The Bata Region

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 for the accompanying programme, which includes guided tours, discussions, theatre performances, creative workshops and the gallery art playground for 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.

You can visit the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts from the comfort of your sofa. Take a look at the excellent 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.

From April to September the 14|15 BATA INSTITUTE together with the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts organises guided bus tours "Let's explore the Bata architecture of Zlín''. The tours with experts from the gallery last for two hours and present buildings No 13, 14 and 15 of the factory complex, the villa of the director Dominik Čipera in Burešov, the residential districts of Zálešná and Podvesná, the Tower and "Morýs'' houses, the Obeciny district, the Small Scene (Department store and Community centre Díly), the villa of Jan Antonín Baťa and the Collective House. At the end of the tour you will pass the Tomas Bata Memorial, an important monument of modern Czechoslovak architecture, and the Labour Square (náměstí Práce), where the company buildings of the Department Store, Interhotel Zlín and Big Cinema still stand. This tour will show you "Zlín in a nutshell" and present the most important objects of Zlín's interwar architecture. Check the Institute's website for reservations.