The Story of Czech Design

Roots of Czech Design – 19th Century

Network / 1850–1910

Art Nouveau in Craft and Industry /

Artěl – Art for the

/

Cubism as a Triumph of Spiritual

Art Deco and Postwar Decorativism

as Social

Design

Under

A CENTURY OF DESIGN IN THE CZECH LANDS

Czech Centres has prepared this exhibition to mark the centenary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia. e exhibition is connected to the o cial publication Design in the Czech Lands 1900–2000 , produced by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague and the Academia publishing house. It outlines the development of design in the Czech Lands and acquaints design lovers with the colourful network of designers, associations, manufacturers and various institutions concerned with design, past and present. It gives insight into design history through the objects that form the civilisational and cultural identity and memory of the Czech Lands. e exhibition is supplemented by a collection of iconic Czech designs – objects that have clearly proved their timeless value by the fact that, among other things, they are either still being manufactured or their manufacture has been resumed.

In the 19th century, the Czech Lands were an industrial zone of Austria-Hungary. e railway network, new factories and the urbanisation of the Bohemian countryside were factors that stimulated progress in design in the Czech Lands during the 20th century. Prospering factories included, for example, the Gebrüder onet bentwood furniture factory in Moravia, founded in 1856, the Moser glass factory, established in 1857, and the Škoda Auto factory founded by two cyclists, Laurin & Klement, in 1895. In 1885 the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague was founded by businessmen and the same year the Academy of Art, Design and Architecture opened its doors.

ROOTS OF

DESIGN – 19 th -CENTURY INSTITUTIONAL NETWORK

1910

THE FIRST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE MANUFACTURED BY THE PRVNÍ ČESKOMORAVSKÁ TOVÁRNA NA STROJE ENGINEERING WORKS IN PRAGUE-LIBEŇ, 1900

by Gebrüder Thonet,

Hostýnem

IN PLZEŇ,

PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE, 1906 Production: Laurin & Klement, Mladá Boleslav

FURNITURE PRODUCED IN THE THONET FACTORY IN BYSTŘICE POD HOSTÝNEM

FRANTIŠEK KOLÁR, DRAWING OF FACTORY, RAILWAY AND TELEGRAPH CONSTRUCTION, 1871

IGO ETRICH, CONSTRUCTION OF HOLUBICE (DOVE) AIRCRAFT, 1910

TON

More than 80 million No. 14 chairs have been sold since this piece of furniture was first presented to the public in 1859. Its iconic shapes are created by six hand-bent beech roundwood pieces, two screws and 10 bolts. Because of its low weight, good price and proverbial stability it quickly found its place in Viennese cafés, earning the name of the “café chair”.

THONET CHAIR NO. 14, around 1861

LEO MOSER,

Moser

The cut and gilded “Splendid” set is the most renowned and best known drinking glass set of the Moser Glass Manufactory. Between the wars it was used as the o cial crystal glass set of Czechoslovak presidents at Prague Castle and remains in use to this day. In 1947, President Edvard Beneš gave a “Splendid” set to the future Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present. Many heads of state, government, parliament, diplomatic missions and other prominent persons all over the world are in possession of a “Splendid” set. www.moser-glass.com

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, modern people no longer wanted to be surrounded by imitations of the past. Nature became the new inspiration. Ornamentalism inspired by Nature contributed to the shapes and colours of glass made by the Lötz and Kralik Glassworks in the Šumava Mountains in South Bohemia and by the PalmeKönig & Habel Glassworks in the north. e curve set the tone for Amphora ceramic products and Carl Knoll porcelain. Art Nouveau was also professed by posters, a new urban medium, with Viktor Oliva and graphic designer Vojtěch Preissig as the pioneers.

VOJTĚCH PREISSIG, ASARUM WALLPAPER DESIGN, 1898

ART NOUVEAU IN CRAFT AND INDUSTRY

10

TRAY , around 1900 Wilhelm Kralik Glassworks, Lenora

VIKTOR OLIVA, POSTER FOR NEWSPAPER “GOLDEN PRAGUE”, 1898 Print by J. Otto, Prague

JAN KOTĚRA, ARMCHAIR FOR THE NATIONAL HOUSE IN PROSTĚJOV, 1905–1906 manufactured by Gebrüder Thonet

KOH-I-NOOR WALDES

In 1903, Jindřich Waldes had a press stud, i.e., a device used to fasten clothes together without the need of sewing or making a buttonhole (and advertised at the time as making “garments close firmly and fit perfectly”) patented under the name of KOH-I-NOOR, reminiscent of the name of the largest diamond in the world. The firm’s brilliant promotional hit was the logo “Miss KIN”, portraying a smiling young woman with a press stud in her eye. The designer was František Kupka, the famous abstract art painter. Later, Vojtěch Preissig created the firm’s famous logo based on Kupka’s painting. In the 1920s, the firm’s manufacture of metal clothes fasteners accounted for half of the world’s total output of this category of products. Koh-i-noor is a successful Czech firm to this day

FRANTIŠEK KUPKA, MISS KIN, 1912

In 1908, the leading designers of their time formed an association based in Prague called Artěl. Inspired by the Vienna Workshop association, they sought their own way in the design of objects for everyday use, stemming from domestic traditions. ey found their inspiration in folk art and urban folklore. ey eliminated excessive decoration from their works, which were mainly made of wood, ceramic and glass, making them simpler, but functional and beautiful nonetheless.

