The artist Klímová presents villas from the normalization era in Brno

Brno - The villas built during the normalization period are presented by the latest laureate of the Chalupecký Prize, Barbora Klímová, at an exhibition that opens today at the House of Lords from Kunštát in Brno. The exhibition includes photographs, project documentation, and interviews with builders and owners. Klímová, who primarily focuses on conceptual art, was inspired by last year's highly attended exhibition of Famous Brno Villas at the House of Art, which completely omitted the 1970s and 1980s. 
"I subconsciously knew that there must be some normalization villa, so I tried to find one," Klímová told ČTK today. She searched for buildings constructed during the decline of architecture herself in Brno's residential neighborhoods. "The selection is essentially random; I managed to find the represented villas, and the owners were willing to talk about their house," she added.
The testimony of the owners is considered by curator František Kowolowski to be a valuable part of the exhibition, through which architecture is put into the context of its time. "These are opinions on the building practices of the time, information about the possibilities and obstacles back then," said the curator. Klímová pointed out that in the 1970s and 1980s, the owners of the newly built villas were often also the builders, as they constructed the houses with their own hands.
The artist claims that the exhibition does not aim to mock or diminish normalization architecture. "I consider the architecture of the 1970s and 1980s to be extremely important. It is the environment in which we grew up. I have a almost maternal relationship with it; it actually affected me that it was not included in the original exhibition. I felt a civic duty to supplement it," she stated. She also emphasizes that the exhibition at the House of Lords from Kunštát cannot be considered a professional architectural exhibition; rather, it bears the characteristics of a personal document.
The exhibition titled Famous Brno Villas II will last until June 29. Every Wednesday, the gallery offers free entry.