The House of Art in Ostrava celebrates 100 years, it reopened today after reconstruction

Ostrava - The Ostrava House of Art, which is the main exhibition building of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava (GVUO), is open to the public again from today after nearly six months of reconstruction. The repair of the interior spaces cost around nine million crowns. This was stated by the gallery's spokesperson Jana Malášek Šrubařová. The reopening is associated with the opening of three exhibitions through which the gallery commemorates the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the House of Art.

The renovation brought the interior of the House of Art closer to its appearance from 1926. "Spherical light fixtures have returned to the front wall of the building and the vestibule, whose soft light evokes the atmosphere of the 1920s. The furnishings of the entrance areas will be complemented by custom-made furniture and wall painting that respects the architectural intention from the period of its creation," the spokesperson stated.

The construction work also uncovered a ticket window by the entrance staircase and a window above the entrance to the garden. "The ticket window will no longer be used for selling tickets, but like the window to the garden, it will remain preserved as an authentic architectural element," added the director of the gallery Jiří Jůza.

The interior modification also included a modernization of the security system, replacement of side doors and terrace doors, as well as a new orientation system. A gallery shop with seating has been established on the ground floor of the House of Art, offering publications on fine arts, architecture, and design, as well as small items featuring the visual identity of GVUO. The shop leads into a children's zone connected to the cloakroom. The gallery had a sculpture by Karel Malich installed in the vestibule, which the author worked on for nearly 50 years and which the gallery acquired for its collection in 2013.

The reopening of the House of Art is combined with three exhibitions. It will present works by old masters as well as the most famous domestic artists. Visitors will see, for example, prints by Rembrandt van Rijn and the pastel "Meditation" by František Kupka. In total, GVUO will present 400 works from its own collections across the three exhibitions.