Academy of Fine Arts. Research and Development Centre

The Research and Development Centre of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (Vědecko-výzkumné pracoviště AVU, or VVP AVU) is the dedicated research institute of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (AVU). Established in 1997 with support from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, it was created to strengthen scientific research at universities. Its core mission is basic scientific research, the processing of source documentation, and the critical evaluation and reinterpretation of Czech visual art from 1945 to the present, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary overlaps. VVP AVU conducts comprehensive research into Czech post-war and contemporary art, focusing on primary sources, their collection, and subsequent critical analysis. Its goal is not only to advance knowledge of the local development of art history but also to place it within broader international contexts. The centre continuously builds a documentation centre with an archive of textual and visual material. It maintains two publicly accessible online databases: bibliobáze, a database of bibliographic records on Czech art, and i-datum, a database of contemporary art that is part of the european-ART.NET project. The centre publishes the periodical Sešit pro umění, teorii a příbuzné zóny (Notebook for Art, Theory and Related Zones), which features studies and reviews on art and theory. Its major publication outputs include the anthology České umění 1938–1989 / programy, kritické texty, dokumenty (Academia, Prague, 2001) and its foreign-language selection Utopien & Konflikte. Dokumente und Manifeste zur Tschechischen Kunst 1938–1989 (Hatje Cantz, 2007). A graphic schema of Czech art of that period was also created alongside these publications. VVP AVU is active in international cooperation, participating in projects such as vektor.at (a project of European contemporary art archives), gravitation.at (an interdisciplinary forum on the theme of gravity/weightlessness), and european-ART.NET (the largest European data pool of contemporary art). It has also collaborated on exhibitions and events, including the exhibition TURBULENCE at Museum Kampa in 2005–2006 and the Sembion project shown at ZKM Karlsruhe in 2004. The centre organizes lecture series such as Středy na AVU and cooperates on DigiLab AVU and KOKO. As part of a public art academy, VVP AVU operates as a state-owned research entity. It is headquartered in Prague and its activities are primarily focused on the Czech Republic and European research networks. Its website, vvp.avu.cz, serves as a portal for its publications, databases, and events.

The Research and Development Centre of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (VVP AVU) was founded in 1997 with the support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MŠMT ČR) as part of a national effort to strengthen science and research at universities. From its inception, it has conducted comprehensive scientific research into Czech post-war and contemporary art, focusing on primary sources, their collection, and subsequent critical analysis. Its aim is to contribute to the development of knowledge about the local history of visual art and to place it in broader international contexts. A documentation centre with an archive of textual and visual material has been continuously built at VVP AVU. Two online databases are publicly accessible: bibliobáze, a database of bibliographic records on Czech art, and i-datum, a database of contemporary art that serves as a parallel research platform and is involved in the european-ART.NET project. Research projects have included "Moderní a postmoderní umění po roce 1945" (1999–2004, MSM 520000002), "České umění v období post-socialistické transformace (1980–2005)" (2007–2011, MSM6046144601), and "České umění 80.–90. let – reflexe a dokumentace" (2007–2011, DD07P03OUK001). The centre's publication activities disseminate its methods and results primarily through theoretical and textual materials related to the history of Czech modern and contemporary art. Key outputs include the anthology České umění 1938–1989 / programy, kritické texty, dokumenty (Academia, Prague, 2001) and the foreign-language selection Utopien & Konflikte. Dokumente und Manifeste zur Tschechischen Kunst 1938–1989 (Hatje Cantz, 2007). A graphic schema of Czech art of this period was also created. VVP AVU publishes the periodical Sešit pro umění, teorii a příbuzné zóny. International cooperation has been a significant part of its work, including participation in vektor.at (a project of European contemporary art archives), gravitation.at (an interdisciplinary forum on the theme of gravity/weightlessness), and european-ART.NET (the largest European data pool of contemporary art). It has also been involved in exhibitions and events, such as the exhibition TURBULENCE – Karel Malich / Federico Díaz / E-Area / Zbyněk Baladrán at Museum Kampa (15 November 2005 – 1 January 2006), and collaboration on the Sembion 1.1.2. / Interactive HCCI Installation (2004), shown at ZKM Karlsruhe in the exhibition Die Algorithmische Revolution from 31 October 2004. It also participated in presentations at multiplace.sk in Brno in April 2008. The centre organizes lecture series such as Středy na AVU (broadcast on ČT24) and cooperates on DigiLab AVU and KOKO lecture series. It remains an active part of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, continuing its research, documentation, and publication activities.

• 2008

  Presentation at multiplace.sk in Brno in April.

• 2007

  Foreign-language selection Utopien & Konflikte. Dokumente und Manifeste zur Tschechischen Kunst 1938–1989 published by Hatje Cantz.

• 2007

  Research projects "České umění v období post-socialistické transformace (1980–2005)" (MSM6046144601) and "České umění 80.–90. let – reflexe a dokumentace" (DD07P03OUK001) begin, running until 2011.

• 2005

  Exhibition TURBULENCE – Karel Malich / Federico Díaz / E-Area / Zbyněk Baladrán held at Museum Kampa (15 November 2005 – 1 January 2006).

• 2004

  Collaboration on Sembion 1.1.2. / Interactive HCCI Installation, shown at ZKM Karlsruhe in Die Algorithmische Revolution from 31 October.

• 2001

  Anthology České umění 1938–1989 / programy, kritické texty, dokumenty published by Academia, Prague.

• 1999

  Research project "Moderní a postmoderní umění po roce 1945" (MSM 520000002) begins, running until 2004.

• 1997

  VVP AVU founded with support from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

A university-based research centre for Czech modern and contemporary art, bridging local art history with international scholarly networks.

• bibliobáze

  Database of bibliographic records on Czech art, containing annotated records of books, catalogues, exhibitions, articles, proceedings, and unpublished texts concerning Czech modern and contemporary art with interdisciplinary overlaps.

• i-datum

  Database of contemporary art providing elementary data on Czech art from the 1980s to the present; serves as a parallel research platform of VVP AVU and is involved in the european-ART.NET project.

• Sešit pro umění, teorii a příbuzné zóny

  Periodical published by VVP AVU, featuring studies and reviews on art, theory and related zones.

• České umění 1938–1989 / programy, kritické texty, dokumenty

  Anthology of texts published by Academia, Prague, 2001.

• Utopien & Konflikte. Dokumente und Manifeste zur Tschechischen Kunst 1938–1989

  Foreign-language selection of texts published by Hatje Cantz, 2007.

1. 1Vědecko-výzkumné pracoviště AVUvvp.avu.cz
2. 2Vědecko-výzkumné pracoviště AVU – Wikipediecs.wikipedia.org
3. 3Akademie výtvarných umění. Vědecko-výzkumné pracoviště – Wikidatawikidata.org