VRATISLAV HUGO BRUNNER, TWO KNIGHTS, 1908 Manufactured by the Hořické hračkářské družstvo toymaking cooperative

JAN KONŮPEK, FLYLEAF FOR ARTĚL, around 1908

ART FOR THE EVERYDAY

MARIE TEINITZEROVÁ, BLANKET, 1908–1910 Made by Marie Teinitzerová’s workshop in Jindřichův Hradec

JAN KOTĚRA, BOWL SET, before 1910

Manufactured by Harrachov Glassworks in Nový Svět, Giant Mountains

VLASTISLAV HOFMAN, LIQUEUR SET WITH

DECORATION, 1910

for Artěl Praha, Arnošt Pryl Glassworks, Růženín u Chocerad

A unique phenomenon appeared in Czech architecture between 1911 and 1914, when Cubism found its way into architecture and applied art with a vigour unprecedented in other countries. Leading theorist and architect Pavel Janák promoted the idea of the spiritual transformation of matter and putting it into motion. Broken lines, pointed shapes and slanting surfaces became characteristic features of Cubist furniture and ceramics. ese were produced for discerning clients by the Pražské umělecké dílny /Prague Artistic Workshops/.

CUBISM AS A TRIUMPH OF SPIRITUAL FORCES

20

PAVEL JANÁK, CHAIR FROM A SET FOR HISTORIAN JOSEF BOROVIČKA, 1912 Manufactured by Prague Artistic Workshops

VLASTISLAV HOFMAN, VASES, 1912–1914 Manufactured by Graniton Rydl & Thon, Svijany-Podolí

JOSEF GOČÁR, WRITING DESK FROM THE SUITE FOR ACTOR OTTO BOLEŠKA, 1913 Manufactured by Prague Artistic Workshops

PAVEL JANÁK, SOFA FROM A SUITE FOR PROF. FRANTIŠEK ZÁVIŠKA, 1912 Manufactured by Prague Artistic Workshops

JOSEF GOČÁR, SIDEBOARD FROM THE SUITE OF FURNITURE IN HIS OWN DINING ROOM, 1912 Manufactured by Prague Artistic Workshops

MODERNISTA

Vlastislav Hofman designed this chair for the sculptor Josef Mařatka. Its rather stern appearance at first sight is moderated by small details of sloping surfaces on the edges of the legs and the triangle-shaped veneer on all its surfaces. This masterpiece has been chosen, among others, for the renovated wedding chamber in Prague’s Old Town Hall.

No other object can capture Janák’s early cubist work better than this stylised crystal piece. Architect Janák viewed the slanting surface as an element of artistic transformation, the spiritualisation of non-living matter upsetting the usual calm, rational balance of horizontals and verticals.

Janák’s vases dating from 1911 are an example of exquisite design – two shapes, three sizes and five di erent decorations. Their elegant convex and concave curves, decorated by simple lines and stripes in black and gold, look so contemporary that it is hard to believe they were designed nearly 100 years ago.

VLASTISLAV HOFMAN, CHAIR , 1911

PAVEL JANÁK, CRYSTALLINE BOX,

PAVEL JANÁK, VASE WITH BLACK LINE, 1911

Modern Decorativism dominated the commercial eld of design in particular between the wars. e combination of geometric shapes with oral elements was a dominant feature decorating glass and porcelain, as well as in architecture and industrial design. A Czech-speci c feature is the “National Decorativism” in architecture and applied arts, which became the visual identity of the new state of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1925 in works by František Kysela, Pavel Janák and Jaroslav Benda.

JOSEF EISELT, BOX WITH LID , 1924 State Vocational School for the Glass Industry, Kamenický Šenov

ART DECO AND POSTWAR DECORATIVISM

30

JOŽKA BARUCH, COVER FOR THE MAGAZINE “SMALL ART”, 1923

FULL EVENING GOWN, 1930 Rosenbaum Salon, Prague

FRANTIŠEK KYSELA AND STUDENTS OF THE APPLIED ARTS SCHOOL IN PRAGUE, TEMPLATE DESIGN FOR WALL PAINTING, around 1920

FRANTIŠEK DRTIKOL, STUDY, 1925

Today the original products of UP works are objects of collectors’ great interest in this country and others. The most sought-after items are a series of streamline-shaped armchairs with sides made of bent wood bordering the seat. In the 1930s this series of armchairs was among the most successful models of the firm’s products and remains among the most popular even today.

JINDŘICH HALABALA, ARMCHAIR H70, 1931

SOLO SIRKÁRNA (MATCH-FACTORY)

The Czech-made SOLO matches of Sušice are known the world over. Match manufacturing has a long tradition in Sušice, South Bohemia. In the early 1920s the original factory in Sušice turned into a large concern named SOLO, although today SOLO is just a trademark. Sušice matches were made famous by the popular graphic rendering of the product featuring the pipe, the rose, scissors and the key, which is at the same time the oldest trademark dating back to 1895. In 1984 the original boxes made of wood were replaced by paper boxes, and a point of interest is that the matchbox played an important role in the birth of Matchbox toy cars. The idea to wrap the models in packaging reminiscent of a matchbox originated in 1952. The model was the Norvic box made in the match factory SOLO in Sušice.

SOLO MATCHES FOR THE HOUSEHOLD DZ 240 Photo, Anna Pleslová

TOYEN (ILLUSTRATION)

In the former Czechoslovakia, Functionalism became part of Masaryk’s concept of the social state, which enjoyed support from the state and was well received by the extensive, well-educated middle class. e aim was to achieve a socially-attainable standard of housing and a sound lifestyle, promoted by the Union of Czechoslovak Creative Work. It found re ection in apartment layouts and in the relaxed shapes of metal tubular furniture, as well as in the simple utility tableware and textiles placed on the market by the Krásná jizba shops.

