The exhibition of the works of the American artist Noah Breuer in Břeclav‘s Havlíčk Villa combines contemporary design with historical fabric swatches. Through more than twenty exhibits made of textiles, paper and glass, the author returns to his roots in the Czech Republic, where his family owned a textile factory before the Second World War.
The artist attended the opening at the end of last week with his relatives. The show called The Return will last in Břeclav’s Havlíčk Villa until March 16, 2025, in the fall of next year it will be moved to the Municipal Museum in Dvůr Králové nad Labem.
Breuer has been to the Czech Republic several times since 1990. However, it was not until eight years ago that he found the archive of his family company in the Museum of Textiles in Česká Skalica. “The most interesting objects for me were the printed swatches. I was particularly interested in the playful motifs applied to children’s textiles depicting circus acrobats, airplanes and cars. I didn’t want to just reprint them. Instead, I created new original works of art. This whole process was like an imaginary return for me to the legacy of our family business,” describes Breuer, who heads the printing studio at the University of Buffalo in the US.
The company Carl Breuer and sons was founded in 1897. Since 1907, it operated a textile factory in Dvór Králové. Before World War II, it produced 660,000 meters of fabric per year.
After it was confiscated by the Nazis in 1939, it began to produce yellow Stars of David, which Jews had to wear sewn onto their clothes. Most of the members of the Breuer family perished in concentration camps. Only five relatives survived and managed to escape to America.
The collection inspired by historical swatches in the Czech Republic is presented by the non-profit organization Moravian Beauty. “For a long time, we have been dedicated to the promotion of Moravian folk culture in the Czech Republic and abroad, but we are also interested in the tradition of handing down craft and artistic skills in families. That is why I was very interested in Noah Breuer’s project, which presents not only original works of art, but also a strong story from our Czechoslovak history,” said the organization’s founder, Monika Vintrlíková.
In January 2025, Noah Breuer will give a lecture at the Prague Museum of Applied Arts.