Come with us on an exclusive tour around the family home of the collectors and Kunsthalle Praha founders, Pavlina and Petr Pudil.

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Nestled in the heart of a calm Prague residential area, the home of Pavlina and Petr Pudil is a breathtaking showroom for one of Czech’s most substantial collections of modern and contemporary art of the region. As one opens the door, guests are greeted with a concrete sculpture by Anna Hulacová, standing guard beside a gigantic painting of a white-faced harlekin by Jonas Burgert.

Pavlina Pudil, as she greets us with her warm demeanor, confides, “We see it as a guard, protecting the entrance and keeping us safe.”

 

 

 

 

The avid art collector guides us through rooms adorned with some of the works from the Pudil Family Foundation’s collection. Pavlina and Petr Pudil carefully oversee the artworks until they move on, whether within the walls of Kunsthalle Praha, established by the art-loving couple and opened in February 2022, or on loan to various other art institutions. Over 1,000 artworks belong to the Pudil Family Foundation’s collection, spanning modern, post-war and contemporary Czech positions, coalesce with international counterparts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The house is home to diverse works from the Foundation’s collection, such as Otto Piene and a captivating black and white work by Heinz Mack from 1959, from the early days of Group ZERO. Pavlina points out another favorite by Emil Filla, between World War I and World War II a leader of avant-garde in Prague and an early Cubust painter, often hailed as the Czech Picasso. Two hand casts by Jonas Burgert, nestled beneath a colorful painting by Kikki Kogelnik, hold a special place in Pavlina’s heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Gregor Hildebrand and Jindřich Štyrský grace the middle floor, and the lower floor showcases a Teodor Rotrekl painting, next to a contemporary installation dress out of tiles from Zhanna Kadyrova. The only piece in the building not bound to be loaned to an institution is a sculpture crafted by the daughter of the house and a lively, oversized fish by young Czech artist Kryštof Strejc, a gift to the Pudil’s 14-year-old son, aspiring to become a marine biologist.

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re interested in learning more about the art-collecting couple Petr and Pavlina Pudil, check out our interview about their journey from hobbyist buyers to founders of a major art institution ↗

 

 

 

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Photos: Maria Belova

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