On October 6 2025, in the presence of the Czech ambassador and the mayor of Larvik, the first Poesiomat in Scandinavia was inaugurated. (A poesiomat is a device resembling a periscope protruding from the ground, containing a loudspeaker that recites poems.) The installation aims to promote art and poetry. Its opening is part of an initiative by the Poesi Parken association, which has installed 120 poetry installations by Scandinavian authors around the city over the past 19 years. The Czech-made Poesiomat is designed to allow children who cannot read and visually impaired people to enjoy poetry.

As Ambassador Červenka said at the ceremony, “The project combines the shared Czech–Norwegian love of art with the desire to transform public space.” At Larvik’s main square, the Ambassador recalled Czech literary giants Seifert, Havel and Klíma and their commitment to spreading understanding and love. “The accessibility of art is an important prerequisite for promoting these values,” he emphasized, highlighting projects such as the Poesiomat.

“I wanted to bring poetry and music under the open sky,” explained Ondřej Kobza, the creator of Poesiomat, describing the idea behind its creation. There are several dozen of these installations in the Czech Republic, and others have been installed in Buffalo and New York in the United States, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, and Manila in the Philippines. The first Scandinavian Poesiomat now stands in the square of Larvik, a key maritime gateway for Norway.

During his visit, the Ambassador also met with Mayor Birgitta Gulla Løken. Their discussion focused primarily on industry, a common theme for both Larvik and Czech cities. Larvik is home to one of Norway’s largest ports, serving as the main link between Norway and Denmark as well as northern German port cities.