Josef Hoffmann: Inspiration

Timeless design is interspersed with Inspiration - this is the current event at the Museum of Josef Hoffmann in Brtnice, Vysočina. The new permanent exhibition Josef Hoffmann: Inspiration, dedicated to the sources of inspiration of this significant native of Brtnice, was prepared by the Moravian Gallery in Brno together with MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied / Contemporary Art in Vienna. The new exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of Josef Hoffmann through authentic pieces (furniture, glass, ceramics, jewelry, drawings, and the like) and to delve into the world of inspirations of this leading figure of Viennese Secession and modernism. Secessionist furniture, as well as graphics by Hoffmann's friends hanging on the wall, uniquely complement the magical atmosphere of the architect's birthplace, which has been reconstructed according to period photographs taken by Hoffmann himself. The exhibition is also supplemented by architectural designs and examples of realizations. Some of the presented works will be seen by the public for the very first time.

The beginnings of the modernist movement were described by prominent European architect Peter Behrens in his greeting on the occasion of Josef Hoffmann's sixtieth birthday anniversary as a time of searching. Artists sought to find a new path in art that would free them from the repetition of historical forms, into which they believed their teachers had fallen. Instead of the textbook-sanctioned forms of the past, they began to seek inspiration in the living world.

Josef Hoffmann uniquely managed to work with the motifs around him and transform them into a new style. He was fascinated by the simple South Italian architecture he discovered on his study trip to Capri; he drew inspiration from folk art - he owned a collection of folk textiles, toys, and furniture; he admired Biedermeier, which he considered the last good style in Central Europe. He greatly valued the work of British creators John Ruskin and William Morris from the Arts & Crafts movement, which sought to revive the quality of the artistic craft, the Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and closely followed progressive events in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The exhibition presents Hoffmann's works created in the spirit of modernism and aims to describe the inspirations and explain the paths that led to their creation. Alongside designs and artisanal products from Wiener Werkstätte and other companies loaned from collections in the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia, the exhibition features several authentic pieces preserved in the family home, which contribute to creating its unique atmosphere. This was similarly true after the reconstruction of the house, which Hoffmann carried out in 1907. The colorful wall paintings and new furniture in the Wiener Werkstätte style were then complemented by furniture from his parents, family portraits, and later also painted cabinets in which he stored his collection of folk textiles.

In addition to the most important realizations, the exhibition emphasizes buildings realized in the territory of the Czech Republic, such as the guesthouse of the Poldi steelworks in Kladno (1903) and the country residence of the Primavesi family in Kouty nad Desnou (1913-1914).

"Josef Hoffmann's ability to absorb various artistic influences and transform them into new forms, which further determined the direction of art development, is fascinating. He deserved the admiration of his contemporaries and still amazes today. The exhibition deals with the search for inspiration in his work; it is one of the keys to how one can view and understand Hoffmann's creation. This is also suggested by the texts of Hoffmann himself (My Work, lecture 1911, Autobiography, 1948-1950) and his statements in interviews conducted by his contemporaries (Max Eisler 1930). He fondly remembered Brtnice as a place that significantly influenced his views on art; he gradually transformed his birthplace into a space concentrating examples of his work as well as examples of works that led him to it."

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CURATOR
Martina Straková

EXPERT ADVISORS
Miroslav Ambroz, Rainald Franz, Dagmar Koudelková, Eliška Nosálová, Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel
Jindřich Vybíral

PRODUCTION
Miroslava Pluháčková, Alena Benešová

ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTION
Harald Trapp, Christoph Falkner

CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION
Tabernákl, s. r. o., Restoration Department MG - Alena Hejduková, Jan Hrdina, Miroslav Kluka, Lukáš Kůra, MAK - Restoration

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Štěpán Malovec

TRANSLATIONS
Bernd Magar, Pavel Mašarák, Andrew Oakland

INSTALLATION
Exhibition Construction Department MG - Petr Kolaja, Jiří Šujan

PROMOTION
Simona Juračková, Lenka Němcová, Martina Vašková

ACCOMPANYING PROGRAM
Ludmila Horáková, Jitka Petřeková, Eva Hamerníková, Marie Šindelková
tel. MG: +420 532 169 151, Brtnice: +420 724 543 722, e-mail: da@moravska-galerie.cz, brtnice@moravska-galerie.cz