The Prague Schools contribution to the theory of intermediality

This paper explores the contributions of the Prague School scholars to the theory of intermediality. Although the theory of intermediality did not yet exist in the 1930s, scholars of the Prague School presented a number of ideas that today would certainly be understood within the scope of the theory. They perceived what we now call intermediality as part of a comparative exploration of arts, and aimed to establish a comparative semiology of arts. In their articles, these scholars touched upon two important relationships between arts, which are discussed in contemporary theories of intermediality as transmediality and plurimediality/multimediality. With regard to transmediality, this study looks at the broad interest of the Prague scholars' in the interchange of formal and thematic components between various arts, such as painting and literature or film and theatre, and presents their thoughts on the nature of these inter-art relationships. Regarding plurimediality, the Prague School scholars focused mainly on theatre, which they considered one of the most complicated artistic branches. Comparing their thoughts on theatre with those of Wagner, Brecht, Kandinsky and others, this study reveals the uniqueness and complexity of the Prague School's approach to theatre and points to its potential for contemporary intermedial theatre studies.