subjective x objective Jiří Pelcl x design

Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague
17. November 2, Prague 1
October 5 – November 26, 2006
The exhibition is part of the Designblok '06 project.

The retrospective exhibition of Jiří Pelcl (*1950) SUBJECTIVE x OBJECTIVE at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague presents the works of this respected authority in contemporary design from the mid-90s to the present. In line with its title, it emphasizes the relationship between the designer's subjective approach and the objective requirements of his work. The contradiction between these two perspectives is merely relative, as every good design must possess something of its author's individuality while also serving the people for whom it is intended.



Jiří Pelcl made a significant mark on both the domestic and international professional community and public in the second half of the 80s as a founding member of the design group Atika. His own work (among other things within the Atelier Pelcl) was later not diverted by pedagogical duties at the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague (VŠUP), where he has been leading the Interior Design and Furniture studio since 1997 and was the school's rector from 2002 to 2005.
Jiří Pelcl is involved in furniture and interior design, designing glass and porcelain, and collaborating with various industrial companies. In addition to his teaching at VŠUP in Prague, he also lectures externally at other domestic and foreign universities. He has organized twenty solo exhibitions and participated in more than a hundred joint exhibitions in the field of design. His work is regularly published in professional journals and books.
Over time, Jiří Pelcl’s work has become somewhat more serious, yet it still bears the lightness reminiscent of the playful and postmodern humor of Atika. More and more often, in addition to furniture and exclusive interior designs for significant clients, he focuses on products intended for everyday widespread use. This proves that a designer can simultaneously engage in the creation of unique items and designs for mass production.
Prof. arch. Jiří Pelcl achieved several exceptional professional recognitions this year. In addition to an honorary doctorate awarded by a university in Brighton, England, he was notably awarded the National Design Award. This award is granted annually based on the decision of an international jury by the Design Centre of the Czech Republic and is the most significant domestic professional award in the field of design. This time, the commission rightly highlighted Pelcl's drink set Vicenza and another of his works in the category (Outstanding Design) – the porcelain set Bohemia White and also the table design Unitable (Good Design). The drink set Vicenza received the Grand Prix at the Mobitex fair in Brno and the set of carafes Vicenza won the Form 2006 award at the international Tendence Lifestyle fair in Frankfurt am Main.

The exhibition was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

An active program is part of the exhibition. Guided tours will take place on October 5, October 10, October 31, and November 14, 2006, at 5:00 PM in the exhibition hall of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague.

On the occasion of this exhibition, the publishing house Era is releasing an illustrated publication.