Look at some great pictures of Brno’s most spectacular event.

Last weekend, photographer Carlos Lopez covered Animefest for Brno Now. You can see more of his pictures at carloslopezphoto.com.

As the last year Anime fest brought some color to Brno. Fans of anime and Japanese culture gathered in the exhibition ground for 3 days of workshops, movies and seminar about anime and manga.

This year with around 2000 visitors, 400 more than last year attended the event making from it was a success.The cosplayers were, in fact, visually the main attraction who came form other parts of Czech republic, Slovakia, Hungary etc. dressed as characters of Naruto, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Gintana, Start wars, Magi, etc.

As example these girls, which know by their nick names::

Kana dresses as Simbad and Asu as Ja'far from the anime Magi

Kiri as Gintoki and Evina as Hijikata from the anime Gintana

They all came from Bratislava. They have been cosplaying since 2009. They have the support of their parents which came just with a big warning “don’t spend too much money on this” and is true a good costume can cost around 100 euros to more, enough said.

My justification about the retouching of my photos

These images have over-saturated colors. They are not “real” but my intention was not to represent reality. Anime is about fantasy and therefore cosplay too and in my photographs I want to show that fantasy, that unreal world of rich colors and fictional characters.

For me they are portraits of people who has the valor, courage, craziness and dare to live their dream at least for a day incarnating someone they admire or like. Obviously some just want to have fun but still require courage to dress like that and go out to the streets.

Photographer Carlos López covered Animefest.cz, the oldest and largest anime and manga convention in the Czech Republic, for Brno Now. If you met some strangely dressed people roaming the streets of Brno last weekend… so, here is more!

Follow Brno Now Event Calendar to learn about events such was Animefest.

Four girls at Moravian square

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A machine gun girl

Check out the complete gallery!

The least frightening picture I could find in the press pack.

Everything was borrowed from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Acording to the Moravian Museum spokesperson, Eva Pánková, there are Czech and English labels at the exhibition.

Entrance fee is only CZK 20 (less than €1). The exhibition closes on November 13.

No matter if you are looking for an old camera, cool clock, 19th century postcards or a Czechoslovak army uniform; there are several places in Brno where you can fulfil your sentimental needs.

My favorite antique shop: U sedmi švábů

U sedmi Švábů

At 8 Annenská st., there is a small antique shop with, well, everything. You can buy old tableware, toys, cameras, vinyl records, cameras, radios… it has really cool atmosphere and it is almost in the centre of the town.

Other great antiques

I loved a large antique shop at Husovická st. but it closed in June 2010 and moved to Dominikánská st. (on a right side when walking to Comsa Palace). It is called “Baru“. Sadly, it is lacking the former atmosphere of a pawn shop, now it focuses on more expensive items. But it is still worth of try anyway.

If you are looking for really valuable collector’s stuff, don’t miss the antique shop called simply “Starožitnosti”, at 14 Solniční st.

I also like a really tiny antique “ARTik” at Nerudova st. (next to the great lachmacun bistro). It is filled with decorations, old toys and stuff like that.

ARTik

Flea markets in Brno

There is no tradition of regular flea markets or designer markets – in contrast to Vienna or Budapest. However, there are collector markets with military memorabilia or matchbox cars – check out the list of the forthcoming events (in Czech but easy to understand; address is 21 Vlhká st., and the markets start at 7 a.m.).

Where to buy old cameras – Smena, Lomo or Praktica

If you are lucky, you get one of these in an antique — but I suggest you visiting specialized shops with new and old cameras. You’ll find one at Mendlovo náměstí sq., second in the middle of Pekařská st. (#16) and third at 31 Kounicova st.

Looking for postcards, maps or paintings?

These are sold in every secondhand bookshop – but this is a topic for another article.

The Brno House of Arts launches an interesting exhibition on Friday. Joel Peter Witkin is an American photographer (born in 1939), who focuses on bizarre themes. His work often deals with such themes as death, corpses (and sometimes dismembered portions thereof), and various outsiders such as dwarfs, transsexuals, hermaphrodites, and physically deformed people. Until November 28, you have a chance to explore it on your own.

J. P. Witkin: Journeys of the masks History of commercial Photography, 1984

The J. P. Within exhibition is a part of a larger project called “Decadence now”, running in several towns. It is not suitable for children and young people under 15 years of age.

Photographers in Brno (by Jan Kaláb)

Is photography your hobby but you have no friends to share it here in Brno? Do you need extra motivation to start photographing creatively again? Join the Worldwide Photo Walk on Saturday – and meet other photographers and expats here in Brno.

The event is being held in 1100+ places all over the world. In Brno, the walk is planned and organized by Carlos Lopez Ramos – you can see some of his galleries here on Brno Now.

His plan is simple but promising:

We will meet at the stop Pionýrská‎ then we will walk trough the park Lužánky, then continue trough Lidická and Moravské Náměstí to finish on Náměstí Svobody. After that we can have a drink of lunch in a restaurant near by.

See detailed instructions with a schedule and a map.

Two weeks ago, Brno Now invited you to a street masquerade. Today, talented freelancing photographer Carlos Lopez Ramos (you know him from a recent gallery) sent me several magical photographs:

Brno mask party 2010 / 023

Brno mask party 2010 / 031

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Brno mask party 2010 / 025

Carlos Lopez Ramos has sent me wonderful photos made during the last week’s party in desolated Zbrojovka factory. If you enjoy them, check out the full gallery at Mr. Lopez’ website – by the way, he is a freelancer and if you like his photos, you may ask him for his services!

Burning beats factory party 164

Burning beats factory party 033

Burning beats factory party 179

Burning beats factory party 242

Burning beats factory party 207

Photo by Lukáš Lalinský

• Do not miss Flickr, with dozens of pictures from different photographers.
• You can enjoy hundreds of snapshots at Czech image-sharing website Rajče.
• Shopping mall Olympia has a small galery of the fireworks that took place there.
• Online newspaper iDnes has more – and better – pictures from the same event.
• Website Brno Report has a large archive with photos from Ignis Brunesis 2010 as well as other interesting events.

Untitled picture by Robert Vano (source: Leica Gallery)

Photographer Robert Vano, the second best known Slovak-American after Andy Warhol, exhibits his works in the “Galerie des Artistes” above the café Salon Daguerre (1 Slovákova st.; see a map).

The exposition is called “Platinium collection” and shows Vano’s photos made between 1968 and 2009. Vano is famous for beautiful male and female nudes and for using a rare, old-school technique of platinium prints – hence the “Platinium collection”. He has shot exclusive series for magazines Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.

I visted the same exhibition in Prague last year and it was awesome. Highly recommended! Be sure to check it out before it closes on May 2.

Non-profit “Guerilla Readers” prepared a 2010 calendar with nude pictures of Masaryk University “library studies” undergraduates, taken in the Moravian library. The calendar was supposed to popularize books, libraries and learning.

It became an instant hit, as it was sold out quickly and Guerilla Readers got a great press coverage. “Let’s start a tradition and become the Pirelli of libraries,” states the website of GR – I think you are looking forward to next year as much as I do. Here is a small gallery:

May

January

July

I just discovered a gallery of wonderfully talented 18 y.o. photographer Helena Brunnerová. This picture taken at the Špilberk castle is sooo sad and beautiful – thanks to the pale colors and strange composition:

With a dog in fog. Photo by Helena Brunnerová

I still don’t know if I prefer this photo or the one called Misty morning. Anyway: keep on doing great job, Helena!