LADISLAV SUTNAR (MODIFICATION), COVER FOR THE BOOK ‘NÁŠ SVĚT’ (OUR WORLD) BY ZDENKA MARČANOVÁ, 1935 Družstevní práce publishing house, Prague

FUNCTIONALISM AS SOCIAL PROGRESS

40

HANA KUČEROVÁ-ZÁVESKÁ, ROOM IN THE FAMILY HOUSE OF COMPOSER KAREL BALLING AT BABA, 1932

LADISLAV SUTNAR, TEA SET MADE OF HEAT-RESISTANT GLASS, 1931 Manufactured by Kavalier Glassworks in Sázava for Krásná jizba shops

JINDŘICH HALABALA, TUBE CHAIR H-138, 1932 Manufactured by Spojené UP závody Hodonín

MODERNISTA

Ladislav Sutnar’s handmade and handpainted toys are an ideal presentation of his concept of the modern toy, which combines the principles of new teaching methods, abstract art, and their original intention –inexpensive industrial production. www.modernista.cz

LADISLAV SUTNAR, ELEPHANT, 1930

JOSEF SUDEK, PUBLICITY

OF SUTNAR’S PORCELAIN TABLEWARE

KRÁSNÁ JIZBA SHOPS,

SLEZÁKOVY ZÁVODY

In the 1930s tube furniture came to be widely used in private as well as public spaces and was linked with the “machine age” terminology of the day. In this respect, Czechoslovak manufacturers followed the trends and standards of German and French furniture makers. The best known Czech manufacturer of that time was the Slezákovy závody works, which has survived to this day under di erent names (Kovona, Kovonax). Currently tube furniture manufacture is experiencing a renaissance. Although its design is rather more conservative in comparison to foreign makers, the firm is nevertheless finding its path to the future in the realm of design as well. www.slezakovyzavody.cz

ARMCHAIR JOHNNY

MERKUR

One of the most popular Czech-made toys is the Merkur building set. It is a metallic construction set that can be assembled either according to the instructions contained in the manual or according to one’s own fantasy. The beginnings of its manufacture date back to the year 1920, when the inventive manufacturer Václav Vancl made the first models. In 1925, the original construction system was changed to a form that has remained unchanged to this day, with the name Merkur coined in 1955. History, however, has shown that the Merkur construction set did not serve merely as a toy, but became a gadget used for the construction of technical models and prototypes. The famous chemist Otto Wichterle, for example, used it for the construction of the first experimental instrument for making contact lenses, and in the early days of the personal computer it was used by amateur mechanics to make simple plotters.

MERKUR CLASSIC C 04 AND M4 BUILDING KIT, 1920

Non-decorative functional shapes inspired by machine aesthetics and abstract art was a style characteristic of interwar industrial design. e electri ed kitchen was one feature of the modern way of life in the former Czechoslovakia from 1928, as was practical, ergonomic lighting. Optical devices were among the successful Czechoslovak export items. e automotive industry in the former Czechoslovakia between the wars owed its success to high import taxes.

ŠKODA POPULAR – MONTE CARLO –COUPÉ SPORTS VERSION, 1936 Manufactured by Škoda ASAP, Mladá Boleslav

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN BETWEEN THE WARS

AERODYNAMIC TATRA 77 CAR, 1936 designer Erich Übelacker in conjunction with Erich Ledwinka Manufactured by Ringho er – Tatra, Kopřivnice Works

JAWA 750 COUPÉ 1000 MIL RACING CAR, 1935 Manufactured by Zbrojovka ing. František Janeček Jawa, Prague

ROTTER STUDIO, POSTER SLOVENSKÁ STRELA, 1936

Print: Melantrich Prague

INTERIOR OF THE RAIL MOTOR COACH CLASS M 290.0 SLOVENSKÁ STRELA, 1936

Designer: Vladimír Grégr Manufactured by Ringho er – Tatra, Kopřivnice Works

ALL-METAL TWIN LENS REFLEX CAMERA, 1937 Manufactured by Bradáč Brothers, Hovorčovice

MIKOV

The “fish” folding knife is the best-selling knife from the product catalogue of the firm Mikov. It has been serving customers for nearly 100 years, across the generations, without its shape ever being adapted or altered. In the past it was produced in the former Czechoslovakia by two firms – in Slovakia the manufacturer was Sandrik and in the Czech Lands the company Mikov, which makes the “fishlet” to this day.

www.mikov.cz

“FISH” FOLDING KNIFE

KAREL ZÁBRANSKÝ, SYMBOL OF THE FIRST FIVE-YEAR PLAN, 1948 Winning design in the competition organized by the Ministry of Information announced in October 1948.

e Nazi occupation (1939–1945) put an end to the promising development of industry and design. In the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Jewish property was ‘Aryanised’ and all production was subordinated to German authorities and switched to arms manufacture. After the war, on the basis of presidential decrees, the ethnic German population, including many skilled glassmakers, was expelled to Germany and large enterprises and banks were nationalised. Already at that time the state had begun to build a new socialist system with central management, rst under a Two-Year Plan (1947–1948) and, after the communist coup in 1948, under Five-Year Plans. For the entire period, ideology intervened in all spheres of life, including the appearance of objects in daily use.

