Press Release

May 13, 2024

Film Exhibitions at Zlín Castle to Showcase Works by Zdeněk Rozkopal and Ondřej Brýna

The Václav Chad Gallery in Zlín, in collaboration with the Zlín Film Festival, has prepared two film-themed exhibitions. "Between Film and Painting" will display the extensive creative range of scenographer, artist, and director Zdeněk Rozkopal, who worked at the Kudlov Studios for 40 years. "INTER-PHASES" will present projects by the young artist Ondřej Brýna, who combines traditional art forms with new media. Both exhibitions will open on Friday, May 31, at 5:00 PM. During the festival, extended opening hours will be available.

Zdeněk Rozkopal can certainly be called a man of many professions. He linked his creative life to the Zlín film studios, working not only as a film architect but also as an artist, costume designer, concept author, screenwriter, and director. He collaborated with Karel Zeman, Hermína Týrlová, Josef Pinkava, Karel Kachyňa, Filip Renč, and many other creators, and is associated with dozens of films and series. "Fate led him to the genre of films for children and youth," said Miroslava Ptáčková, the exhibition curator. "His artistic signature has a recognizable character, yet it faithfully serves the material and its interpretation, and in its finest instances, enriches it with a dreamlike poetic dimension."

Besides his film work, Zdeněk Rozkopal also engaged in free graphic and painting creation, scenographic work for the theater, woodcarving, sculpture, museum and festival exhibition designs, and book and newspaper illustrations. On the occasion of the exhibition and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rozkopal's birth, the Zlín Film Festival has prepared the publication "The Hidden Face of a Film Architect," which will be introduced at the opening.

A supplementary program is also prepared for the "Between Film and Painting" exhibition. On Tuesday, June 4, at 4:00 PM, there will be a lecture "Through the Lens of Time: Art, Film, and Its History in Zlín," and on Thursday, August 22, at 5:00 PM, the closing ceremony will include a guided tour with Michal Rozkopal and exhibition curator Miroslava Ptáčková. The exhibition will run until August 25.

The second exhibition, "INTER-PHASES," brings to Zlín the talented Ondřej Brýna, a student of FAMU with the ability to transcend traditional boundaries between various artistic forms. The unique collection in the fields of puppet animation, film creation, and scenography includes the artist's most well-known projects, including animated music videos "Smoking is a Disgusting Habit" for Pokáč and "Robots" for the Pilsen band Gary's Houseboat.

"The exhibition allows insight into the creative process and shows how Ondřej's passion for stories and characters comes to life on stage and screen. It provides a deeper look into his creative mind and working process, serving as inspiration for all interested in the intersection of traditional art forms and new media. Each phase of creation reveals the endless possibilities of artistic expression," described Miroslava Ptáčková.

More than 30 scenes from puppet animated films, 60 puppets, countless framed sketches, designs, photographs, and paintings, multimedia installations, video projections, and examples of puppet animation film creation processes will be on display.

Visitors interested in meeting the artist will have the opportunity not only at the opening but also at the guided tour of the exhibition on Thursday, June 13, at 5:00 PM. The exhibition will run until July 14.
Both exhibitions are accessible in the Václav Chad Gallery on the first floor of Zlín Castle from Wednesday to Friday and on even-numbered Sundays, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. During the Zlín Film Festival, from May 30 to June 5, the gallery will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except on June 3, when it will be open from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is 70 CZK, 50 CZK for children aged 6 to 15, students, and seniors. Children under 6 and holders of ZTP and ZTP/P cards have free entry. School groups pay an admission fee of 40 CZK, with free entry for accompanying teachers.

The exhibition is organized with the support of the State Fund of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Zlín Region, and the Statutory City of Zlín.

For more details about Zlín Castle and the Václav Chad Gallery, visit www.gvch.cz.

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