenwriter with director Vít Klusák (premiered at Karlovy Vary Film Festival and selected at “IDFA Master Selection in 2017”).
2014 “Cyril and Methodius: The Apostles of the Slavs”, nominated for the Czech Lion Award, Czech Film and Television Academy Award in category Best Costumes for the film.

COLLABORATIONS

With directors Arnaud Bernard, Vit Klusák, Petr Nikolaev, and theatre companies Theatre VOSTO5, Theater ANPU, Cirque Mlejn, Theater Ponec, Jatka 78, BraTři v Triku & Holektiv, Theatre Drak