UNDER THE PRESSURE OF IDEOLOGIES

SHOES WITH WOODEN SOLES, 1940–1945 Manufactured by Baťa Zlín

VÁCLAV KOCURA, VAKO 38 LAMPSHADE , 1938–1939 Manufactured by Elektronákupna Prague

CZECH HEDGEHOG ANTI-TANK OBSTACLE MADE OF STEEL , 1930s Construction by František Kašík

“FRIEND” LOCOMOTIVE AND SALOON COACH FOR GENERALISSIMO STALIN, 1949 Design and realisation of the interior by the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague

Coach manufactured by Tatra Smíchov, locomotive by Škoda Plzeň

ZDENKA FUCHSOVÁ, WOMEN’S WORK OVERALLS, 1951 Made by Texilní tvorba

ANTONÍN PELC, “WE’LL KILL OFF THE COLORADO BEETLE – CRIMINAL OFFSPRING OF IMPERIALISTS”, 1950 Newspaper cartoon, Rudé právo and Mladá fronta

KOH-I-NOOR

The Versatilka crayon pencil is a mechanical pencil with a removable pencil sharpener at its tip. The conventional Versatilka crayon pencil is hexagon-shaped (just like an ordinary pencil). This shape has a number of advantages. For example, the object is easy to hold in the hand, and the hexagon shape prevents it from rolling away. It is a product of the firm Koh-i-noor, based in České Budějovice, and was first put on the market in 1950. Since then it has been manufactured and sold for decades in an unaltered form and it is believed to be the predecessor of today’s Pentel pencils. www.koh-i-noor.cz

KOVAP

The firm Kovap is a traditional Czech manufacturer of mechanical tin toys, the only one of its kind in Europe. The firm dates back to the year 1946, when it was established by the brothers Sedlák. Eduard Sedlák is the designer of the best-known miniature tractor Zetor, the size of which is reduced 25 times in comparison with the original. Currently new models of this toy are being produced, but the manufacture of the old models, which has suvived the test of time, continues. The toy tractor is propelled by a spring device wound up by a key. The gearbox has three speeds and a reverse. It can be steered by the steering wheel and stopped by a handbrake. Various accessories can be attached to the tractor, such as a roller, potato digger, seeding machine, etc. The crane won an award in 2015 for being a genuinely stimulating toy: It can be driven, its tower can be rotated, and its arm can be extended to lift loads.

www.kovap.cz

EDUARD

CRANE

BENEDIKT

The firm G. Benedikt of Karlovy Vary is one of the bestknown porcelain factories in the Czech Republic. Its product catalogue is focused on professional clientele in hotels and gastronomy. Currently the most widely-used hotel porcelain in the Czech Republic is the porcelain set “Prague”. It won its popularity especially due to its specific shape, its good balance between quality and price, and its exceptionally high mechanical durability.

www.gbkv.cz

FAVORIT

Favorit bicycles started to be made in the 1950s. Supervised by the professional cyclist J. Cihlář, mechanics F. Hašek and F. Pospíšil oversaw production of the first racing bicycles produced under the F1S brand. The logo and font designer was F. Freiwillig. The Favorit F1 bicycle has a classic appearance – leather seat and grips, rim brakes and polished components. The new re-edition uses new carbon and titanium materials. The F1 Classic model was brought to market on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia.

BICYCLE, F1 CLASSIC, REEDITIONS 2017 Photography by tomasdittrich.com

MILOŠ HÁJEK, ETA 400 PLUTO VACUUM CLEANER , PRODUCTION 1954–1960

Developed by Kovotechna Prague, manufactured by Elektro-Praga Hlinsko

After Khrushchev’s condemnation of Stalin’s cult of personality in 1956, followed by a short period of political thaw, the people of Czechoslovakia also began to feel a longing for a richer consumer way of life, although western standards could no longer be caught up with. As a result of the suppression of free market mechanisms, the consumer goods industry showed no interest in innovative design. In spite of this, the state was trying to present socialism as a successful system at international exhibitions, the high point of which was the EXPO 58 World Exhibition in Brussels, where the Czechoslovak exhibition received high acclaim.

AND ITS IMPACT

TATRA 603 AUTOMOBILE MODEL, 1961 Car body design by František Kardaus in collaboration with Vladimír Popelář Manufactured by Tatra n.p., Kopřivnice (from 1956)

OLGA KARLÍKOVÁ, DECORATIVE FABRIC, 1959

Manufactured by ÚBOK

JAN KOTÍK, VASE , 1956 Manufactured by Borské sklo n.p., Nový Bor

LADIES’ SHOES MODEL FOR EXPO 58 IN BRUSSELS, 1958 Manufactured by Svit Gottwaldov (formerly Baťa Zlín)

JAROSLAV JEŽEK, ELKA MOCCA COFFEE SET, 1958 Manufactured by Karlovarský porcelán n.p., Lesov works

BOHUMIL MÍRA, “MÍR” RADIO RECEIVER , around 1960

Manufactured by Tesla Přelouč, promotional photo by Fred Kramer

ROYAL DUX

Besides animal sculptures, the Royal Dux porcelain works in Duchcov also produced figural motifs characteristic for their smooth, stylised shapes. From 1960 to1962, one of its designers was the glass artist Jitka Forejtová, whose sculptures portray mainly female figures in di erent seated positions. They are stripped of detail, which is in keeping with the trends of the time. In 1962 her porcelain figures were awarded a silver medal at the international exhibition of ceramics in Prague.

