made by fire exhibition blazes through milan before spreading to czech republic

made by fire combines aesthetic items with themes of social issues

The Made By Fire exhibits Czech glass, porcelain and ceramics, against the backdrop of social issues. The multi-medium showcase displays great variety, however each item shares one common interconnection – it was created in the heat of Czech kilns and furnaces. The showcase welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the Triennale, where it displayed for Milan Design Week. It’s success continues October 3 – 15, 2023 as part of the Designblok, Prague International Design Festival, before it rests in the Museum of Applied Arts in Brno until 31 August, 2024.

exhibition images by Vojtech Veskrna

made by fire features 100 exhibits from 40 designers

The Czech Republic is becoming increasingly known as an artisan hub, and Made by Fire, presented by the Moravian Gallery in collaboration with Designblok, further enhances that reputation. Curated by Danica Kovářová and Eva Slunečková, the exhibition features nearly 100 exhibits from 40 Czech contemporary designers, through an architecture and scenography shaped by designer Maxim Velčovský together with the studio edit! architects. The large representation combines experienced masters in the field with young, up-and-coming artists.

themes of Industry, Adaptation, Identity and Experiment

The Made by Fire project is structured around four themes: Industry; Adaptation; Identity; and Experiment. The display includes a Stanislav Müller suit made of 2600 tiny mirrors that performs live at certain times as well as the provocative ‘Ten Commandments of Masturbation’ by Markéta Špundová: a collection of sculptures that aims to uproot the classical myth of masturbation being harmful and forbidden. Moreover, Rony Plesl’s uranium glass sculpture, Thorn, is showcased as an interactive piece that responds to ultraviolet light and glows in the dark. The exhibit brings diversity through multiple mediums to thoroughly explore the themes of social issues.

exhibiton debuts at milan design week before moving to czechia 

Made by Fire’s debut during Milan Design Week lit up the Triennale exhibition space, which welcomed 77,300. From being included in the top ten most anticipated exhibitions, to the long queues drawn in front of the building, the exhibit succeeded in its goal of promoting Czech design on a global stage.

Art enthusiasts who missed the Milan exhibit have been gifted another chance as the exhibition reopens 3–15 October 2023 in the prestigious space of Prague Castle’s Ball Games Hall as part of the Designblok, Prague International Design Festival. After the two week display, the exhibit moves to to the Museum of Applied Arts in Brno from 17 November 2023 to 31 August 2024.

As part of the Milan exhibition, a vehicle that was destroyed during the war in Ukraine was burned in Sempione Park. Civilian cars have provided cruel testimony of the terrible tragedy which continues to unfold, and are a direct witness to war in the 21st century. The car was taken directly from the war-torn regions and offers a view onto the atrocious situation in Ukrainian cities. The project testifies to the stories of Ukrainian citizens who lost not only their cars, but often all their possessions and, in the worst case, even loved ones.

This multimedia art project produced by Stanislav Müller has been ongoing for close to thirty years. Müller performed his first performances in a mirror suit in 1996, and then also presented it as part of his graduate work at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. Müller created the Mirror Man as a method of assimilation – the surrounding world is reflected in 2600 little mirrors, and merges with the figure. The artist does not act out of place, but rather tries to meld with his surroundings. Mirror Man is a reaction to the overproduction of luxury, individualism and lack of self-reflection in society, remaining topical to this day. The project is represented at the exhibition by the suit, as well as Stanislav Müller’s live performance at select times.

The Made by Fire exhibition also presents a publication of the same name which will present the individual works and authors and frame their work within a broader context. It features original photographs made by the acclaimed photographer Hana Knížová, which react to the questions posed by the individual exhibition themes and constitute another artistic layer of meaning for the entire project.

The exhibition entrance is framed by paintings of Czech factories symbolizing the country’s industrial landscape. This collection of historical works also comprises five new works by painter Dominik Forman. This installation emphasizes the fact that Czechia is one of the few countries able to produce its own designs, process its materials and produce the products, all in one place.

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project info:

name: Made by Fire

presenter: Moravian Gallery | Designblok

curator: Danica Kovářová and Eva Slunečková

concept and design, artist collaboration: Maxim Velčovský

design and architecture: Vítězslav Danda / edit! architects

graphic solution: Lukáš Kijonka

prague location: Prague Castle’s Ball Games Hall, Prague

brno location: Museum of Applied Arts, Brno

prague date: 3 October 2023 – 15 October 2023

brno date: 17 November 2023 – 31 August 2024

video: Igor Zacharov

photo from the catalogue: Hana Knizova

photo from the exhibition: Vojtech Veskrna