Casa Kohn - český funkcionalismus na úpatí And
The exhibition titled “Casa Kohn: Czech Functionalism at the Foot of the Andes” kicks off this year's series of exhibitions focused on the work of architects of Czech origin who have succeeded on the international stage. As the first, the curator of the exhibition Adam Štěch decided to tell the story of the German-speaking Prague architect Karel Kohn, who emigrated to Ecuador before World War II. The exhibition will focus on Kohn's peak project, his own house Casa Kohn, which he built in Quito in 1951 and which became a milestone in the development of Ecuadorian modern architecture. The exhibition can be visited from March 25, 2022, to June 20, 2022.
Following last year's cycle of three exhibitions dedicated to the work of foreign architects in the Czech lands, we are continuing with a second series that will naturally complement the explored theme of the interplay between domestic and international architectural creation across various periods, styles, and personalities. The year 2022 will thus be dedicated in the exhibition spaces of the Winternitz Villa to the work of architects of Czech origin who have succeeded internationally and created original and very specific works in various countries around the world.
Antonin Raymond, Benjamin Jelinek, Carlos Navrátil, Heinrich Kulka, and Karl Kohn. All of these architects originate from Czech lands, yet they have participated to varying degrees in the development of modern architecture in completely different parts of the world such as Argentina, Ecuador, Japan, the USA, or Australia and New Zealand.
The story of the Kohn Villa is not just the tale of a top architect and his family, but a narrative about crucial historical phenomena and events that the global society experienced during the 1930s to 1950s. These events significantly influenced the development of artistic movements, architecture, and design. It was primarily the outbreak of World War II that caused an unprecedented brain drain from Europe. Facing the growing danger of Nazism, visual artists, architects, and designers also fled to new worlds.
“The Prague-born German-speaking architect Karel Kohn went to Ecuador, where he designed dozens of private residences. He combined Prague's functionalist experiences with specific elements responding to the new cultural and climatic environment of Latin America. However, the most significant project became his own house called Casa Kohn, which the architect officially presented in 1951 with the attendance of Ecuador's then-president Galo Plaza. The new residence was labeled the most modern building in the country and received several prestigious awards.” summarizes the theme of the exhibition curator Adam Štěch, who visited Quito last November. He spent five days in Karel Kohn's house and carefully documented its current state, which does not differ much from the time when the house was built. The exhibition tells the story of this house not only through texts but mainly through photographs exhibited in public for the very first time.
Curator: Adam Štěch
Author of photographs and texts: Adam Štěch
Graphic design and installation: Matěj Činčera, Jan Kloss, Adam Blažek
Following last year's cycle of three exhibitions dedicated to the work of foreign architects in the Czech lands, we are continuing with a second series that will naturally complement the explored theme of the interplay between domestic and international architectural creation across various periods, styles, and personalities. The year 2022 will thus be dedicated in the exhibition spaces of the Winternitz Villa to the work of architects of Czech origin who have succeeded internationally and created original and very specific works in various countries around the world.
Antonin Raymond, Benjamin Jelinek, Carlos Navrátil, Heinrich Kulka, and Karl Kohn. All of these architects originate from Czech lands, yet they have participated to varying degrees in the development of modern architecture in completely different parts of the world such as Argentina, Ecuador, Japan, the USA, or Australia and New Zealand.
The story of the Kohn Villa is not just the tale of a top architect and his family, but a narrative about crucial historical phenomena and events that the global society experienced during the 1930s to 1950s. These events significantly influenced the development of artistic movements, architecture, and design. It was primarily the outbreak of World War II that caused an unprecedented brain drain from Europe. Facing the growing danger of Nazism, visual artists, architects, and designers also fled to new worlds.
“The Prague-born German-speaking architect Karel Kohn went to Ecuador, where he designed dozens of private residences. He combined Prague's functionalist experiences with specific elements responding to the new cultural and climatic environment of Latin America. However, the most significant project became his own house called Casa Kohn, which the architect officially presented in 1951 with the attendance of Ecuador's then-president Galo Plaza. The new residence was labeled the most modern building in the country and received several prestigious awards.” summarizes the theme of the exhibition curator Adam Štěch, who visited Quito last November. He spent five days in Karel Kohn's house and carefully documented its current state, which does not differ much from the time when the house was built. The exhibition tells the story of this house not only through texts but mainly through photographs exhibited in public for the very first time.
Curator: Adam Štěch
Author of photographs and texts: Adam Štěch
Graphic design and installation: Matěj Činčera, Jan Kloss, Adam Blažek
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
0 comments
add comment
