<div>The exhibition showcases wall art of socialism in the Ústí region.</div>

Chomutov - The disappearing phenomenon of wall art in public spaces is captured by the exhibition "Shards of Bloom." Visitors to the former premises of a funeral home in Chomutov will see photographs of mosaics, reliefs, and other art forms that frequently appeared in North Bohemian cities in the second half of the last century. The exhibition, which opens today, will last until January 21.

The civic association Kuprospěchu has been collecting photographs of works from the socialist era since 2007. They have managed to gather images of approximately 200 works from the Ústí nad Labem region. "We have also published a brochure featuring forty photographs, and the best twenty are on display," said Petr Karásek from the association to ČTK.

The authors aimed to capture the diversity of themes and uses, from mosaics to reliefs and sculptures. "We wanted it to be comprehensive. Although the themes repeat to some extent, they are not just the Stalinist motifs that dominated the 1950s, but also universal references to peace and friendship," Karásek explained. The period is defined from the 1950s to the end of the 1980s. "Such art was no longer created before or after," Karásek said.

While, according to Karásek, wall art in public spaces is now almost non-existent, socialism was rich in this type of art. At the exhibition, visitors can view works that still exist, as well as those that have been covered by insulation or removed by city officials and private property owners. Among the photographs is a mosaic on the building of the Ústí nad Labem magistrate by Miroslav Houra, which is one of the largest in Europe, images of a giant sun fresco that was on the Prior department store in Chomutov, and a still-existing work by the world-renowned artist Zdeněk Sýkora. It is located in Litvínov in a housing estate, the significance of which most residents likely do not even realize, according to Karásek.

Most city halls perceive these works more as relics of the past and do not give them significant care. An exception is probably Most, which has developed a catalog. "The exhibition is not a reminiscence of that era; we just want to capture the artistic phenomenon that is completely ignored and continuously disappearing from the streets," noted Karásek.

The exhibition takes place in the tower block on Palackého street, where the former funeral home premises are located. However, according to Karásek, there is no connection between the past use of the space and the current exhibition.