The councillors of Brno approved the assignment of a competition for a gravestone for the writer Kundera

kundera

Brno - The Brno city council today approved the commissioning of an architectural and artistic competition for the gravestone of writer Milan Kundera. Interested parties can apply until April 28, with the city wanting to engage French participants as well. The gravestone should be simple yet communicative, stated Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS). Kundera passed away in Paris on July 11, 2023, at the age of 94. Věra Kunderová died on September 13, 2024. The couple will be buried together in the honorary circle of the Central Cemetery.

"Milan Kundera was renowned for his rational and analytical style, as well as his objectivity, which allowed him to get to the heart of the matter. His gravestone should reflect that - simple but communicative. Given his international significance, we want to extend information about the competition to France, where he made his home in recent decades. We will contact the Czech Centre in Paris and our partner city of Rennes for collaboration," Vaňková stated.

Interested parties must submit a model and a graphic panel representing the conceptual design of the work by April 28, and the jury will convene in May. The expert part consists of Ondřej Císler from the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague, the director of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb Marcel Fišer, the director of the Moravian Library Tomáš Kubíček, the director of the House of Arts in Brno Terezie Petišková, and sculptor Martin Zet. The jury will be represented by the mayor, deputy Filip Chvátal (KDU-ČSL), councilor Tomáš Aberl (TOP 09), and councilor Kateřina Jarošová (ANO).

The urns containing the remains of Věra and Milan Kundera returned from Paris to the writer's birthplace of Brno in January. Until the grave is prepared, they are stored in the Moravian Library. The gravestone is expected to be completed by July of next year at the latest. 1.25 million korunas have been allocated for its realization. An additional 250,000 korunas will be shared among the authors of the best designs.