Small architecture
Dřevopodnik Holešov, an enterprise of the local economy, was the only one systematically engaged in the production of furniture and interior accessories made of wood laminate – bent wooden slats – from the late 1950s to the 1990s. The architect Ludvík Volák, the main personality of the company, continued the Scandinavian inspiration and his work achieved high functional and aesthetic qualities.
The unprecedented revelation on the Czechoslovak market was noticed by architects who invited Dřevopodnik to cooperate on lucrative state contracts. This resulted in the unique interiors of Czechoslovak embassies, EXPO pavilions, hotels, CSA offices and cultural and restaurant facilities, which are still in symbiosis with numerous works of art representing the best of Czechoslovak art culture. In the case of furniture, it is not uncommon to see original artefacts tailored to specific spaces – now mostly defunct. Bespoke collaboration with leading Czechoslovak artists and small batch production made the furniture valuable but often unavailable pieces.
The exhibition is a continuation of the museum’s architecture collection – the Řepa (EXPO) fund, the Machoninovi fund, the Filsak fund, and the collection of applied art and its line set by the previous curator, Anežka Šimková. Thematically and regionally, it expands the phenomenon of bentwood furniture to include works from the second half of the 20th century, which have exceeded the borders of Czechoslovakia in terms of their quality. Last but not least, it helps to distinguish between the sometimes mixed work of locally close factories, the national enterprise TON and Dřevopodnik Holešov, a local economy enterprise.