Regional Gallery of Fine Arts

The Regional Gallery of Fine Arts is a place rich in art, architecture and design. The modernised spaces of the 14|15 BAŤA INSTITUTE within the factory complex offer a unique combination of industrial heritage, Baťa architecture, fine art and local industrial design. The gallery attracts visitors with a new permanent exhibition, a diverse range of temporary exhibitions, guided tours and accompanying events, making it a lively and inspiring meeting place.

After more than a decade, a new exhibition opened in autumn of 2024, presented in an entirely new form and under a new title. The exhibition, titled + - Zlín, features around three hundred original exhibits and not only offers insight into recent art history, but also into the intricate relationships between visual culture and different areas of life. Its central theme is the contrast between how Zlín and its surroundings are perceived from the outside and how they define themselves from within. On one side is the strong legacy of modernisation and industrial development left by the Baťa company; on the other, a traditional and sentimental view associated with nature and the countryside. This tension forms the conceptual backbone of the exhibition. The title + - Zlín is a metaphorical expression of ideas that capture this dynamic and the relativity of opposites: rationality versus emotion, standardisation versus uniqueness, organisation versus spontaneity, mass production versus individuality, change in contrast to permanence, speed versus depth.

The gallery primarily focuses on Czech and Slovak art of the 19th and 21st centuries, Baťa architecture and industrial design. It not only displays paintings but also sculptures, prints and drawings. Alongside rare works by renowned artists such as Bohumil Kubišta, Josef Čapek, Jindřich Štyrský and Toyen, you will also encounter works by lesser-known creators.

In the architecture section you will see models of Zlín’s iconic buildings, which illustrate the city’s transformation into a centre of modern architecture. The industrial design section introduces the work of creators such as Vincenc Makovský, Zdeněk Kovář and František Crhák, and their influence on the development of Czech design.

In addition to the exhibits, accompanying texts and digital content, the exhibition offers a different perspective on the worlds of fine art, architecture and design. Thanks to the Plus Minus Zlín mobile app and its augmented reality features, artworks come to life before your eyes and speak about their work, and you can create your own self-portrait or travel through time as Zlín transforms around you.