What was the first villa designed by the renowned architect Josef Gočár? How was he influenced by the family for whom he designed it? And what is his connection with Pardubice Castle? All these questions and more are answered in the interactive exhibition They Brought the World Home – The Binkos and Josef Gočár.
The exhibition presents the architect Josef Gočár and the Krucemburk factory-owner Josef Binko, who were linked not only professionally (as Gočár designed a house for Binko) but also by family ties. Perhaps surprisingly, these ties can be traced back to the brewery at Pardubice Castle. Josef Gočár came from a local brewing family, and the Binko brothers married Terezie, Marie and Antonie Chladová, the daughters of the head brewer at Pardubice. The exhibition is being held directly above the former brewery cellars.
The exhibition takes the form of a virtual visit to the “Red Villa” in Krucemburk. This commission from Josef Binko, the owner of a tannery in the town, gave Gočár his first opportunity to design a villa. The exhibition not only presents the architectural plans, but also gives an insight into how Gočár conceived the house as a complete and integrated work of art, incorporating a rich array of visual details. The Binko brothers were noted art-lovers, and Gočár introduced them to a circle of young artists including František Kysela, Vojtěch Sucharda, Marie Teinitzerová, Pavel Janák and Jan Štursa. All of them made their own contributions to the décor of the Red Villa – and now, a century later, these contributions can once again be seen together in one place, as visitors have a unique opportunity to view items from private family collections that have never previously been displayed to the public.
The exhibition also highlights the role of tanning and leatherworking, which had a tradition in the Binko family dating back to the 17th century and acted as the impetus behind many of the art works commissioned by the Binkos.
The interactive elements in the exhibition cover architecture, furniture design, photography and tanning. Visitors can try out some leatherworking techniques that would have been familiar to the Binkos, as well as gaining insights into the everyday lives of the exhibition’s “heroes”. The Gočárs and the Binkos often spent time together on trips around the town of Krucemburk and in the beautiful landscapes of the Vysočina region.
