Of course, everyone knows the name Pablo Picasso, and knows, in one way or another, that an artistic movement called Cubism existed. Cubist paintings and sculptures can be found all over Europe, and even elsewhere in the world. However, cubism in architecture remains a purely Czech phenomenon. And it's in the very first cubist building that the exhibition on Czech cubism is housed.
The Museum of Decorative Arts currently occupies four floors of the Black Madonna House, built in 1912 by architect Josef Gočár. The 2nd and 3rd floors house a permanent exhibition on Czech Cubism; the 4th is reserved for temporary exhibitions and the top floor for educational activities for the general public and children.
The permanent exhibition introduces visitors to the unique Czech Cubist movement, which spanned the period from 1911 to 1914. The collections include paintings and sculptures, as well as works of architecture, interior design and applied arts that have no equivalent in Europe. In Prague, Cubism is most closely associated with the Group of Plasticians (1911-1914), whose members included painter Emil Filla, sculptor Otto Gutfreund, writer and painter Josef Čapek, architects Pavel Janák and Josef Gočár and many other artists.
The collections of design objects contain magnificent samples of cubist furniture, ceramics and metal objects. The building's cubist architecture is absolutely unique in the European context. You'll also be able to admire a large number of unrealized projects through architectural sketches and plans. Completed projects are illustrated with photographs.
In the exhibition's interactive zone, you can sit in a cubist armchair. And thanks to the map you'll receive free with your visit, you can then set off to discover Prague's other cubist monuments.
