Jan Hanák: Spiritual Aspects of Le Corbusier's Late Work

On Thursday April 5, 2018 at 4:00 PM, a lecture by Roman Catholic priest and publicist Jan Hanák will take place in room B510 at FA VUT. During the evening, we will focus on Le Corbusier's late buildings, which differ significantly from the pre-war purist blocks. However, not only did the work undergo transformation, but also the personality of the avant-garde artist turned hermit settled in Cabanon on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Le Corbusier declared himself an atheist, yet at the end of his life, he created several sacred buildings: the Marian chapel in Ronchamp (1954), the La Tourette monastery (1960), and the church of St. Peter in Firminy (1979). After visiting the 12th-century Cistercian monastery, Le Corbusier noted: "Light and shadow are the amplifiers of this architecture of truth, peace, and strength. Nothing else need be added. In these days of 'cruel concrete', let us greet, bless, and salute as we walk our path in such a miraculous encounter."

Mgr. Jan Hanák (*1974 Brno) studied at the Faculty of Arts (journalism major 1998) and concurrently at the Faculty of Theology at Palacký University in Olomouc (theology major 2000). During further postgraduate studies (sociology), he lectured on radio production at the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University in Brno. He is a priest of the Brno diocese (ordained in 2001). After serving in Znojmo, Křižanov in Moravia, Brno-Zábrdovice, and Boskovice, he has been active since 2010 in the rural parish of Bohdalice in southern Haná. In the mid-nineties, he started as a journalist at Czech Radio and Radio Proglas, where he also hosted programs. In 2003, he exchanged radio for Czech Television, where among other things he moderated profile interviews "Before Midnight" on ČT24. Gradually, he transformed from a journalist into a documentarian, with which he ultimately returned to Czech Radio.

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