The exhibition will present selected works of art in public spaces from 1948–1989 in what is now the Moravian-Silesian Region.

In addition to examples of Socialist Realism, one section of the exhibition features works from the 1960s, which were created in a freer environment primarily in the forms of abstraction and new figuration. A large number of monumental sculptures, paintings, and mosaics were created at that time for housing estates, schools, office buildings, and factories. The exhibition brings together works from all of these and similar public spaces.

Another section of the exhibition features works from the Normalization period, which often maintained a high standard of quality, especially when created by artists operating in the “gray zone” or on the verge of being banned. On display are works made from a wide variety of materials, as well as studies and models for the final installations.

Among other things, the exhibition aims to demonstrate to the public that works of art from the era in question often constitute a high-quality and valuable layer of cultural memorythat has been threatened since 1989 by insensitive interventions or demolitions. It also seeks to contribute to their reinterpretation—which is key to understanding the visual culture of socialism—and thus join earlier projects and efforts with similar goals (Intruders and Herons,Statues and Cities).

curator: Martin Pavlíček