Course detail

Fine Art in Brno Architecture (1948–1989)

FaVU-VUBAI-ZAcad. year: 2022/2023

The thematic focus of the lectures is oriented towards the introduction of important Brno personalities from the ranks of visual artists and architects, whose activity falls into the period between 1948-1989. Specifically, the development of cooperation between architects and artists during the period of socialist realism in the 1950s, the creative liberation of the 1960s and the period of normalisation in Czechoslovakia will be presented. Attention will also be paid to the activities of union organisations and the legislative anchoring of the mutual cooperation between artists and architects - i.e. the cultural and political climate of post-war Czechoslovakia, the development of which had a major influence on the so-called official creation. The semester-long course will include an field trip, which will take the form of a guided tour in situ. 

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

3

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Mgr. Jana Kořínková, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Art History and Theory (KTDU)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Students will gain introductory level of insight into developments of post-war Brno fine arts and architecture. They will be capable of identifying stylistic features of international architecture and fine arts on the examples taken from Brno. The will know important authors, both from the fields of architecture and fine arts and they will know theoretical frameworks of interpretation and evaluation of post-war cultural heritage.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of the development of official art and architecture in Czechoslovakia. General cultural overview. 

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching is structured as a combination of lectures and field trips.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Exam (written test).

Course curriculum

1. From Brno's interwar modernism to the founding of Stavoprojekt (Adolf Loos and Brno, magazine Bytová kultura, collaboration V. H. Mach, Eduard Milén and František Kaláb with interwar architects)
2. Presentation of the union organizations and their official periodicals (Union of Czechoslovak Visual Artists, Union of Czechoslovak Architects, Czech Fine Arts Fund), staging of a creative discussion of Emil Filla's work by the members of the SČSVU on 21 June 1951
3. Socialist realism in Brno architecture and monumental art: introduction of the concept of socialist realism on the examples of Brno development (Vilém Kuba) and the work of local architects active outside Brno (Jiří Kroha, Vladimír Meduna)
4. Important sculptors of socialist realism in Brno: Vincenc Makovský, Miloš Axman, Konrád Babraj, Sylva Lacinová
5. From Khrushchev's criticism of ornamentation in architecture to post-war modernism: the influence of Expo 58 and socialist Gesamtkunstwerk, the reverberation of socialist realism and examples of experimental housing development in Brno
6. "Brno - the city of exhibitions and fairs" (renewal of the Brno Exhibition Centre, construction of new pavilions and accommodation for visitors to fairs, case study of the Hotel International)
7. Legislative anchoring of visual decoration in architecture (Government Resolution No. 355/1963 and its implementing instructions), the role of the Regional Art Commissions of the Czech Fine Arts Fund in awarding contracts, case study of the Lesná housing estate
8. Important architects of post-war modernism in Brno I: Růžena Žertová, Zdeněk Řihák (State Design Institute of Trade)
9. Important architects of post-war modernism in Brno II: Miroslav Spurný, Jan Dvořák, Ivan Ruller
10. Important visual artists of post-war modernism in Brno I: Sylva Lacinová
11. Significant Artists of Postwar Modernism in Brno II: Jiří Marek, Ladislav Martínek, Zdeněk Macháček, František Šenk
12. Important artists of post-war modernism in Brno III: Jan Rajlich Sr., Inez Tuschnerová
13. Field trip 

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The course focuses on the institutional and legislative background of architectonic and artistic projects in Brno realized in the postwar period; these will be put into a broder context of socialist ralism and the international modern.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Attendance not compulsory.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Koryčánek, Rostislav et al., Na prahu zítřka: brněnská architektura a vizuální kultura období socialismu. Brno: Fakulty výtvarných umění VUT 2014. (CS)