The Peacock and Herons are among figures from the late 1950s in which Jaroslav Ježek tried to capture the essence and character of the portrayed animal in simplified form without much detail. The Herons reaped much-deserved success at the 12th Trienniale Exhibition in Milan in 1960. The Herons are an accomplished abstract animal sculpture that not only evokes spiral movement, but also communicates emotions. Thanks to the artist’s perfect craft, each bird is rendered in a slightly di erent shape and in a slightly di erent attitude towards each other. Under the Royal Dux trademark the Duchcov Porcelain Works scored a success at the Expo 58 Exhibition with another of Jaroslav Ježek’s collections, “Mare and Stallions”, which was awarded a gold medal. www.royaldux.cz

JITKA FOREJTOVÁ, NUDES, 1960–1962 Photography by Anna Pleslová

JAROSLAV JEŽEK, PEACOCK AND HERONS, 1959 Photography by Anna Pleslová

In the Czechoslovakia of the 1960s another ideological thaw set in, opening the door to creative energies in all walks of life. e young generation exposed the failure of the collectivist ideas propagated in the preceding decade and emphasised the importance of individual freedom and leisure time. Advancing industrialisation prompted existentialist philosophy to permeate the perception of design. e humanisation of housing and the visual attractiveness of utilitarian objects became targets in the programmes of creative groups such as e Balance and the state-run ÚBOK

EUGEN JINDRA, SOFA, MUSICAL INTERIOR SETS FOR 12TH TRIENNIALE IN MILAN, 1959 Manufactured by Interier Praha

MILOŠ HÁJEK, MAILBOX, DESIGN 1963 Manufactured by Technická ústředna spojů

STANISLAV LACHMAN, HAIRDRYER , SECOND HALF OF 1960s Manufactured by Elektro-Praga Hlinsko

JIŘÍ HOFMAN, “BLUES” TAPE RECORDER, 1962 Manufactured by Tesla Liberec, promotional photograph by Fred Kramer

KÁJA SAUDEK, FILM POSTER “WHO WANTS TO KILL JESSIE?”, 1966

LIBUŠE NIKLOVÁ, TOMCAT, 1963 Manufactured by Fatra Napajedla

redesigned by MILAN MLYNÁŘ, 1974

BOTAS 66

In 2008, the designers Jan Kloss and Jakub Korouš designed a new brand called BOTAS 66, based on the BOTAS Classic model of sports shoe, for the BOTAS a.s. company. Originally an academic project, the design is connected to the iconic Botas Classic model of 1974. The “Representant” model is part of the Classic product series based on the iconic sports shoe model of the same name first developed in the year 1966–68 and redesigned in 1974 by Milan Mlynář, whose simple shape and timeless design gave birth to the term “botas shoes” to designate any type of sports footwear. “Representant” was first introduced to the public in 2009 as a special model to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the BOTAS a.s. company. www.botas.cz

MARCEL SCHEINPFLUG, BOTAS CLASSIC SPORT, 1966–1969

Manufactured by Botana, n.p., Skuteč

JAN KLOSS, JAKUB KOROUŠ, BOTAS REPRESENTATIVE, REEDITIONS 2008 Photography by Jan Kloss

MODERNISTA

Adolf Matura’s name entered the annals of contemporary design with his utility glass pieces that have lost nothing of their modern look and originality. For his ageless lemonade set, comprising a colourful decanter and clear glasses, he was awarded the gold medal at the Milan Trienniale in 1960. The decanter and tumbler attract attention with their tectonic shape, reminiscent of Finnish glass design of the 1950s.

ADOLF MATURA, DRINKING SET WITH DECANTER , 1960

FATRA

The inflatable toys of the firm Fatra, designed by Libuše Niklová in the 1960s and 1970s, are icons of Czech design. Owing to their timeless design, Niklová’s toys have found their place of honour in the collections of prestigious foreign museums, such as the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris and the Museum of Art and Design in New York. In 2016 Fatra issued a re-edition of Niklová’s six inflatable toys, the best known of which are the bu alo, the gira e and the elephant. Niklová was not just a pioneer in toy designing but also one of the first in the Czech Republic to start working with polyethylene and plasticised PVC.

www.fatra.cz

DRUPOL

This little lamp is one of the nicest examples of the Brussels style. Like the style itself it is airy, colourful, and plays with asymmetry and eccentricity. Although it appears somewhat austere, it perfectly serves its purpose. On the occasion of its 80th anniversary the cooperative has decided to renew its production.

www.talampa.cz

LIBUŠE NIKLOVÁ, ELEFANT AND GIRAFFE , 1971–1972

HŮRKA,

While western industrial design was moving ahead of that prevailing under Czechoslovak conditions, a new phenomenon called Studio

Creation began to develop. Designers worked like artists in their studios, used materials such as bre, glass and ceramics as their creative media, and treated them in an emotional way reminiscent of ne art. ese works were often commissioned by the state authorities, who used them for o cial purposes or as special architectural features when a certain percentage of construction budgets was obligatorily earmarked for artistic decoration after 1965.

STANISLAV LIBENSKÝ, JAROSLAVA BRYCHTOVÁ, BLUE COMPOSITION, 1965 Gold Medal at the Bienniale in Sao Paulo, Brazil

DESIGNERS IN STUDIOS

JAN HLADÍK, TAPESTRY FACES, 1979

FRANTIŠEK VÍZNER, BOWL WITH PEAK, 1972

ZORKA SÁGLOVÁ, TAPESTRY HOMAGE TO RUDOLF SCHLATTAUER – BATMAN OVER THE CULTIVATION STATION IN PRŮHONICE, 1982

VÁCLAV CIGLER, OBJECT, around 1965 Photo by Jan Svoboda

DESIGN DESNÁ – PRECIOSA ORNELA

To mark the 170th anniversary of the Polubný glassworks in Desná (now Preciosa Ornela)

a limited series of “tree vases”, successful models in the 1950s–1970s, has been created. It includes exceptionally interesting designs by Václav Hanuš, a designer of the former Jablonec glassworks who is known for his skill at combining art with a perfect technical rendering of his works. His vases show a special practical talent for using his wits to make any flaws in the glass mass appear as if they were a desired e ect. His favourite colours were green and blue.

www.design-desna.cz

VÁCLAV HANUŠ, VASE , 1966 Photography by Aleš Kosina

e surge of intellectual and creative activities in the 1960s was sti ed by the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. e following two decades, referred to as the Normalisation period, meant a loss of contact with the democratic world and a ban on professional designer groups. In this period an abyss was opening up between production and consumption, between the proclaimed “harmonious environment of socialist man” and the reality of bad quality prefabricated apartment buildings. Important stimuli for design, however, were the government contracts that created the “display window of socialism”. e Prague Metro, the Praha government hotel, the Intercontinental and ermal Hotels, and embassy buildings and interiors were instances where foreign in uence was allowed to assert itself, including brutalist architecture and interior design.

