through the temple, the circle, the hillside | permanent exhibition from the AJG collections

The permanent exhibition, located in the Wortner House in České Budějovice, presents a selection from the collections of the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery. The core of the collection, and thus the first acquisitions, were works of medieval art. In the permanent exhibition, the space of the first basement floor is reserved for them, which by its character and architectural elements evokes a sacred space, thus notionally returning individual objects to their places of provenance, primarily sacred buildings. In this context, Mgr. Hynek Látal, PhD. from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, an expert on South Bohemian Late Gothic art, was invited to collaborate on the creation of the permanent exhibition.

A voluminous part of the AJG collection is naturally art associated with South Bohemia; other key themes of the collection are works of interwar avant-garde and Czech post-war art. These themes will be given space on the first floor above ground in the permanent exhibition. The selection of specific works is realized in connection with medieval art. The exhibited landscapes evoke the atmosphere of the localities from which medieval works originate, while abstract compositions then relate to spirituality and the spiritual in general. Works bearing Christian symbolism such as the cross or the circle are also present.

The architectural solution of the exhibition also addresses the possibility of exhibiting works on paper, otherwise often overlooked drawings and graphics, in larger quantities and with the possibility of regular changes, which are also required by exhibition conditions for works on paper.

The exhibition is part of the ATCZ00122 Gothic Trail Mühlviertel – South Bohemia (AT-CZ) project, which is co-financed by the Interreg Austria – Czech Republic 2021–2027 program and the budget of the South Bohemian Region.