Michaela Mráčková: Riverflow

During October, a large-scale abstract painting by the young Brno painter Michaela Mráčková was created along the section of Táborského Embankment, on the wall surrounding the Convent of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth. The protective flood barrier, which forms part of an ambitious urban plan for the revitalization of the Svratka River embankment, was conceived by the student of the Painting Studio III at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology as an allusion to the element of water.

Her mural, covering an area of approximately 485 m² and stretching over 260 meters, continues the cycle of works Michaela Mráčková has created over the past two years as part of her bachelor’s studies. The artist works from the experience of limited vision, which lends her art a special sensitivity. Her approach is grounded not only in visual empiricism, but also in haptic and auditory perception. As a result, her work gains a unique expressiveness, focus, and an unusual, radical dedication to her artistic vocation.

The painting’s sensitive color composition is complemented by a graphic transcription of ambient sound, created during the final phase of its completion. This gives rise to a distinctive visual poetry – a fusion of color, rhythm, sound, and gestural drawing in dialogue with space. The artist translates her auditory experience while painting into poetic dialogues, and the mural Riverflow thus enters into an inspiring visual relationship with the Svratka River, especially when viewed from the opposite riverbank on Poříčí Street, near the ROS car center.

The realization of the mural on the flood protection wall surrounding the convent was preceded by a series of author’s sketches by Michaela Mráčková. These designs played a key role in determining the appropriate technique and materials for transferring the painting onto the outdoor concrete surface, which differs significantly from work on paper. The drafts, developed in consultation with studio head Patricie Fexová, and with the support of her parents and assistance dog Anežka, became the basis for collaboration with Lukáš Veselý from the company Malujeme jinak, an experienced mural artist and technician. Veselý applied Mráčková’s design to the wall using a high-pressure spray technique, after which the artist completed the piece with her own gestural drawing, capturing the sound of the nearby flowing river.

Additionally, Lukáš Veselý contributed his own mural to the revitalization of Táborského Embankment, painting a child with a brush, which also responds to the theme of water.

The realization of the large-scale mural on Táborské Embankment was initiated by the Brno-střed District Council, in cooperation with the Brno City Architect’s Office and the Department of Culture of the Brno City Municipality, and was commissioned by the Brno House of Arts. In 2025, the mural Riverflow became part of the ongoing Out of the House project of the Brno House of Arts, through which various works of public art are being created across the city.

Artist: Michaela Mráčková
Technique: brush painting, airless spray in combination with aerosol
Realization: Michaela Mráčková, Malujeme jinak s.r.o.
Supported by: Michaela Mráčková’s parents, assistance dog Anežka
Commissioned by: House of Arts Brno
Project partners: City of Brno, Brno-střed District, Hospice of St. Elizabeth

The painting will be officially unveiled on Tuesday, November 18.
Photo: Tatiana Drgonec Dižová