JIŘÍ BRABEC, BEER MUGS, 1972, 1980 Manufactured by Sklo Union, Rudolfova Huť, Glassworks in Dubí

DESIGN IN THE TIME OF NORMALISATION

90

PAVEL HLAVA, CHANDELIER IN THE SHAPE OF A FIVEPOINTED STAR IN THE CONFERENCE HALL OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY HOTEL PRAHA , around 1980

ZBYNĚK HŘIVNÁČ, ARMCHAIR FOR THE COMMUNIST PARTY HOTEL PRAHA , around 1980

JAN BOČAN, ZBYNĚK HŘIVNÁČ, JAN ŠRÁMEK, OSAKA ARMCHAIR, 1969 Manufactured by Dřevopodnik Holešov

VÁCLAV CIGLER, TILING OF SPACE IN THE METRO STATION, 1983−1985 Manufactured by Sklo Union, Teplice

JIŘÍ RATHOUSKÝ, PRAGUE METRO INFORMATION SYSTEM, 1972

TOY TATRA T 148 DUMPER TRUCK, 1973

KAVALIER GLASS

The kettle from Simax glass designed by Adolf Matura and intended for automated production ranks among the commercially most successful Bohemian glass products. Some 50 million exemplars of this model of kettle have been made and exported worldwide to date. It is much due to this kettle that today Kavalier has become a respected supplier not just of laboratory and technical glass, but also of household utility glass objects. www.kavalier.cz

DINO TOYS

Tatra 148 is one of the best-selling toys of the 1980s brought back to the market by Dino Toys in 2014. Tatra 148 is a big, robust plastic truck with a wide body and a safety device against spontaneous tilting. Surprisingly, it can carry a load of up to 100 kg. The truck comes in eight di erent shades, but the original orange is still the most popular. www.mojetatra.cz

ADOLF MATURA, KETTLE , 1966

THUN 1794

The Czech Republic is known for its long porcelain making tradition. Today the largest porcelain manufacturer in the country is Thun 1794 a.s. Important items in its catalogue in the hard porcelain category are hotel, utility and customised goods for large international supermarket chains. In its current product line the factory attaches special value to tradition, functional design and modern aesthetics. Its favourite, best-selling shapes include the dining set “Leon”, created in the workshop of academic sculptor Jiří Laštovička. Thun’s traditional porcelainware is regularly supplemented with modern shapes and patterns. www.thun.cz

FORMA: JIŘÍ LAŠTOVIČKA SCULTORE ACCADEMICO, DECORO: VIKTOR CHALEPA, SERVIZIO DA TAVOLA LEON, 2001

MILAN KNÍŽÁK, JEWELLERY ITEM, EARLY 1960s

Alternative independent expression was, by de nition, irreconcilable with totalitarian power. An example of an independent approach was the Aktuální umění (Art Today) group associated around Milan Knížák, whose idea was to transform everyday actions into rituals.

Knížák’s radical designs of fashion, jewellery and visionary architecture of the 1960s changed into postmodern interior design in the following decade. In the Czech environment, postmodern art found wider expression only in the 1980s. Tragicomic mysti cation was close to Czech postmodern art and found a re ection in the works of the Atika group and those of art school students linked with the independent musical and theatrical scenes.

ALTERNATIVE TRENDS IN DESIGN IN THE 1960 s TO 1980 s

90

MILAN KNÍŽÁK, TABLE "COCUB”, 1986 (DESIGN 1971)

BOHUSLAV HORÁK, ARMCHAIR –“ST. WENCESLAS, YOU ARE SEEING IT ALL”, 1988–1989

PELCL, JANÁK ARMCHAIR, 1987

MICHAL MACHAT, VITRAIL –PAEDIATRICIAN STANDA, 1990

MOSER

The original foundry shaped this artist’s free-blown massive vases, ingeniously cut to give insight into the crystal, around 1969. In 1970, these vases won the artist the Bavarian State Prize with a Gold Medal. The current series of vases reveals the internal, poetic world of crystal, which is full of unusual stories, colours and sentiments.

www.moser-glass.com

ALEŠ NAJBRT, FILM POSTER –THE PRAGUE FIVE, 1989 Central Film Rental, Prague

VLADIMÍR JELÍNEK, VASE , 1969

e period of transformation in the 1990s was a time when a number of glassworks, textile, furniture and engineering enterprises had to close down after having lost their eastern markets and having been unable to stand up to global competition. At the same time, new companies were being set up and old ones reorganised, using design as a marketing tool. Designers such as Bořek Šípek, Eva Jiřičná and Otakar Diblík, who returned home from forced emigration, began to act as teachers. e young generation of graduates started their own studios (Olgoj Chorchoj, mmcité and Studio Najbrt), which until then had not been possible. In the 1990s, design became a subject of society-wide discussion, an important national economic factor, a respected course of study and a leisure time activity of the young generation.

