Brno announces a competition for an artwork dedicated to Lucie Bakešová

The statutory city of Brno announces a competition within the project Statues for Brno for the proposal and subsequent realization of a piece dedicated to Lucie Bakešová. The assignment is not looking for a historicizing monument but a contemporary interpretation of the themes embodied by her life – care, human dignity, civic initiative, and social solidarity.

The work will be located on Žlutý kopec in close proximity to the Masaryk Oncology Institute. The adjacent park area is expected to be transformed in the future according to the winning proposal by the studio CHVOJKA/architect. The artwork should become part of the wide entrance space to the park and must respond both to the current state of the site and its planned transformation.

It is essential for participants that the assignment does not specify a particular artistic form, material, or size of the piece. However, the proposal must be permanent, securely installed, and resistant to climate influences and potential vandalism. The solution may also include modifications to the immediate surroundings of the artwork, but not broader park renovations.

Lucie Bakešová (1853-1935) was a Moravian ethnographer, social and educational worker, and a prominent organizer of public life. She focused on folk culture, collaborated with Leoš Janáček, and was involved in women's, charitable, and peace organizations. In Brno, she initiated the establishment of the Society of the House of Comfort and was instrumental in founding the institution that grew into today’s Masaryk Oncology Institute. Her son, surgeon Jaroslav Bakeš, expanded the original humanitarian idea into the concept of a specialized treatment and research institute.

Basic Information for Participants

The competition is anonymous, and it can be participated in by individuals, legal entities, author teams, and the wider professional public fulfilling the requirements of the tender documentation.

The physical part of the proposal must be delivered by September 21, 2026, by 12:00 PM. It includes a presentation panel of the recommended size of 70 × 100 cm and a separate model of the piece. The digital part is to be submitted via the E-ZAK system on the same day by 11:59 PM.

The total maximum value of the contract is 3 million crowns excluding VAT. Of this, a maximum of 2.725 million crowns is allocated for the realization of the piece and 275 thousand crowns for competition prizes and rewards. The first prize amounts to 125 thousand, the second to 75 thousand, and the third to 50 thousand crowns; an additional 25 thousand crowns is reserved for rewards. The anticipated completion date for the artwork is by June 21, 2028.

Joining the independent part of the jury are sculptor Hynek Skoták, art critic and curator Silvie Šeborová, architect Jakub Chvojka, and sculptor Veronika K. Psotková. Other regular members include Vojtěch Mencl, Dagmar Seidlová, and Petr Bořecký.

Complete competition conditions and materials will be published on the E-ZAK profile of the contracting authority, on the official board of the City of Brno, and on the project pages Sculpture Brno. Deadline for submission of competition proposals:

• PART 1 by September 21, 2026, by 12:00 PM
• PART 2 by September 21, 2026, by 11:59 PM

Publication of competition conditions:
Contracting authority profile: https://ezak.brno.cz/ 
Competition materials:
Competition materials are posted on the contracting authority profile: https://ezak.brno.cz/, and also on the official board of the City of Brno: http://edeska.brno.cz/eDeska/ until September 21, 2026, inclusive.

Note: This is an anonymous competition; all submissions and communications (unless stated otherwise in the competition conditions) take place through the electronic tool of the contracting authority at the internet address: https://ezak.brno.cz/.