Another annual exhibition in the public space of the town, prepared by the Litomyšl Municipal Gallery, this time focuses monographically on the work of Jaroslav Róna. The title of the show , Silence and Myths, refers to the characteristic atmosphere of the artist’s works – the silence of lonely figures and archetypal stories in which memory, dreams and civilisational unrest intertwine.
The exhibition was realized by the Litomyšl Municipal Gallery in cooperation with the author and architect Lucie Róna. The sculptural installations were chosen for the public space of Litomyšl to sensitively enter the architecturally cultivated environment of the city and to enrich the familiar space with new layers of meaning.
BEINGS, FIGURES, MACHINES
The exhibition presents a cross-section of Róna’s sculptural work – from monumental animal sculptures to mythical and archetypal figures to objects inspired by technology, architecture and visions of the future. Works such as Lioness, Rhinoceros, Cuttlefish, Sitting Devil, Man with Dog and Vertical Robot will appear in the public space of Litomyšl. This year’s edition also includes the artist’s new sculpture Medusa, installed in the Monastery Gardens.
JAROSLAV RÓNA
Jaroslav Róna is one of the most outstanding personalities of contemporary Czech art. In his work, he combines sculpture, drawing and painting into a distinctive world between myth, symbolism, grotesque and existential vision. Inspiration from the literature of Franz Kafka, ancient civilisations and the art of indigenous cultures plays a significant role in his work. His characters often act as messengers of ancient worlds or inhabitants of imaginary futures whose meaning remains open to the viewer’s interpretation.
The exhibition is part of the Smetana Art Festival Litomyšl and will run until the end of October 2026.
Man with dog
2021, bronze
Location:
Vodní valy (park near Smetana House)
Waldemar
2020, bronze, iron
Location:
Jirásekova 9 (Regional Museum, café terrace)
Sitting Devil
2010, bronze
Placement:
Jirásekova Street (park near the Regional Museum)
Man with a fish
2005, bronze
Placement:
Water Mounds (near Bobo Café)
The Child from Mars
2003, bronze
Placement:
Zámecká (corner of Rector Stříteský Street)
Sepia
2000, bronze
Placement:
Bernarda (bridge over the river)
Explorer
2024, bronze
Location:
Water Mounds (next to Smetana House)
Rhino
2020, bronze
Placement:
Litomyšl Castle (1st courtyard)
Sitting lioness
2018, bronze
Placement:
Smetana Square (in front of house no. 118)
Vertical robot
2016, bronze
Location:
Litomyšl Castle (1st courtyard)
Duration of the exhibition:
12. 6. – 31. 10. 2026
Venue:
Litomyšl – city exterior
The Jaroslav Róna / Silence and Myths exhibition was prepared by the Litomyšl Municipal Gallery in cooperation with Lucie Róna, Jaroslav Róna and the town of Litomyšl.
The exhibition is a part of the Smetana Art Litomyšl 2026 project. The project is under the auspices of Ing. Roman Línek, MBA, Councillor of the Pardubice Region. The project was made possible thanks to the kind financial support of