Home of science and culture
The Moravian Museum (Moravské Zemské Muzeum) is the second largest and oldest museum in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1817. Its exhibitions present the history of the fields of natural and social sciences, and culture. It has several exhibition halls throughout Brno: the Dietrichstein Palace (Dietrichsteinský palác), the Bishop’s Courtyard (Biskupský dvůr), the Mendelianum, the Palace of Noble Ladies (Palác šlechtičen), the Anthropos Pavilion, the Leoš Janáček Memorial (Památník Leoše Janáčka), and Jiří Gruša House.
‘When Mamoths Migrated through Brno – Zdeněk Burian Gallery’ exhibition
This exhibition describes human evolution, the development of our social life and society, from the earliest eras of human history. It presents the main events of becoming human, their special chipped stone tools and their use, and we can see the increase in the diversity of these tools. We can get an insight into an artistic activity that appeared at the end of the prehistoric age: figurines and cave paintings of hunting scenes, rock paintings depicting wounded animals. Zdeněk Burian’s impressive paintings enhance the atmosphere of the exhibition. His paintings reveal the everyday life, hunting and social behavior of humans with the fauna of the Ice Age.
‘Thousand Faces of Amazonia’ exhibition
The main organizers of the exhibition are Hispanist Athena Alchazidu from Masaryk University in Brno and Narcisa de Jesús Ullauri Donoso, anthropologist from Universidad del Azuay in Ecuador. They present the animal world of Amazonia and the life of its natives, their utensils, weapons and handicrafts, clothing and ornaments. The ethnic groups of Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela are presented from the perspective of the indigenous people themselves. In this way, we have the opportunity to get to know their society and culture, mythology, and religion from a non-European point of view. We can learn more about their life and their relationship with nature, their customs and rituals and admire the works of contemporary indigenous artists.
“I have always been fascinated by paleontology and prehistoric people, and I’ve always thought that one of the most intriguing moments in human history was the birth of artistic imagination. I always loved those cave paintings.”
– Kathryn Lasky