DESIGN AFTER

BRATRSTVO (BROTHERHOOD), POSTER – TRUTH PREVAILS, NOVEMBER 1989 VÁCLAV JIRÁSEK (photo) PAVEL ŠŤASTNÝ (logo Civic Forum) Printed by the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design Workshop, Prague

STANISLAV HANUŠ, BLATA ORIGAMI RACING MOTORCYCLE MINIBIKE, 2000 Manufactured by Blata, Blansko 2002

STUDIO OLGOJ CHORCHOJ, MICHAL FRONĚK, JAN NĚMEČEK, GRANDFATHER’S BOWL , 1994 Melted glass plastic, Pelechov, photo Jan Pohribný

STUDIO DIVAN, IVAN DLABAČ, MULTICARE RESUSCITATION BED, 1999 Manufactured by Linet, Želevčice, 2000

TIMOURE ET GROUP, 1997 Photography by Tono Stano

TOMÁŠ MACHEK, POSTER FOR JAN KAPLICKÝ EXHIBITION, 1998 National Gallery in Prague

ONDŘEJ PODZIMEK, TICKET MARKER, 1995 Manufactured by Mikroelektronika, Vysoké Mýto Tramcar seat, Miroslav Navrátil, 1962

KŘEHKÝ

Vratislav Šotola was one of the principal glass artists of the latter half of the 20th century. The cake dish is a re-edition of a shape by Vratislav Šotola dating from the 1990s that was never realised industrially. The lid is made in two sizes and two di erent colours. While all the glass pieces designed by Šotola had a practical purpose, their poetic beauty was undeniable. His glass pieces used to be part of the prestigious collections that Czechoslovakia at international exhibitions, including EXPO 1958 in Brussels and in Montreal in 1967.

www.krehky.cz

VRATISLAV ŠOTOLA, CAKE BAKING FORM Photography by Gabriel Urbánek

ROMAN VRTIŠKA, PARK BENCH SINUS, 2008

mmcité

Although established only recently (in 1997), the firm mmcité has quickly gained world renown. Its philosophy is to produce quality design for public spaces. The Sinus park bench by designer Roman Vrtiška is an enlargement of the original tree grille concept. The strong steel board, simply bent in a slightly trapezoidal profile and with pinpoint perforations, is reminiscent of the pure aesthetics of the 1960s and, in combination with the unique Citépin seat, eliminates the cold feeling of the metal to give the sitter a comfortable rest; a fine but important detail is giving the bench the appearance as if it were directly rising from the pavement.

www.mmcite.com

LHOTSKÝ

Innovation has never been an empty word in Czech glassmaking – one example that stands for it all is the world-renowned fused glass sculpting technique, which is a Czech invention. The studio led by glass artist Zdeněk Lhotský has developed a special method of glass fusing in a form called VITRUCELL. The firm o ers its own original series of design products using various conventional and unconventional glass techniques.

www.lhotsky.cz

ZDENĚK LHOTSKÝ, VITRUCELL BOWL, 2010

Photography by Kristina Hrabětová

e turn of the millennium was marked by rapid development of institutions. New Faculties of Design began to emerge beside the existing Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, the oldest design education institution at that time. Most of them were founded within the framework of regional universities or attached to private schools, such as Prague’s Scholastika. Design, however, was most in uenced by institutions and projects developed from the bottom up, boosted by the creative urges of active design-loving people. ese include, for example, Qubus, a pioneering design shop in Prague, and the CZECHDESIGN organisation, which acted as an agency and an educational centre. In 1999 the rst Designblok festival took place in Prague, the largest such event in Central Europe. It attracted the interest of both the general public and the media and started the Czech Grand Design Award tradition. e awards were given not only to renowned stars of design, but also to manufacturers producing objects designed by domestic and international artists, such as the TON bentwood furniture manufacturer and the Moser, Preciosa, BOMMA and LASVIT Glassworks.

AND DESIGN IN THE 21 st CENTURY

QUBUS, MAXIM VELČOVSKÝ, DIGI CLOCK WHITE, 2003 Photography by Gabriel Urbánek

IMAGERY, MARTINA ČERNÁ, DESIGNBLOK 12, 2012 Photography by Salim Issa

STUDIO NAJBRT, ZUZANA LEDNICKÁ, ALEŠ NAJBRT, MICHAL NANORU, KARLOVY

INTERNATIONAL FILM

VISUAL 2016, 2016

Karlovy Vary International Film

Festival

July 2016

51 st

PAVEL IVANČIC, COLLECTION THE UNRELATED TWIN, 2008 Photography by Salim Issa

PROJEKTIL ARCHITEKTI, ROMAN BRYCHTA, ADAM HALÍŘ, ONDŘEJ HOFMEISTER, PETR LEŠEK; HIPPOSDESIGN, RADIM BABÁK, ONŘEJ TOBOLA; LABORATOŘ, PETR BABÁK; PAS –VÍT HAVRÁNEK, TOMÁŠ VANĚK; DAN PERJOVSCH, THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF TECHNOLOGY, 2009 Photography by Andrea Thiel Lhotáková

CZECH PORCELAIN DUBÍ

The traditional Czech porcelain works in Dubí does not limit itself to the traditional “blue onion” design that made it famous, but is also looking for new technological and artistic possibilities. These especially include the designs of Jiří Pelcl, which have won a number of awards at home and abroad. Best known is the set of “Bohemia” hotel porcelainware, or the modern co ee set “Triplex”.

www.cesky.porcelan.cz

PRIM

Traditional Czech PRIM brand wristwatches have been produced for 60 years and counting. ELTON hodinářská is one of the few watchmaking firms still manufacturing mechanical watches. The firm regularly enriches its product line by adding modern design pieces. The Olgoj Chorchoj Studio designed the Cylinder evening watches for the ARTEU design series. The designers were inspired by the industrial technology of solid material processing. They used di erent technologies, such as galvanoplastics, thanks to which they were able to achieve sculpturallymodelled dials or to create atypicallyshaped hour, minute and second hands. The dial was designed by Jiří Karásek of Studio Marvil.

