41 proposals were submitted to the Brno City Council for Kunder's tombstone

Brno - In the architectural and artistic competition for the tombstone of writer Milan Kundera, the Brno City Hall received 41 proposals. The average is around 30. The Department of Culture is currently checking whether the proposals meet the competition conditions. The commission will convene on July 1, and the result will be discussed by the council during the summer. Klára Opálková from the press department informed ČTK today. The artistically designed tombstone is to be completed next July. Afterwards, Kundera and his wife Vera will be buried in the honorary circle of the Central Cemetery.

The goal of the artistic interpretation of the tombstone is to serve as a dignified reminder of the writer's legacy, which will reflect his story and significance to present and future generations through its visual design and artistic tendencies. The competition is expected to yield a proposal that will have a high artistic standard and respect the wishes of the Kundera couple for a simple solution. "Milan Kundera became famous, among other things, for his rational and analytical style, his objectivity, which allowed him to get to the heart of the matter. Just like that – simple but expressive – should be his tombstone," mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) stated earlier.

The mayor is part of the jury that will evaluate the proposals. Along with her, the city is represented by Deputy Filip Chvátal (KDU-ČSL), councilor Tomáš Aberl (TOP 09), and councilor Kateřina Jarošová (ANO). The expert part consists of Ondřej Císler from the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, director of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb Marcel Fišer, director of the Moravian Library Tomáš Kubíček, director of the House of Art of the City of Brno Terezie Petišková, and sculptor Martin Zet.

Kundera passed away in Paris on July 11, 2023, at the age of 94. Vera Kundera died on September 13, 2024. The urns containing their remains returned from Paris to the writer's hometown of Brno in January. Until the grave is ready, they are stored in the Moravian Library. The tombstone should be completed no later than July of next year. 1.25 million crowns have been allocated for its realization. An additional 250,000 crowns will be shared among the authors of the best proposals.