CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech gallery believes it is smallest in the world, with about 2.5 metres of exhibition space

Record ID: 572869

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech gallery believes it is smallest in the world, with about 2.5 metres of exhibition space
  • Date: 30th March 2008
  • Summary: (L!3) PELHRIMOV, CZECH REPUBLIC (RECENT) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING IN SQUARE SIGN FOR THE MUSEUM OF RECORDS PEOPLE LOOKING AT EXHIBITS EASTER EGGS ON DISPLAY PEOPLE LOOKING AT EXHIBITS SMALLEST MOTORBIKE ON DISPLAY PEOPLE LOOKING AT EXHIBITS LARGEST BALL OF WOOL PART OF LONGEST SCARF (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) DOBRY DEN AGENCY PRESIDENT MIROSLAV MAREK SAYING: "We told Lubomir that we had a small space which we could fill with his works and he found more than fifty works of caricature starting with Albert Einstein and ending with ex-president Vaclav Havel." MAN ADJUSTING PARTS OF THE SMALLEST GALLERY (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) DOBRY DEN AGENCY PRESIDENT MIROSLAV MAREK SAYING: "The gallery is 117 centimetres wide, 82 centimetres deep and 62 centimetres high which gives all together almost 2.5 metres of exhibition space. Small but you can see a lot." SIGN READING "LIE DOWN TO SEE VANEK'S WORLD'S SMALLEST GALLERY"/GALLERY CARICATURES OF BRITISH ACTOR ROWAN ATKINSON WITH CZECH ACTOR JAN KRUS CARICATURE OF BRITISH SINGER ELTON JOHN/GALLERY CARICATURES OF AMERICAN ACTORS PAMELA ANDERSON AND SYLVESTER STALLONE CARICATURE OF AMERICAN ACTOR BRAD PITT CARICATURES OF FORMER CZECH PRESIDENT VACLAV HLAVEL AND FORMER US PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON/GALLERY (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) ARTIST LUBOMIR VANEK, OPENING THE GALLERY, SAYING: "I was not sure how to set it up. Than I made something like a "best of" selection from my archive and chose 55 pictures starting with (French actor) Louis de Funes or (Czech actor) Vladimir Mensik which I drew in 1985 and 1986." VANEK WITH HIS WIFE LADKA LAYING DOWN IN GALLERY TO POSE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) ARTIST LUBOMIR VANEK SAYING: "The oldest caricature is Josef Masopust (Czech soccer player) from 1985 over there, and the newest is Bob Marley from 1908. And the exhibition covers 22 years of my work." PERFORMERS FREDDIE MERCURY, BOB MARLEY AND MIKE OLDFIELD GALLERY
  • Embargoed: 14th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Czech Republic
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAP53LA6BI9HJPHISM8NZT2ICA
  • Story Text: The Czech town of Pelhrimov is famous for the records it sets.
    Since the early 1990's the town, which sits 100 kilometres east of the capital Prague, has held special days where it encourages people to try their hand at making and breaking records, with many of the results on display at its Museum of Curiosities and Records.
    But now the museum believes it has broken a new record.
    Amongst exhibits including the "biggest ball of wool" and "longest scarf", is what the museum believes is the world's smallest gallery.
    The idea for the gallery began when the Dobry Den (Good Day) Agency, which runs the Museum, wondered what to do with some unused space under the staircase. They decided to approach local artist Lubomir Vanek to see if he'd like it for his own gallery. Vanek himself holds several records for drawing the world's fastest caricatures.

    "We told Lubomir that we had a small space which we could fill with his works and he found more than fifty works of caricature starting with Albert Einstein and ending with ex-president Vaclav Havel," said Dobry Den President Miroslav Marek.

    "The gallery is 117 centimetres wide, 82 centimetres deep and 62 centimetres high which gives all together almost 2.5 metres of exhibition space. Small but you can see a lot," he added.
    Vanek agreed, and now the gallery houses 55 pieces of Marek's work - caricatures of actors, sporting stars, singers and politicians.
    But to view the work, visitors are required to lie down on a rug and cushions. Only two, or at the most three, people can "visit" the gallery at the same time.
    It took Vanek just one day to put his gallery together.

    "I was not sure how to set it up. Than I made something like a "best of" selection from my archive and chose 55 pictures starting with (French actor) Louis de Funes or (Czech actor) Vladimir Mensik which I drew in 1985 and 1986," he said.

    "The oldest caricature is Josef Masopust (Czech soccer player) from 1985 over there, and the newest is Bob Marley from 1908. And the exhibition covers 22 years of my work," he added.
    The Museum will be approaching Guinness World Records to verify their claim that the gallery is the smallest in the world.
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