Exhibition Opening
Greetings to Igor Zhoř

We warmly invite you to the opening of the exhibition Greetings to Igor Zhoř, which will take place on Tuesday, April 8, at 6pm in the Jaroslav Král Gallery at the House of Arts. Curator Marika Svobodová will introduce the exhibition. In parallel with Greetings to Igor Zhoř, the exhibition Uncertain Domesticities will be opened. 

Participating artists: Vladimír Havlík and Tereza Velíková

PROGRAMME

18:00 Opening Speech
18:30 Musical Performance: Nina Kohout
18:30 Performance Stefan Hurtig: Freedom of Sleep (I Would Prefer Not Perform)
19:00 Opening Speech and Performance for the Exhibition Greetings to Igor Zhoř: Marika Svobodová / Vladimír Havlík: Put Your Hand to the Plough
19:30 Opening Speech for the Exhibition Uncertain Domesticities: Terezie Petišková and Ina Bierstedt

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:

The exhibition, prepared to mark the 100th anniversary of Igor Zhoř’s birth, will present the life and work of this influential theorist of art education and visual arts, teacher, curator, critic, and initiator of cultural events. From the 1950s to the late 1990s, Zhoř played a key role in shaping the artistic landscape of Brno.

Throughout his life, Zhoř was dedicated to the promotion and mediation of visual arts, firmly believing in their irreplaceable role in society. He consistently emphasized the importance of art’s socialization as a unique means of interaction and communication with the world. He engaged with modern and, in particular, contemporary artistic production in the Czech Republic and abroad, advocating for and closely following its diverse forms while actively working to make them accessible. His approach to art education was groundbreaking, as he integrated contemporary art with his own pedagogical methodology in an entirely innovative way.

His School of Visual Thinking concept from the 1980s, designed for non-professional artists, introduced a radically new approach to educational practice. By incorporating and internalizing visual, performative, and conceptual elements of contemporary art through direct creative experience, Zhoř transcended conventional teaching methods and opened new possibilities in art education.

The exhibition will showcase the breadth of Zhoř’s theoretical, popularization, educational, and organizational activities through a variety of materials. These will include a curated selection of archival documents—ranging from catalogs, publications, and correspondence to photographs from art events—as well as Zhoř’s conceptually designed PF cards, a collection of artworks on matchboxes, and pieces inspired by fire. Additionally, a selection from his extensive art collection will be displayed, highlighting Zhoř’s close relationships with multiple generations of artists, particularly those associated with the so-called Brno Circle. Among them are works by Dalibor Chatrný, Leonid Ochrymchuk, Vladimíra Sedláková, Jan Wojnar, Pavel Rudolf, Jan Steklík, J. H. Kocman, and many others.

Contemporary artist Tereza Velíková will present a video essay that offers a contemporary reflection on Zhoř’s concept of the School of Artistic Thinking, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Meanwhile, Vladimír Havlík’s participatory performance will introduce a performative dimension to the exhibition, actively engaging visitors in its realization.

The exhibition also features a small reading room, providing a space for relaxation or personal creative activities.

More about Igor Zhoř

Photo by: Tomáš Plachký