100 YEARS OF THE HOUSE OF ART IN OSTRAVA / (1926–2026)

The year 2026 is exceptional for the House of Art in Ostrava. Our exhibition building will celebrate 100 years since its opening. Since May 13, 1926, when it was first opened to the public, it has remained one of Ostrava's most distinctive architectural and cultural symbols. The building was designed by architects František Fiala and Vladimír Wallenfels, whose modern and timeless concept still stands out in the center of Ostrava today.

The origins of the House of Art are firmly linked to the Association for the Construction and Maintenance of the Exhibition Pavilion in Moravská Ostrava, which in 1923 launched an architectural competition for a new exhibition hall. From this emerged the design of the Fiala-Wallenfels duo, realized with minor modifications into the form we know today.

František Jureček (1868–1925), an Ostrava builder, collector, and patron, also played a crucial role in the creation of the House of Art. During his lifetime, he donated a significant part of his art collection to the Association of the House of Art, with the wish that it be permanently accessible in Jureček's Picture Gallery. This gift laid the foundation for the collection of today's Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava, which currently cares for more than 24,000 artworks and is located in the listed House of Art.

No less important person associated with the beginnings of the House of Art was Alois Sprušil (1872–1946). He was a founding member of the Association of the House of Art, a tireless organizer of artistic life, and the first administrator of Jureček's Picture Gallery. From 1926 to 1946, he also served as the unpaid director of the House of Art. Thanks to his dedicated work, the collection grew rapidly. Sprušil was at the birth of professional collection care. He lectured and guided visitors through exhibitions for free every Sunday afternoon. With his enthusiasm, he shaped the institution's character in its first decades.

This year's centenary celebrations will focus primarily on presenting the GVUO collections. We are thus building on the original idea of the founders of the House of Art. You can already look forward to the all-day celebration of 100 years of the House of Art in Ostrava, which will take place on Wednesday, May 13.

100PA You may have noticed a new visual element that has begun to appear on all GVUO graphic outputs. It is a typographic pun, 100PA, which refers to the word "stopa" (track/footprint) and commemorates the hundred-year imprint that the House of Art has left in the Moravian-Silesian Region and throughout the entire republic. The House of Art was one of the first exhibition buildings in our country that was built on a so-called greenfield site. We believe that it has left its mark not only in the lives of the artists who exhibited here, but also in the history of the region and has become part of the story of many families living in our region. And we would be delighted if it also leaves its mark in your heart.

GVUO Team