Art historian and design curator. From 1990 to 2001 she worked in the Moravian Gallery in Brno, and since 2002 has been Curator at the Design Centre of the Czech Republic. Her main fields of interest are furniture and furnishings from the interwar years, bentwood furniture and contemporary design. She has organised a number of exhibitions by Czech and foreign designers.
SECOND SERVICE
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAGMAR KOUDELKOVÁ, CONSULTANT FOR THIS CHAPTER
WHAT APPEALS TO YOU ABOUT THAT
PERIOD?
Freedom, freedom in the arts and a broad
spectrum of opinion. The post-revolution
era brought radical changes to the
existing structures, and opened the way
to experiment, people looked for new
approaches, with the emphasis on novel
designs.
WHAT DID THAT PERIOD
CONTRIBUTE TO CZECH DESIGN?
When large state-owned companies
and cooperatives were closed, privately
owned architecture and design
studios were founded.. Education also
underwent fundamental changes, and
important designers from other countries
were invited here to teach. The nineties
brought a young generation of designers
who also had good management skills
and clear ideas on how to present
their work. Opening up access to other
countries played an important role, as
did the opportunity to visit trade fairs
and exhibitions abroad.
WHAT EVENTS DO YOU THINK HAD
THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON
CZECH DESIGN?
Designers could work with new materials
such as corian, perspex and carbon
fibre, and with new technologies, lasers
for instance. Important factors were
Bořek Šípek’s work at the Academy
of Arts, Architecture and Design and
Olgoj Chorchoj’s exhibition at the Milan
Furniture Fair.
WHAT WERE YOUR CRITERIA FOR
SELECTING INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITS?
It was based on the qualities of the
designs, their originality and their
technical parameters.
IS THERE ANYTHING FROM THOSE
YEARS THAT YOU WOULD CALL
TYPICALLY CZECH?
An unconventional approach to routine
assignments, with ironic exaggeration
and a sense of humour.
IF YOU WERE ON A DESERT ISLAND AND COULD TAKE THREE OBJECTS FROM THAT PERIOD WITH YOU, WHICH ONES WOULD THEY BE? I’d definitely take the Agnes the Sperm teaspoon, and one of Tescoma’s kitchen products, so I’d have something to use the teaspoon in.