Dark sunglasses, red lipstick, bangs. A sincere smile on my face and circles under my  eyes. Two tote bags full of chargers, apples and scattered glitter. Headphones in my ears, coffee in my hand and 10 unread emails. A mess in my future, my room and my head, but optimism in my words. Childhood in Slovakia, life in Prague, mind in the world. I’m Ema, nice to meet you.

Contact

E: ema@prahoproject.cz

How are you feeling at the moment?
I feel optimistic about the new year and happy because the old one is behind me.

Where do you look for inspiration in your life?
In the most ordinary moments! I am inspired by the tram drivers who greet each other all the time with their friendliness. By the courage of little children who go to kindergarten in colourful dresses with a headband with unicorns. And by the courage of the people who fill Duolingo on the subway.

Is there something you’re hiding from the others?
The fact that I’m often afraid. Of the future, of failure, of going home at night and of myself.

Who or what does your heart beat for?
For justice. For the people around me, their smiles and how I see them grow. For fun and laughter. For new pictures from the Webb telescope and morning coffee with my mom.

What gave you strength when you needed it the most?
Too much naivety coupled with a love for life itself and a curiosity about all the good things life still has to offer me. And putting myself before everything else.

What is the most precious thing in life?
Lying in my bed at night feeling like I’ve had a day in which I can find something that made me happy, from which I learned something new and spent time with the right people.

Is there anything that bothers you about today’s society?
The misplaced priorities of many people. Blindness to the threats of the future. An unwillingness to communicate and proactively solve problems. And the fact that we often take ourselves too seriously.

Do you consider Prague to be anonymous?
Yes and no at the same time. Even though I consider Prague to be a very close friend who has accepted me exactly as I am, she still gives me the space to be invisible when I need it most. And that suits me immensely.

In your opinion, what is the meaning of art in public space?
Very important, as it beautifully underlines that art is all around us, for all of us and even in places where we wouldn’t look for it.

What is your role in the project and what does it entail?
In April ’23, I accidentally found myself in a small café in Paris, where I found a PRAHO! Project sticker. “That was fate,” I said to myself at that moment, and in the aftermath I sent a rambling email in response to an open call looking for a new social media manager for the project.

It was a quick turnaround after that, and todayI can’t imagine functioning without PRAHO!. I am currently behind the entire online marketing of the project.

So if I can give you some advice – listen to your intuition and follow it. For me, at least with PRAHO! project, it worked.