In Gočár's House on Celetná, there will be a museum of cubism again

Prague - The new exhibition of Czech Cubism will be established in the House at the Black Madonna in Prague by the Museum of Decorative Arts (UPM). It is expected to open in the first half of next year and will replace the exhibition previously operated by the National Gallery in Prague in the Cubist building on Celetná Street. The museum's spokesperson, Jana Ulipová, informed ČTK about this today.
     The museum's intention, according to her, is to maintain the brand of the Museum of Czech Cubism and create an attractive exhibition that highlights the exceptional contribution of Czech artists to Cubism. Cubism developed significantly in the Czech environment into a unique form in architecture, utilitarian objects, and interiors.
     The NG left the Cubist house on September 1. "UPM was prepared to take over the premises of the Museum of Cubism in the House at the Black Madonna in October, but negotiations between the State Fund for Culture, the Ministry of Culture, and the Museum of Decorative Arts are still ongoing," the spokesperson stated. The building belongs to the State Fund for Culture.
     The museum needs alternative spaces as the reconstruction of its main building is approaching. It will gain additional space in the Municipal House, where a temporary exhibition of significant works from its collections is to be created. The Gallery of Joseph Sudek on Úvoz will remain accessible, and UPM presents its collections of furniture and toys year-round at the castle in Kamenice nad Lipou.
     The Cubist building by Josef Gočár from 1912 will, according to Ulipová, undergo partial repairs and a new exhibition. It will emphasize a richer representation of interior design, of which UPM's collection is unique worldwide. This will be supplemented by examples of applied graphics, fine art, and architecture. Visitors will encounter furniture by Pavel Janák, Josef Chochol, Josef Gočár, and Vlastislav Hofman, posters by František Kysela or Jaroslav Benda, and a selection of works by Emil Filla, Josef Čapek, Bohumil Kubišta, or Otto Gutfreund.
     UPM is preparing, alongside the reconstruction of its main building, the construction of a central depository for collections in Prague in Stodůlky. Both projects have construction permits and are awaiting the announcement of tender procedures. In total, they are expected to cost around three-quarters of a billion crowns and should begin next year. Permanent exhibitions in the main building are scheduled to close by June 30, 2013, with the exhibition program ending two months earlier. The reconstruction of the museum's main building is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. New exhibitions are to be opened gradually starting in 2016, depending on the commissioning of the central depository.