The Cubist Bauer Villa in Libodřice could open to the public next year

Libodřice - The Bauer villa in Libodřice in the Kolín region could reopen to the public next year. The cubist villa, owned by the Czech Cubism Foundation, with a valuable collection of cubist furniture and ceramics, has been closed since 2018. The collection was purchased last autumn by the state for the Museum of Applied Arts (UPM) in Prague. The museum is preparing a new exhibition in the villa designed by Josef Gočár, said museum director Helena Koenigsmarková to ČTK.

From 2005 to 2007, the villa underwent extensive reconstruction, returning it to its original form. In 2008, the first visitors arrived, but after ten years it had to close due to inadequate security measures. "During the preparation for repairs, we moved most of the exhibits to storage and are preparing a new installation and accompanying programs," said Koenigsmarková. According to her, the new exhibition is to be linked with the Prague exhibition of Czech Cubism, which the museum has at the House at the Black Madonna in Prague.

The villa, closed for three years, needs repairs; the owners have been unable to find a company for the restoration of the protected landmark due to the busyness of specialized firms, which would allow the exhibition to open this year. "In the first phase, the modernization of the security system was completed according to UPM's requirements, and now the preparation for the renovation of the windows and entrance doors is finishing. The villa with the exhibition should then be open in the new season of 2023," said Pavel Šafář, director of the Czech Cubism Foundation, to ČTK.

The collection from the Bauer villa represents, in fact, the second most significant collection of Czech Cubism. The collection includes 14 furniture sets comprising 59 items and 160 pieces of ceramic and metal works. In 2018, the expert assessments valued the collection of cubist items at 30.83 million CZK, which is also the amount the Ministry of Culture paid for it.

The villa was built between 1912 and 1914 for the owner of the local estate, Adolf Bauer, by architect Josef Gočár. After the owner's death, it passed to his heirs, and as Jewish property, it was later confiscated by the Protectorate authorities and became municipal property after World War II. In 2002, the Czech Cubism Foundation acquired it as a devastated property.