Zdeněk Fránek: The Guts of Architecture

Vernissage on November 29, 2011, at 6 PM.
The exhibition will be opened by Rostislav Koryčánek and Zdeněk Fránek, featuring Štěpánka Rudolfová (cello) and Lada Kopřivová (movement), along with a performance by the improvisational group IQ 1 - Jana Kneschke, Georgij Bagdasarov, Miroslav Posejpal, Michal Zbořil, Kateřina Bilejová + Jaroslav Šťastný.

Accompanying events
December 8, 2011, at 5 PM - guided tour, Zdeněk Fránek, Rostislav Koryčánek
December 10, 2011, at 3:16 PM - Liptoptera Fest, opening of the installation by Zdeněk Fránek at the forum experimentelle architektur in MuseumsQuartier in Vienna
January 12, 2012, at 5 PM - guided tour, Zdeněk Fránek, Rostislav Koryčánek
January 17, 2012, from 7 PM to 11 PM - Art's Birthday 2011; global celebrations of the 1,000,048th birthday of art at the House of Arts in Brno, on the waves of ČRo 3 - Vltava, in the network and satellite ether of the European Broadcasting Union. Performers: Frutti di Mare (SK), Ondřej Gášek, SHRACK (AT), Blu Simon Wassem.                




The Intestines of Architecture
Rostislav Koryčánek

A building, a house presents itself outwardly through its exterior and conceals its interior within. The spatial dichotomy of outside and inside serves as the starting point for observing and describing the house. Upon closer examination, in some buildings, a state becomes visible that parallels the way meat is pierced by skewers, and that, like a skewer, can unite different pieces and their flavors into one strong chord. Sometimes, seemingly incompatible combinations can evoke feelings of pleasure in the right proportions and sequences, signaling to the observer that the individual components - material, construction, and space - have created a solid whole. And this sometimes occurs regardless of the rationality of the operation or investment. Analogously, we can point to the captivating beauty of a living organism, which is a unification of the logic of the functions of individual organs, their adaptation to living conditions, and at the same time, the illogic of certain developmental residues. Both are connected through the creator's idea.

The fundamental compositional pattern in Zdeněk Fránek's houses is something we might call a "spatial vortex." This designation captures the emphasis that Fránek places on the dynamics of space in his building layout, on its movement, and its blending. It doesn't matter whether the outer framework of the house is formed by a right angle or a curve. This approach is similar to musical composition, where the main motif is elaborated into further sections but never loses its connection with the whole piece. The internal tension of Fránek's buildings transfers to their external form, depending on the urban or administrative situation, which renders the expression of the house more relaxed or more stubborn. However, the external form is always a subordinate expression of the spatial swirling of the building.

This established perspective allows for an observation of all of Zdeněk Fránek's architectural work to date. Even though the formal register of his buildings spans from the wildness of "Hungarian organicists" (Museum of Cartography in Velké Opatovice, sanatorium in Slavkov, family house in Hodonín) to "Czech austerity" (multifunctional building in Žižkov, design of an advertising agency's headquarters in Brno), his architectural thinking remains entirely consistent. In every building, one can discern Fránek's determination to construct the house like a glassblower who shapes viscous glass through a pipe with the force of his breath. There is also a clear affinity for the works of Jan Blažej Santini, which still impress today with bold technical solutions, a specific rhythm of internal space, a relationship to the landscape, and a search for higher principles. Fránek would like to draw some of this legacy into the realm of contemporary architecture.

The exhibition at the House of Arts in Brno suggests that Fránek's approach is undergoing a transformation that is much more substantial than the mutating forms of his buildings. The ever-present theme of agitated space is joined by the theme of movement in space, movement in architecture. Human movement in space is simultaneously a foundation and a visibility of this dimension. The architectural representation of space then records the trajectory of the human body, which immerses itself into the space like into jelly, and its movement creates cavities, solidifying imprints. However, a fundamental transformation occurs with the notion that movement need not only pertain to inner space or the human body within it; this active role can also be attributed to the external forms of the building. They have the capacity to stretch, replicate, regroup, explode, or collapse inward. Fránek complicates the movement in architecture with the movement of architecture.

The inspirational sources of Zdeněk Fránek are temporally and personally situated quite distinctly, and this also causes his expression on the contemporary Czech architectural scene to resonate quite incidentally. Fránek's realizations generate chords in remarkable intervals and extraordinary tonal combinations. The consonance of combined tones possesses such a compelling energy that Zdeněk Fránek is the first contemporary architect to be allocated an entire exhibition floor in the House of Arts for the presentation of his work.

The intent of the exhibition's organizers was for the presentation of Fránek's studio to unfold not against the backdrop of realized buildings; the reference to existing architectural production is deliberately reduced only to their models. The essential aspects unfold through object and spatial installations that would introduce some ideas framing Fránek's considerations about architecture. For the audience, this also brings an unusual spatial experience and an opportunity to glimpse into the intestines of architecture.

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Curator of the exhibition: Rostislav Koryčánek
Preparation of objects: Zdeněk Fránek, Miroslav Kukrál, Adam Lukačovič
Projection: Dana Raková, Miroslav Kukrál
Graphic design: Alena Javorská
Sound installation: Karel Štulo
Installation: Paul Lerch, Ladislav Mirvald, Sukhtseren Tsetsegee, Miloš Měřínský, Svatopluk Máša

Franek Architects
Adam Lukačovič, Alena Javorská, Andrea Fránková, Dana Nováková, Dana Raková, Ivana Linderová, Jiří Topinka, Kateřina Palková, Klára Lukešová, Lukáš Brus, Lukáš Šťastný, Michal Gurka, Michal Snášel, Miroslav Kukrál, Ondřej Pšenčík, Robert Semančík