The Trade Fair Palace will host the exhibition Phenomenon Baťa

Zlín - The National Gallery in Prague and the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín are preparing an exhibition titled "The Baťa Phenomenon" for next year. The exhibition, which aims to highlight Zlín's constructivism from 1910 to 1960, will take place in the Prague Trade Fair Palace. This was reported by Jindřich Ondruš, the regional councilor for culture.
    The goal of the exhibition is to present Zlín's functionalist architecture at the current state of research. "The exhibition will consist of a representative selection, including satellites of functionalist Zlín in the territory of former Czechoslovakia and abroad," Ondruš stated. He added that the exhibition will also highlight the significance of the Baťa architectural phenomenon not only in international historical contexts but also in timeless horizons.
    Statutory Deputy Governor Vojtěch Jurčík confirmed to journalists today that the regional council appointed a working group composed of representatives from the region, the gallery, the museum, and the city of Zlín, which will prepare the exhibition in cooperation with the National Gallery. "We believe it is necessary for visitors not only from Zlín but also from the largest exhibition institution in the republic to become familiar with the Baťa phenomenon," Jurčík noted.
    The exhibition will take place in Prague from March to May next year. Its preliminary budget is set at seven million crowns. The entire exhibition will cover an area of approximately 1,500 square meters. After Prague, the exhibition is likely to move to other European cities. It will also visit the United States at least once. Afterwards, part of the exhibits will become part of the permanent exhibition of 20th-century Czech art at the National Gallery, while another part will go to the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín.
    The exhibition will include an international conference on this topic, which will take place in May 2009 in Prague and Zlín. According to Ondruš, work on the creation of a permanent exhibition of Baťa architecture in the National Gallery in Prague began as early as 2006 when a commission for the preparation of this permanent exhibition was established, along with an exhibition titled "Architecture and Urbanism of Baťa Company 1910 - 1950."