JIŘÍ PELCL, TRIPLEX, 2009 Photography by Kristina Hrabětová

QUBUS

“Waterproof” is a stylish porcelain vase on the verge between art and utility. Maxim Velčovský is playing with the function of the object – for example, he turns the rubber boot, intended to protect the foot against water, into an object containing water. The “Waterproof” vases have become a legend of Czech design. There are several limited editions of them. www.qubus.cz

MAXIM VELČOVSKÝ, WATERPROOF VASE, 2003 Photography by Gabriel Urbánek

TOMÁŠ BROUSIL, PETRA DOČEKALOVÁ, ZUZANA LEDNICKÁ, RADEK SIDUN, TYPO 9010, 2015

Published by Biggboss, 2015

Currently a formidable new generation of designers (OKOLO, DECHEM, deFORM, Lucie Koldová, Jan Čapek, Vrtiška & Žák, Plecháč & Wielgus) has become active on the domestic and international scenes. e designers are aware of the Czech industrial production tradition, which they are raising to new heights by developing new forms, methods and technologies for it. Czech design has become fully integrated into the international context and rms o ering rst-rate quality and original product presentation at international exhibitions of design are being received with unprecedented interest. Czech typographers, too, reap worldwide success with their original fonts, such as Suitcase Foundry and Storm Foundry. Czech design is appreciated not only in Czech households, where it has been present for a whole century, but has found its way into many countries worldwide.

MONIKA DRÁPALOVÁ, THE FREE CYCLE COLLECTION, 2013 Photography by Salim Issa

RONY PLESL, MERCURY CHANDELIER, 2015 Made by Preciosa, photo Zdeněk Rerych

HIPPOSDESIGN, RADIM BABÁK, SOFA SSS! 02, 2000

Made by mminterier, photo Q Studio

ZETZETZET, MIKULÁŠ MACHÁČEK, VISUAL IDENTITY OF ARCHA THEATRE , FROM 2011

by Kristina

BOMMA

The drinking glass set designed by the renowned glass artist František Vízner is included in the prestigious permanent collection of the Museum of Art and Design in New York. The artist himself belongs among the 10 most influential glass artists in the world. The collection bearing his name was the last he created before his death for the Czech glassmaking firm BOMMA, which manufactures highquality crystal pieces that stand out for their perfect technical workmanship. www.bomma.cz

QUBUS

The designer of this collection inspired by the world of clowns and street magicians plays with the motif of the human hand, which becomes a metaphorical materialisation of specific functions – tray, dressing table mirror, candle holder and table lamp. The white porcelain is elegantly supplemented with precisely worked brass elements.

www.qubus.cz

JAKUB BERDYCH KARPELIS, HÄNDE HOCH, 2016 Photography by Gabriel Urbánek

LASVIT

The Frozen collection was inspired by the transformation of water into ice. This moment is very reminiscent of the work in a glassmaker shop. Velčovský allows the glass to spill over a metal form and seeks advantage in its natural properties. Each piece traces a unique record of the process, becoming an original. Velčovský found inspiration among pieces of ice created by nature and applied that element of randomness in nature to his craft in the context of glassmaking. Glassmakers understand that their material always ‘freezes’ at some point in the process and only the most skilled craftsmen are capable of creating a truly unique form. This concept now translates into unique Frozen bowls and champagne coolers.

PILSNER URQUELL

In 2013 Rony Plesl designed new shapes for the Pilsner Urquell beer glasses. Their new appearance is based on the characteristic features of the previous types.The glasses are maximally practical not just for restaurant sta s, but first and foremost for the end user. The glass has an ergonomic shape and is comfortable to hold when drinking and otherwise manipulating. The radial cut design augments the agreeable texture and lends the beer light and sparkle.

RONY PLESL, GLASSWARE FOR PILSNER URQUELL, 2013

PRIMEROS

In 2017 the firm Primeros decided to change its packaging design and came forward with a series of nine di erent condom packaging designs. The designer of the new logo is the typographer Tomáš Brousil. In 2017, the design by Jakub Korouš and Matěj Chabera was awarded the Red Dot Design Prize. It is an inventive return to the company’s roots with reference to a positive sex philosophy. The firm Primeros was established in 1909 when clever entrepreneur Gustav Schwarzwald invented a discreet deliveryto-the-door method. In a sense, we can say that he was an e-shop pioneer. Thanks to Primeros, natural rubber “protection” soon came to be sold not only in the AustrianHungarian monarchy, but also in Paris, London and Chicago. www.primeroscondom.com

JAKUB KOROUŠ, MATĚJ CHABERA, REDESIGNING VISUAL IDENTITY, 2017

THE EXHIBITION WAS PREPARED BY THE CZECH CENTRES AND THE MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS IN PRAGUE

Organiser: Czech Centres

Main Partner: Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

Concept: Jakub Berdych Karpelis a Josef Tomšej, Qubus Design studio, Iva Knobloch, Štěpán Malovec, Sandra Karácsony

Texts: Iva Knobloch, Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague Sandra Karácsony, Czech Centres

Architecture of the exhibition: Jakub Berdych Karpelis and Josef Tomšej, Qubus Design studio

Graphic Design: Štěpán Malovec