UMPRUM is celebrating 130 years and opening its studios during Designblok

Prague - The Prague University of Applied Arts (UMPRUM) is opening all its studios today, celebrating the 130th anniversary of its founding. In the main building at Jan Palach Square, it will showcase a selection of the best of its work and thus join the just-starting Designblok exhibition. Like it, the presentation of the studios will last until October 27.
    "We did not want to limit the presentation of the studios with a unified curatorial concept. On the contrary, we gave them the freedom to best showcase their work on this occasion," said Jiří Pelcl, the vice-rector for external relations and international cooperation, an architect and designer who focuses on industrial design of glass, porcelain, and furniture.
    In addition to the exhibition in the school building, there are separate exhibitions by students and studios. The K.O.V. studio has prepared a presentation titled "At the Edge" at the future Museum of Contemporary Glass Ziba on Příkopy. The Industrial Design Studio will showcase part of its work at the Exhibition Grounds in Holešovice, where Designblok is taking place. A group of students from the Product Design Studio also participated in the exhibition of Vitra directly in the Industrial Palace.
    Recent UMPRUM graduates are achieving great success at the Diploma Selection competition for talents from European countries. "Among the 28 designers, seven are from the Prague University of Applied Arts," said the school's spokesperson Kamila Stehlíková to ČTK.
    Among them is recent K.O.V. graduate Michal Strach with his work "Inner Space" and Eliška Kuchtová from the Clothing and Footwear Design Studio, who impressed with a collection of shoes that fall apart by themselves. Others include Kristýna Nováková, a graduate from the Fashion Design Studio, Martina Hudečková from the Ceramics and Porcelain Studio, Zuzana Bošková from the Furniture and Interior Design Studio, Miroslava Mitísková from the Graphic Design and New Media Studio, and Jorge A. Garcia Razo, who completed his studies in Visual Arts.
    The University of Applied Arts was established in the fall of 1885 as the first educational institution of its kind in the country. A school-wide presentation of the studios, titled UMPRUM celebrates 130 years!, will complement the opportunity to participate in theoretical lectures. Personalities from the field of art history theory, such as Jindřich Vybíral, Milena Bartlová, and Lada Hubatová-Vacková, will give lectures.
    A bust of one of the school's educators, the prominent Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, was unveiled today in the rector's office. "Plečnik not only made his mark in the history of Czech architecture as the architect of the modifications of Prague Castle, but also as a teacher at our school, significantly influencing the contemporary generation of young architects," said rector Jindřich Smetana, explaining why they chose to commemorate this figure on the anniversary. The bronze bust is a copy of the original by the Slovenian sculptor Peter Černy.