Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín
Art, architecture and design from the 19th to the 21st centuries have taken over the space of the successfully reconstructed factory hall from the Bata era. Here you will find not only a permanent exhibition of modern and contemporary art but also a graphic cabinet and temporary exhibitions.
Originally, the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts was located in the House of Art, which was recently reconstructed and reopened as the Tomas Bata Memorial. Today, the gallery can be found in tastefully renovated industrial space of the 14|15 BATA INSTITUTE, which allows its collections and temporary exhibitions to stand out. The gallery's collections include mainly works by Czech and Slovak artists from the 19th to the 21st century. The gallery also organises triennials, exhibitions of contemporary artists, and focuses on design, architecture and children.
The Regional Gallery of Fine Arts is visited not only for art openings and exhibitions, but also offers a rich accompanying program. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, creative workshops, and educational activities designed to make art more accessible to the general public, including children.
+ − zlín: Art, Architecture and Design
This permanent exhibition, accessible from the autumn of 2024, offers a look into not only the recent history of art but also the complex relationships within visual culture across various aspects of life through three hundred original exhibits. The central theme revolves around the contrast between how Zlín and its surroundings are perceived externally and how they define themselves internally. On one hand, there is a strong legacy of modernization and industrial development left by the Baťa company. On the other hand, there is a traditional and sentimental view connected to nature and the countryside. This apparent contrast forms the fundamental content of the entire exhibition.
The exhibition is divided into two parts, symbolizing the civilizational conflict reflected in Zlín's development. The first part presents the rational and pragmatic approach the city adopted during its rapid modernization, while the second reflects the irrational response—focusing on traditions and personal freedom. The title of the exhibition, “+ − zlín,” is a metaphorical expression of concepts that reflect this dynamic and the relativity of opposites: rationality versus emotion, standardization and uniqueness, organization versus spontaneity, mass versus individuality, change versus permanence, speed versus depth.
For more information on this permanent exhibition, you can read our full article.
Online gallery from your living room
You can visit the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts from the comfort of your sofa. Take a look, for example, at the now physically non-existent exhibition Space Zlín or watch the videos through the Curator's Eye. If the weather is nice, take a walk to see the artworks in the public space of Zlín with the map prepared by the gallery.
Interesting facts
From April to September the 14|15 BATA INSTITUTE together with the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts organises guided bus tours "Let's explore not only Bata's architecture of Zlín''.
These tours build upon the permanent exhibition + − zlín – the architecture section, which presents the architectural development of Zlín in the 20th century. The focus is on the city’s greatest period of growth during the Bata company era from the 1920s to the 1940s, showcased through models, historical photographs, building plans, and visualizations.
The two-hour tours, led by experts from the gallery, start in the factory complex at the regional cultural and educational centre 14|15 BATA INSTITUTE. During the tour, participants will see the villa of Bata company manager Ludvík Gerbec, the residential districts Zálešná and Podvesná, the experimental corridor house, and the Tower and Morýs houses. The bus then continues through Obeciny, past the current Malá scéna theatre and the Evangelical Church, heading toward the Collective House and the Villa of Jan Antonin Bata. The route concludes with a drive along the Gahura Boulevard, passing the Tomas Bata Memorial and ending at the Department Store on Labour Square.
Check the Institute's website for reservations.
Where next
- Discover The Bata Principle exhibition at the Museum of South East Moravia in Zlín. It is located in the same building.
