Růžena Žertová: Architect of Houses and Things - Book Launch

On Thursday, February 2, 2017, at 6:00 PM, the cultural space PRAHA / Forum for Architecture and Media will host the launch of a book accompanied by short lectures from Petr Klíma, who is also the editor of the book, Martina Mertová, Šárka Svobodová, and Jaroslav Sedlák about the work of Růžena Žertová, Petr Žert, and Igor Svoboda. The program will conclude with an open discussion with Růžena Žertová. During the evening, it will be possible to purchase the publication on-site.
The first standalone publication dedicated to Růžena Žertová (*1932) summarizes the life and professional journey of an outstanding and long-neglected author, presenting her as an architect, designer, and artist.
The publication loosely follows the exhibition Růžena Žertová: architect / designer / artist, which took place in the fall of 2013 at the Museum of the City of Brno. The basic building blocks of the publication are studies by authors who have long devoted themselves to various areas of Růžena Žertová's work – Petr Klíma, Petra Gajdová, Darina Zavadilová, and Adam Štěch. Although Žertová was known for many years almost exclusively as the author of outstanding designs for department stores from the 1960s and 1970s, her later work, which focuses on family housing, is also remarkable. Since the 1960s, Růžena Žertová has also been involved in designing interiors and furniture; in the 1970s and 1980s, her aluminum lighting fixtures gained significant popularity. From the 1980s, Žertová applied her experiences with metal and fabric processing and her enthusiasm for technological experiments in her jewelry and fashion accessory designs. The book corresponds to these five key areas of her work with the same number of separate chapters.
However, the publication, introduced by a foreword by Ivan Ruller, also includes three essays whose topics extend beyond the work of Žertová herself but also capture a broader framework of her professional activities. “Two of these texts are dedicated to the architects who significantly influenced the life and work of the author – her brother Petr Žert and her life partner Igor Svoboda,” states the editor of the book, Petr Klíma. The authors of these chapters are Martina Mertová and Šárka Svobodová with Jaroslav Sedlák. The third text is a commented list of works by Czech and Slovak female architects published between 1946 and 1989 in the journal Architektura ČS(S)R. A detailed overview with more than 500 names was prepared by Michaela Janečková, Barbora Šimonová, Petr Klíma, Jana Pavlová, and Anna Šubrtová. “The book also includes an interview that Petr Pelčák conducted with Růžena Žertová, a brief biographical overview, and a compilation of the architect's work,” adds Petr Klíma. The publication was graphically designed by Matěj Činčera and Jan Kloss, and the author of most contemporary photographs is Petr Jehlík.
The presentation and interpretation of Růžena Žertová's work complement the existing mapping of domestic architectural, design, and artistic-craft work from the second half of the 20th century – work that was created by the architect outside the capital, yet significantly influenced the form of the contemporary domestic scene. The significance of the project also lies in its scope – the presentation of Růžena Žertová as a versatile creative personality indicates the conditions and contexts of designing in the field of architecture and related disciplines in then Czechoslovakia.

More information >