NEWS | 3. 6. 2016

With the presence of Culture Minister Daniel Herman, Archbishop of Olomouc Jan Graubner and Governor Jiří Rozbořil we yesterday inaugurated a new permanent exhibition of the Archdiocesan Museum named „In Glory and Praise | Thousand Years of Spiritual Culture in Moravia II“. In the evening, during which it was also a memorial plaque to the European heritage, was a celebration of ten years of the museum. Minister Herman also praised world renowned sculptor and Olomouc native Ivan Theimer.

Ten-year existence of the museum reminded the deputy director of the Museum of Art Ondřej Zatloukal. “Archdiocesan Museum is an attempt to create a place with a strong genius loci by exposing works with a strong spiritual content. Unusual in this country is a form of cooperation between church, state and the region,” said Ondřej Zatloukal.

“A thousand years is a period of time that the human memory is not able to comprehend. But now, just at a time when we often ask for values that built our country, which built the foundations of European culture – so we are at the right place,” said Daniel Herman.

The minister said that the force that stands for the values of exhibited works and which withstood the competition of time and adversity many different times, is amazing. “The functioning of the Archdiocesan Museum shows how blessed are times of cooperation between state and spiritual power, and conversely how sad are the times when this cooperation is not,” said the minister.

Archbishop Jan Graubner said that todays world has a problem with emptiness and value orientation. “Just look at the beauty of art could be a good inspiration. Christian values are not just in a museum, archive, library or in a freezer. Christian values occur where people live with Christian principles,” said the archbishop. He hopes that visitors to the museum it will discover the roots of Christian culture and do not want to just enjoy the fruits.

The museum organized dozens of exhibitions and published hundreds of books, organized many lectures, conferences, workshops, and has an extensive educational activities. Director Michal Soukup thanked colleagues, experts, external workers, artists, politicians and volunteers who are running the Archdiocesan Museum deserved. He listed not only institutions but also specifically to many people. Among them his predecessor Pavel Zatloukal.

Governor Jiří Rozbořil said that the Archdiocesan Museum is one of the most visited monuments in the Olomouc region. “The museum has a world-class level. Each year the museum is visited by about eighty thousand visitors,”said the governor. But he also appealed for a “counterbalance” in the form of the Central European Forum. That ancient spiritual art complement the current context.

Renewal of the permanent exhibition puts emphasis on Olomouc Baroque. Minister Herman after was excited after visiting the museum. “Its extremely beautiful whole, shows the wealth of spiritual culture and what is the identity of our country and society,” he explained. Approached him painting Adoration of the Shepherds by El Greco, which lent by the Metropolitan Museum in New York. “Everyone I recommend a visit and not one I like coming back here,” he added.

Renewal of the permanent exhibition puts emphasis on Olomouc Baroque. Minister Herman after visiting the museum said he is excited. “Its extremely beautiful whole, shows the wealth of spiritual culture and what is the identity of our country and society,” he explained. Approached him painting Adoration of the Shepherds by El Greco which lent by the Metropolitan Museum in New York. “I recommend a visit to everyone and no one, I also like coming back here,” he added.