In the Savarin Palace on Prague's Příkopy, a new Mucha Museum will open

Prague - The new Mucha Museum was presented today in a late Baroque palace of the Sylva-Taroucca family, known as Savarin. In three restored halls of the Sylva-Taroucca palace, works by Alphonse Mucha are on display, including reproductions, several of which are from the cycle Slavic Epic. There will now be two Mucha museums in Prague, located not far from each other. The second has been situated since 1998 in the Kaunický Palace on Panská Street. The museum will open to the public in a month, on February 24, Simona Kordová from the Mucha Foundation told ČTK.

The exhibition spaces in Savarin were created on the first floor of the palace in place of the former casino, with the reconstruction completed last summer by the developer group Crestyl. The exhibition's concept was collaborated on by architect Eva Jiřičná and her studio AI design. The journalist tour of the museum was conducted today by Marcus Mucha, the great-grandson of painter Alphonse Mucha, grandson of Jiří Mucha, and son of John Mucha. Marcus Mucha stated that events and exhibitions organized by the Mucha Foundation around the world typically attract half a million visitors annually.

The new exhibition at Savarin was prepared by Japanese-British curator Tomoko Sato from family collections based on her own research. Original photographs, drawings, posters, copies of other works, and items related to Freemasonry are on display. "There are 90 originals, accompanied by reproductions. In total, there are 150 exhibits here," Sato said today.

The city of Prague previously considered placing Mucha's Slavic Epic in an underground gallery as part of the Savarin project, but an agreement has not yet been reached. Prague is still negotiating with the Crestyl group regarding this matter, according to Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09). "They have not responded to our comments, which we consider necessary for the contract to be beneficial for Prague as well," Pospíšil told ČTK. Crestyl representative Samuel Johnson stated today that his company is negotiating with Prague about the placement of the epic. Marcus Mucha expressed his desire to see the epic exhibited in Savarin by the 100th anniversary of its completion in 2028.

According to Pospíšil, the city does not need to rush, as the exhibition spaces for the epic in Savarin are not ready, and the painter's granddaughter Jarmila Mucha Plocková has filed a lawsuit against the plan to place the epic there. The deputy plans to meet with her soon. "We will have a meeting with all involved members of the Mucha family," he stated. As an alternative to permanent placement in Savarin, the Lapidarium at the Exhibition Grounds is suggested, the deputy added.

After the creation of the new museum in Prague, two museums with Mucha's name exist, leading to a dispute over the name. The Mucha Museum on Panská Street is operated by a company of the same name, whose managing director is entrepreneur Sebastian Pawlowski, according to the commercial register, and its partner is the Swiss company Pawlowski AG. This museum has had a new exhibition since last autumn, based on a collection of works from the original collection of Ivan Lendl, Lucie Šplíchalová informed ČTK on behalf of the museum on Panská Street.

The Mucha Museum on Panská Street was allowed to use the painter's name based on a contract with Mucha Trust, which manages the painter's artistic estate. However, Marcus Mucha stated today that the contract, which also relates to trademarks associated with the name Mucha, was terminated last year.