Archive: Culture | Museums Museums
Hunt Kastner Artworks – helping young Czech artists develop international careers
Hunt Kastner Artworks in Prague 7 is a private gallery owned and run by
Camille Hunt, who is Canadian, and Katherine Kastner, who is from the US
though her mother is Czech. The two represent 10 Czech artists, among them
Eva Koťátková, Josef Bolf and Daniel Pitín. This week I stopped by to
talk to the owners about their work, both curating shows and helping their
artists find buyers overseas. I first asked Hunt what had led them to open
the gallery in the first place. More
Muffs and veils - Hollar's original take on the Four Seasons
Born in Prague, he lived in Brussels, Stuttgart, Cologne, and later London
and Antwerp, meticulously recording his surroundings and reflecting the
society around him in his art. Václav or Wenceslaus, or even Wenzel,
Hollar sounds like a modern-day European artist, but he actually lived four
hundred years ago. Although he was brought up to go into law, Hollar became
an etcher and draughtsman, whose work now provides us with beautifully
detailed depictions of the people, architecture, landscapes and even a
battle that took place in Europe in the seventeenth century. This week, the
Czech National Gallery opened a small exhibit in the print room of the
Schwarzenberg Palace of Hollar’s allegorical etchings of the Four
Seasons. I spoke to the exhibit’s curator Alena Volrábová, and asked
her why she selected these specific pieces for the exhibit: More
Hunt Kastner Artworks – helping young Czech artists develop international careers
Hunt Kastner Artworks in Prague 7 is a private gallery owned and run by
Camille Hunt, who is Canadian, and Katherine Kastner, who is from the US
though her mother is Czech. The two represent 10 Czech artists, among them
Eva Koťátková, Josef Bolf and Daniel Pitín. This week I stopped by to
talk to the owners about their work, both curating shows and helping their
artists find buyers overseas. I first asked Hunt what had led them to open
the gallery in the first place. More
Mucha family voices concerns as Slav Epic goes on display in Prague
After many months of delays, and several years of arguing, the Slav Epic
will go on display in Prague’s Veletržní palác on Thursday. Alfons
Mucha’s Art Nouveau masterpiece has been at the centre of a heated
dispute between the town of Moravský Krumlov, where the 20 enormous
canvasses were kept until recently, and the City of Prague, which has made
no secret of wanting to put the work on permanent display. As for the
painter’s own wishes, the Slav Epic was willed to the Czech capital upon
his death in 1939, but on the condition that a special building was made
for it. That has never happened, much to the ire of the Mucha family. We
spoke with the painter’s grandson John Mucha in London, and asked how he
felt about the opening. More
Prague museum explores Journeys of Antonín Dvořák
Prague’s Antonín Dvořák Museum recently reopened after renovation with
a new programme dedicated to the life and work of the famous composer.
Entitled The journeys of Antonín Dvořák, it offers a new look at the
composer’s stays abroad. It also features an exhibition on Dvořák’s
Czech-American friend and collaborator, Josef Jan Kovařík, who worked
with Dvořák during his stay in New York. More
The Prague Police Museum - an institution that explores the history of police and crime in Czech lands
Tucked away in a former monastery in Prague’s Nové Město, the Czech
Police Museum boasts a fascinating permanent exhibit exploring the history
of Czech police, the development of criminology, infamous murder cases and
much more. Sarah Borufka went along and has this report. More
Leoš Válka – founder of Prague’s DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
Leoš Válka is one of the founders of the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
in Prague’s Holešovice district, which in just a few years has become
one of the most important institutions of its kind in Central and Eastern
Europe. Válka has a perhaps surprising background for such a significant
figure in the Czech art world: for several years he ran a firm in Australia
doing maintenance work on high-rise buildings. More
Analysis Results – new Krištof Kintera exhibit perplexes and provokes
Krištof Kintera is one of the most respected contemporary Czech artists
– he was recently given the title Artist of the Year – and his new
exhibit offers an insight into his latest work. Provocative, whimsical and
daring, the “Výsledky analýzy” show is one of the season’s most
interesting exhibits. We take a look ahead of the opening. More
The Mánes Exhibition Hall – an icon of functionalist architecture
The functionalist Mánes Exhibition Hall, located on the right bank of the
Vltava river between the bridges Jiraskův most and Most Legií, is one of
only two buildings in Prague that were expressly designed to house art –
the other one being the famous Rudolfinum gallery. Martin Pavala, the
chairman of the supervisory board of the Czech Art Foundation, which owns
it, explains that the art gallery’s history started in 1930. More
The Museum of Decorative Arts – a must-see destination for fans of Czech design
Lovers of Czech applied arts and design will find a veritable treasure
trove of interesting items, ranging from glass wares to clocks and metal
works, in Prague’s Museum of Decorative Arts. Located right across the
street from the well-known Rudolfinum palace, the museum is housed in a
stunning Neo-Renaissance building. It was one of the last in Prague to be
designed in that style. The architect was Josef Schulz, who also was behind
the Czech National Museum. More
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