Jan Kotěra and his students at the School of Applied Arts
Jan Kotěra, a leading figure in Czech modern architecture, left his mark on the history of UMPRUM as well. At the then Applied Arts School in Prague, he led a special school for decorative architecture, and many of his more than 40 students are among the key figures of Czech architecture in the first half of the 20th century. How did Jan Kotěra teach? What assignments did the students draw? The exhibition "Jan Kotěra and His Students at the Applied Arts School" attempts to answer these questions.
Jan Kotěra taught at UMPRUM from 1898 to 1910, passing on his experiences gained not only during his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Otto Wagner but also from his own practice over time. He became a crucial supporter of promoting a "new spirit," and his arrival is unanimously regarded in the school's history as the starting point of a new developmental stage. He educated a new generation of young progressive architects, including Josef Gočár, Otakar Novotný, Jaroslav Rössler, Adolf Foehr, Vilém Kvasnička, Jan Zázvorka, and Emanuel Pelant.
Kotěra’s main contribution was the programmatic promotion of a new style and the emphasis on rationalist constructive principles. At the same time, “he preached that the most important thing in relation to students is to suppress the authoritative opinion of the educator and reveal their own pure individuality, which allows them to find their own path to architectural work. Thus, a student does not simply repeat learned patterns and motifs but seeks a contemporary method of architectural expression through detailed study of the history of architecture and its constructions”, explains curator Josef Holeček about Kotěra’s progressive approach. The exhibition "Jan Kotěra and His Students at the Applied Arts School" attempts to critically probe Kotěra's teaching methods and the actual results of student works: it presents not only previously published works of students but also some previously unexamined drawings archived in the National Technical Museum. These can be seen as one of the testimonies of what assignments were actually given to the students. The school works are supplemented with profiles of the architects themselves and examples of their later works.
The architectural design of the exhibition also draws visitors into the atmosphere of the studio, aiming to recall the place where students worked. Simple installations of students' sketches and profiles of Kotěra's graduates refer to period bulletin boards around the hall. Drawing tables have been replaced by an exhibition with examples of period literature that played a significant role in the education and work of the students.
A companion program for the exhibition is being prepared. Dates for individual events will be published in advance.
Exhibition curator: Josef Holeček
Expert collaboration: Jindřich Vybíral
Graphic design: David Novák, Kateřina Pravdová
Photography: Anna Veronika Křížová
The exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Technical Museum.
Jan Kotěra taught at UMPRUM from 1898 to 1910, passing on his experiences gained not only during his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Otto Wagner but also from his own practice over time. He became a crucial supporter of promoting a "new spirit," and his arrival is unanimously regarded in the school's history as the starting point of a new developmental stage. He educated a new generation of young progressive architects, including Josef Gočár, Otakar Novotný, Jaroslav Rössler, Adolf Foehr, Vilém Kvasnička, Jan Zázvorka, and Emanuel Pelant.
Kotěra’s main contribution was the programmatic promotion of a new style and the emphasis on rationalist constructive principles. At the same time, “he preached that the most important thing in relation to students is to suppress the authoritative opinion of the educator and reveal their own pure individuality, which allows them to find their own path to architectural work. Thus, a student does not simply repeat learned patterns and motifs but seeks a contemporary method of architectural expression through detailed study of the history of architecture and its constructions”, explains curator Josef Holeček about Kotěra’s progressive approach. The exhibition "Jan Kotěra and His Students at the Applied Arts School" attempts to critically probe Kotěra's teaching methods and the actual results of student works: it presents not only previously published works of students but also some previously unexamined drawings archived in the National Technical Museum. These can be seen as one of the testimonies of what assignments were actually given to the students. The school works are supplemented with profiles of the architects themselves and examples of their later works.
The architectural design of the exhibition also draws visitors into the atmosphere of the studio, aiming to recall the place where students worked. Simple installations of students' sketches and profiles of Kotěra's graduates refer to period bulletin boards around the hall. Drawing tables have been replaced by an exhibition with examples of period literature that played a significant role in the education and work of the students.
A companion program for the exhibition is being prepared. Dates for individual events will be published in advance.
Exhibition curator: Josef Holeček
Expert collaboration: Jindřich Vybíral
Graphic design: David Novák, Kateřina Pravdová
Photography: Anna Veronika Křížová
The exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Technical Museum.
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