The Slavic Epic will travel through Japan and China next year

The contracts regarding the exhibitions in Japan and China have already been signed. From March 7 to June 5, 2017, people will see Mucha's work at the National Center of Art in Tokyo. The collection of canvases depicting Slavic mythology will then travel through Shanghai to Nanjing, China, where it will be exhibited from mid-July to early October. This will be followed by an exhibition in Changsha, which will last until January 2018. The journey of the cycle of paintings through China will conclude with an exhibition in Guangzhou scheduled from January to May of the same year. According to the chairwoman, exhibitions in South Korea and Chicago could follow. "However, specific contracts have not yet been negotiated,” she stated.

The collection of Mucha's canvases was relocated to Prague from Moravský Krumlov in 2012 under great media attention, where it had been exhibited for decades at the local castle. According to the painter's legacy, the canvases belong to Prague. The relocation of the Epic sparked a wave of discontent at that time. The leadership of Moravský Krumlov, the South Moravian region, thousands of people, and the painter's descendant, John Mucha, criticized the move.

The legendary cycle of canvases, which are a national cultural monument, was dedicated by Mucha to Prague on the condition that a separate exhibition hall would be built for the work. However, this did not happen, and the canvases are provisionally displayed in the Trade Fair Palace of the National Gallery.

It is also unclear where the works will return after the world tour. Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) mentioned the possibility of building a new exhibition hall in cooperation with the National Gallery. She did not specify whether it could serve as an exhibition space for the Epic.