Poetry jukebox in Náměstí Bratří Synků, Interactive poetry installation in Nusle, Czech Republic

The Poetry Jukebox in Náměstí Bratří Synků is a steel structure with buttons that lets visitors play audio recordings of poems. A concrete pedestal houses the speaker and technical parts, making the installation simple to use.

The installation emerged from a cultural movement inspired by public pianos in Prague and led by Ondřej Kobza. The idea later expanded into a network of poetry devices across multiple cities.

The jukebox is dedicated to artists whose lives were tied to Nusle, among them actors Rudolf Hrušínský and Tomáš Holý and singer Jiří Schelinger. It also points to Czech literature: Jaroslav Hašek has Švejk tell of an incident in Nusle, and Bohumil Hrabal refers to an anecdote from the Nusle Bridge.

You operate the jukebox using simple buttons to navigate and listen to the poems. The installation is weatherproof and works independently, so you can visit at any time of day.

The system uses Arduino technology and colored LED lights to run independently from the main power supply or through street lamps. This technical solution allows the jukebox to function continuously in public space.