Recommended reading

Bartková, Růžena: K životnímu jubileu Vladimíra Meduny. Architektura ČSR XLIII, 1984, č. 8, s. 366–368. (CS)
Benešová, Marie: Fakultní nemocnice v Brně. Architektura ČSR XLIII, 1984, č. 4, s. 146–152. (CS)
Brzezinová, Andrea – Zahrádka, Jiří (eds.): Inez Tuschnerová (1932–2015). Brno: Moravská galerie 2018. (CS)
Crhonek, Iloš (ed.): Brno v architektuře a výtvarném umění. Brno: Blok 1981. (CS)
Crhonek, Iloš: Školy jihomoravského kraje 1945–1970. Brno: Odbor školství Jihomoravského krajského úřadu v Brně 1971. (CS)
Čubrda, Zdeněk: Miloš Axman. Praha: Odeon 1988. (CS)
Čubrda, Zdeněk: Výtvarní umělci Jihomoravského kraje 1985. Výstava ke 40. výročí osvobození Československa sovětskou armádou (kat. výst.). Brno: Dům umění města Brna 1985. (CS)
Dvořáková, Nina – Malina, Jaroslav. Zdeněk Macháček. Brno: Akademické nakladatelství CERM 2005. (CS)
Gabrielová, Bronislava – Marčák, Bohumil (eds.): Sylva Lacinová. Brno: Moravská galerie Brno a Město Brno 1996. (CS)
Gabrielová, Bronislava: Expozice Jiřího Marka – podnět k hodnocení jeho tvorby. Bulletin Moravské galerie LV, 1999, s. 157–161. (CS)
Guzdek, Adam: Brněnský fenomén Lesná. Brno: Nakladatelství VUTIUM 2021. (CS)
Haimann, Petr: Architektura a výtvarné umění v Brně. Architektura ČSR XLIII, 1984, č. 8, s. 351–354. (CS)
Havránek, Vít (ed.), Bruselský sen. Československá účast na světové výstavě Expo 58 v Bruselu a životní styl 1. poloviny 60 let, Praha: GHMP – Arbor vitae 2008. (CS)
Chatrný, Jindřich et al. eds.: Evropan Adolf Loos. Nejen brněnské stopy. Brno: Muzeum města Brna – Fakulta výtvarných umění VUT 2020. (CS)
Klíma, Petr (ed.): Kotvy Máje. České obchodní domy 1965–1975. Praha: Vysoká škola uměleckoprůmyslová v Praze 2011. (CS)
Klíma, Petr (ed.): Růžena Žertová: architektka domů i věcí. Praha: Vysoká škola uměleckoprůmyslová v Praze 2016. (CS)
Konečná, Alena: O sochařském díle Františka Šenka (1914–1997). Bulletin Moravské galerie LIV, 1998, s. 125–128. (CS)
Maleček, Martin – Valentová, Veronika – Jeřábek, Miroslav (eds.): Lesná – 50 let sídliště. Brno: Občanské sdružení Obzor Lesná, 2012. (CS)
Pechar, Josef: Československá architektura 1945–1977. Praha: Odeon 1979. (CS)
Pechar, Josef: Třicet let architektury socialistického Československa. Architektura ČSR XXXIV, 1975, č. 4, s. 165–180. Pechar, Josef: Třicet let architektury socialistického Československa. Architektura ČSR XXXIV, 1975, č. 4, s. 165–180. (CS)
Pelčák, Petr (ed.): Viktor Rudiš. Stavby a projekty 1953–2002. Brno: Obecní dům 2005. (CS)
Petišková, Tereza: Československý socialistický realismus 1948–1958. Praha: Gallery 2002. (CS)
Rudiš, Viktor: Ósaka. Pocta České komory architektů 2010. Praha: Česká komora architektů, 2011. (CS)
Svobodová Šárka, Nechtěné dědictví: architekt Jan Dvořák (1925–1998). Brno: Fakulta výtvarných umění VUT 2017. (CS)
Sylvestrová, Marta (ed.): Mr. Brno – Rajlich 100 (kat. výst.). Brno: Moravská galerie 2020. (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme VUM Master's

    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
    branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

24 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Jana Kořínková, Ph.D.

Field trip

2 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Jana Kořínková, Ph.D.