Selection for Pavel Janák

The House of Art of the City of Brno has taken on a challenging task - to push the boundaries of presenting architecture to a broader audience of visitors than is customary in local conditions. This is to be done while maximizing the preservation of the professional level of the presented material, which will, however, be woven into an attractive visual framework. The main theme of this ambitious project is architect Pavel Janák.

    Capturing the ambiguity of the work of such a personality as Pavel Janák, who was active in the first half of the 20th century, is challenging in terms of both the content and formal aspects of the exhibition concept. Janák's significance is permanently inscribed in shaping many layers of the local architectural field. As his friend and collaborator Oldřich Starý aptly noted, "there is no problem that escaped his inquisitive gaze." Although Janák is primarily associated with the issue of stylistic expression as a leading representative of architectural cubism, this is a gross simplification that the exhibition will attempt to fundamentally reassess. Therefore, attention will be given to Janák's activities in the fields of urbanism, housing issues, the applied arts, vocational education, heritage conservation, the social role of the architect, and, last but not least, his specific architectural projects. And because, according to O. Starý, Janák "ignited in word and deed," everything will be supported by a thorough analysis of his rich theoretical legacy against the backdrop of a broader contemporary context.
    Due to the thematic diversity mentioned, the logical next step after writing the exhibition script was the selection of the author for the architectural design. The House of Art, aware of the importance of an appropriate exhibition concept for the success of the entire endeavor, reached out to five inspiring and prolific studios. The challenging task was undertaken by the teams from A1ARCHITECTS, MOBA, and Skupina. The remaining two, TRANSAT architects and Jan Šépka of HŠH architects, declined the task after careful consideration.
    The jury convened on April 15, 2009, at the House of Lords from Kunštát, consisting of Ludvík Grym, Zdeněk Hamža (representing the House of Art), Vendula Hnídková (curator of the exhibition), Rostislav Koryčánek (representing the House of Art), Jan Kratochvíl, Martin Krummholz, Svatopluk Sládeček, and Jitka Vitásková (representing the House of Art). After a constructive debate and a unanimous vote, the design by A1ARCHITECTS was selected as the winner.
    Their solution effectively connected the challenges posed by the subject matter. The artistic approach to the exhibition sensitively reflects the stylistic plurality of Janák's oeuvre, while also demonstrating the ability to create gentle transitions between individual styles. The handwriting of abstracted elements in a black-and-white composition delicately hints at the continuity of his work, as well as the specifics of particular stylistic phases. In the words of the authors, "the conceptual idea is built on the contribution of an accompanying authorship layer that will mediate the entire encounter with Pavel Janák to the visitors of the exhibition."
   
The exhibition is created in collaboration with the National Technical Museum and the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i.