Welcome!
The mission and purpose of the Endowment Fund is to support creative activity and non-commercial projects in the field of fine arts, literature and educational activities at the national and international level.
The foundation tries to support artistically demanding projects that are aimed at narrower circles of viewers and whose need for support is greater than for creations that belong to the artistic mainstream. One of the goals is to integrate cultural projects into the international context and thus promote the name of the Czech Republic abroad.
In order for the Foundation to fulfill its mission as best as possible, it turns to donors and sponsors who are willing to invest their resources in Czech culture.
The foundation prioritizes the support of artistically demanding creative projects with the aim of developing the opinion, social and artistic expression of the current generation and facilitating communication between artists and the public.
The areas of support granted by the Endowment Fund are divided into three programs and include projects at the national and international level:
I. FUNERAL ART
From 2023, the foundation develops the Funeral Art program. The intention is to pay respect to the deceased through artistic means, as was quite common in the past. Unfortunately, in our society, the physical departure from our earthly life is a topic on the fringes of public interest.
GLASS SOUL / PIETAS I. - Collection of 21 funeral urns 2023
In 2023, the implementation of the first part of the project was completed. 21 leading Czech artists from various disciplines were invited to collaborate with the aim of offering additional possibilities for the concept of molten sculpture. As they penetrated into another field, the more they revealed other properties of art: the ability to bring together different media of expression and to break the boundaries between stereotypes with imagination. We witnessed the story of how traditional molten sculpture in dialogue with metal, minerals and jewelry techniques became a new artefact and took on additional meanings. Everything was subordinated to a single purpose; create a functional funeral object and pay respect to the deceased through artistic means. The collection was exhibited in the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague (17/5-17/9/23).
STELE WITH HEART / PIETAS III. – Open Art Call 2024
As of September 12, 2023, an open art competition has been announced to design contemporary funerary stelae for placement on a cemetery headstone or memorial. The deadline for the competition has been extended to 30 June 2024 due to high interest, read more here. On 27 August 2024 the winning results of the open one-off art competition for the design of funerary stelae entitled STELE WITH HEART were announced. Visitors could see the selected winning designs in the premises of the Black Swan Art & Event Gallery until 30 September 2024. All this with the support and contribution of our Foundation and the Municipal District of Prague 1.
Based on the success of the Glass Soul / Pietas I project, Arte Bohemien will support the winning artists and implement their designs in the project - Funeral Culture. The Arte Bohemien Foundation supports the announcement of the Stelas with Heart / PIETAS III. art challenge, organized under the auspices of GLAZ BRIDGE, paying tribute to contemporary artists.
GLASS SOUL - SOUL
Exhibition series, selected locations in the Czech Republic, 2024
Exhibition of funerary art glass sculptures and urns
On November 1-2, 2024, a special exhibition was realized to commemorate the deceased. As part of this event, unique glass art urns, sculptures and other artifacts were displayed at prestigious locations across the country. Where visitors could discover the beauty that combines the fragility of glass with a timeless artistic message. At the same time, visitors were able to experience moments of quiet remembrance in the company of masterpieces by leading Czech glassmakers, sculptors and other artistic figures, more here.
Based on the revival of funerary culture and the success of the Glass Soul / Pietas I project, Arte Bohemien is stepping forward as co-organiser to support the exhibition series, organised under the auspices of GLAZ BRIDGE. All this with the support and contribution of the Municipal District of Prague 1.
II. LITERATURE
Support is directed in the form of grants to publishers of literary works, which will have a rather minority position on the book market, for which financial support is necessary. We are preparing the following editions for 2024:
Title: GLASS SOUL / PIETAS
The publication follows the collection exhibited in the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague, 17/5-17/9/23. Rich pictorial documentation including 21 functional funerary objects, works by the following authors: Vladimíra Klumpar-Pavlik (sculptor, glassblower), Federiko Díaz (sculptor working with robotics, multimedia artist), Martin Janecký (sculptor, glassblower), Petr Písařík (painter, sculptor) , Alžběta Jungrová (photographer), Zdeněk Fránek (architect), Tono Stano (photographer), Zdeněk Lhotský (glass maker, sculptor, artist, graphic artist), Marek Číhal (painter), Vladimír 518 (rapper, painter, typographer, writer), Michal Škapa
(painter, graphic artist, typographer, designer), Filip Kůrka (painter), Matyas Pavlik (glazier), Michal Cimala (sculptor, painter and musician), Jakub Janovský (painter and sculptor), Antonín Střížek (painter, photographer), Natalie Dufková, (fashion designer) Jiří Belda (jeweler, sculptor), Viktorie Beldová (jeweler) and Lucie Švitorková (glass maker). The book points to the important traditions of Czech glassmaking and its artistic and craft mastery, and at the same time maps departure rituals from around the world.
Author: Martina Sikorová, Karel Holub and a team of authors will contribute examples of different approaches to preparation, departure and piety from around the world: Zanzibar, Vladimir 518; Traditions of 18th-20th century Europe, Roman Prahl; Japanese mourning kimono, Marie Míčová; About fused glass sculpture, Sylva Petrová; Mexican Day of the Dead, Vladěna Klumpar Pavlik; Varanasi, India, Martina Sikorová; Dictionary of funeral culture, Karel Holub.
Year of publication: 2024. Number of pages 168
Title: G. ARCIMBOLDO, RUDOLF II. AND RODOVSKÝ Z HUSTIŘAN
The publication is a colorful fresco of events in Czech society between 1575 and 1618. Renaissance gastronomic culture will be presented on period iconographic material and in individual documents, which includes not only cookbooks of the time, but also broader natural science literature and court ceremonies. An integral part is the analysis of the neglected contribution of the famous painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo to the knowledge of the flora used in the alimentary system of the second half of the 16th century.
Authors: Markéta Slavková, Karel Holub.
Publication date: October 2024. Number of pages 285.
III. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
The subject of the activity is the revival of funeral culture and traditional crafts in connection with modern technology; promotion of cultural and historical heritage in the Czech lands; organization of artistic challenges, educational school programs and conferences at the Czech and international level; lecture activity.
Project - CASANOVA *300 (April 2 - September 30, 2025
Giacomo Casanova in Bohemia; the goal of the project is to present, on the basis of archival documents held in the National Archives of the Czech Republic, the painting G. The project will be implemented in cooperation with foreign entities as well, more link below.
The project includes thematic exhibitions and publications:
Casanova in Bohemia: Istituto di cultura italiana a Praga
Casanova in the movie: Prague - Cinema U Hradeb
Casanova and the Secret of Manuscripts: Museum of the City of Duchcov.
G.Casanova; Baroque Theatre, Český Krumlov State Castle.
G. Casanova; Poetry
G. Casanova; Thoughts on painting
Project - CINEMA 64 U HRADEB
The legendary premiere cinema was the most modernly equipped cinema in Prague in 1989; was created as part of a new building at Mostecká 21. The association Jsme U Hradeb, established in March 2016, is striving to restore the cinema. The building is currently undergoing revitalization in order to create a center focusing on audiovisual production and the organization of socially beneficial and educational events:
Miloš Reindl – Lonely runner.
Exhibition of film posters by Miloš Rendl and his contemporaries from the sixties.
Endless story.
A series of 8 lectures focused on the urban and architectural transformation of the Malá Strana over time.
