On the Edge or Place of Architectural Inspiration - Invitation to a Lecture

The joint Czech-Slovak exhibition On the Edge or Architectural Inspiration Places presents contemporary Czech and Slovak architecture that has emerged outside traditional centers. It seeks to find an answer to the question of what conditions the emergence of valuable architecture in peripheral geographic or social situations. The exhibition consists of two relatively independent national displays. Despite the fact that they are formally almost indistinguishable, they have been created by two separate teams, each approaching the assignment in slightly different ways.
The exhibition Places of Architectural Inspiration: Czech Architecture Outside Traditional Centers 1990-2013 addresses more than a hundred architectural works that were created between 1990 and 2013 in the Czech Republic in towns and villages with a population of fewer than 20,000. It is clear from the title that architecture can serve as a model for local governments or private entities and can also be viewed as a manifestation of courage that ultimately leads to the strengthening or even fundamental transformation of the identity of a given place. The exhibition strives to highlight especially architectural works that serve the public good, whether they are schools, educational centers, municipal offices, nursing homes, geriatric centers, churches, cultural houses, galleries, museums, memorials, but it also addresses transport and sports buildings or public spaces and industrial architecture. (concept and texts: Petr Volf; graphics: Štěpán Malovec)
The Slovak architectural scene is a characteristic representative of a situation on the edge of European architectural development, where the majority of creative energy traditionally focuses on overcoming basic social restrictions and limits of construction production. These circumstances then compel architects to continually create unconventional strategies for architectural creation that allow these limitations to be overcome and utilized. The exhibition On the Edge: Contemporary Architecture in the Regions of Slovakia also draws attention to architectural works that were born out of such strategies. It strives to capture regional architectural hubs that have emerged in various parts of Slovakia over the past two decades, as well as the results of individual authors' efforts aimed at more or less marginal areas of the country. It thus provides a unique picture of the concepts, forms, creators, and clients of architecture that is a complementary part of the main architectural trends. (concept and texts: Henrieta Moravčíková, Peter Szalay, Laura Pastoreková; graphics: Laura Pastoreková)
The exhibition will be accessible in the foyer of the Faculty of Architecture STU from Monday, May 26, to Friday, June 6, 2014.
The festive opening of the exhibition will take place on Wednesday May 28, 2014, at 5:00 PM. The opening will also include lectures by the exhibition curators Petr Volf and Henrieta Moravčíková, and a lecture by one of the exhibiting architects, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Architecture of the technical university in Liberec, Zdeněk Franěk.