Brno, as the second biggest city in Czech Republic, is a significant center of cultural life with a specific and lively cultural scene. It is the center of Moravia, the region with its own cultural identity, it’s familiarly called the suburb of Vienna (just 1.5 hours travel away). There is a diverse range of galleries – from state-run institutions to private and dynamic non-profit spaces, Faculty of Fine Arts (FaVU), several residency programs and regular annual events such as Brno Art Week, Open studios or art festivals. The cultural base in Brno might not be so huge in scale as in Prague but often more progressive and experimental.
SALOON Brno was established in 2025. Arose from a need to meet in person all the women involved in Brno culture whom we know by name. We organise meetings once a month or two with varied program – we visit exhibitions and studios, share current projects, ongoing exhibitions or interesting possibilities. Since most of us are also mothers, we support each other in combining motherhood and professional life. In the future, we would be happy to establish deeper connections within the Czech and international art scene.
You can follow us on instagram.com/saloon.brno. If you wish to apply as a member, get in touch with us at brno@saloon-network.org.
Táňa Payne Šedová (she/her) is a cultural manager mainly interested in the mediation of art. Since 2016, she has been working at the Moravian Gallery in Brno, where, drawing on her experience in Austria and Germany, she initiated the creation of the Brno Artothek (Art Lending Library). She continues to develop this project and strengthen cooperation with foreign institutions with a similar focus. Since 2021, she has also been collaborating with the non-profit organization Barvolam, which supports the creativity of neurodivergent artists and connects people with and without diagnoses with the aim of breaking down barriers, challenging prejudice, and promoting genuine inclusion.
Neli Hejduk (she/her) is a curator, interested in meaningful combinations of classical and innovative media, however can also appreciate the intimacy of handcrafted work. She works as a curator in an UNESCO site Villa Tugendhat by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (since 2020), for the festival Prototyp (since 2014) and is always open for further cooperations. Thanks to the study combination of Aesthetics & cultural studies and Computational linguistics she gained a multidisciplinary overview.
She also traveled a lot during her studies and completed two internships within the Erasmus program which was a very valuable experience. The one in quartier21 – the platform for contemporary art of MuseumsQuartier Wien – shaped her future direction.
Michaela Casková (she/her) is a visual artist, art-based environmental educator, nomadic gardener, host and forager who keeps an eye on atmospheric events. Motivated by processes of sharing and learning. Many of her projects involve not only long term observations and processes but also care, hospitality, and the art of companionship. As a core member of Mustarinda (Finland), she focuses on projects related to the socio-ecological transformation of society through connecting contemporary art with multidisciplinary research, and hosting residency programs, educational and publishing activities. In 2023, she collaborated on the Children’s Forest Pavilion representing Lithuania at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Michaela works and lives both in Finland and Czech Republic. naposedu.cz
Andrea Kaňkovská (she/her) is an artist, art-educator, researcher, and cultural manager. Under the banner of Sculpture Laboratory, she creates interactive zones, sensory playrooms, and sculpture kits for art museums. She creates participatory material installations called Material Flow (in collaboration with Lucie H. Černayová), which she presents in the Czech Republic and Europe. Her theoretical research focuses on current trends in working with audiences in art museums in Central Europe, as well as political influences on the cultural sector. She lives in Brno, she works in Brno and Ústí nad Labem.
Karin Písaříková (she/her) is an artist, curator, and educator whose practice moves between art, and social research. She works as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture at Brno University of Technology, where she focuses on socially engaged art, Japanese visual culture, and urban narratives. As a curator of the Umakart Gallery in Brno, she develops experimental exhibitions and residencies that connect local and international artists. Her artistic work often explores the intersections of public space and everyday rituals. Lately she transforms acts of cleaning and repair into performative and participatory installations and exhibits in institutions in CZ and abroad (Brno House of Art, Gallery of the city Třtinec, Toki Art Space, Nakanojo Biennale). She regularly collaborates with cultural institutions and universities.
Andrea Kaňkovská – sculpture, installation, cultural management, education
Neli Hejduk – curator (Villa Tugendhat, Prototyp Festival)
Táňa Payne Šedová – cultural manager, founder of Artotéka Moravian Gallery in Brno
Karin Písaříková – visual artist, curator, educator (FA VUT)
Michaela Casková – visual artist, illustrator, educator, Mustarinda (FI), University of Jyväskylä (FI), naposedu.cz
Anna König Vlk – founder of König Vlk Gallery, director of INDUSTRA ART, curator, consultant, artist, annakonigova.cz
Jana Písaříková – curator (Blansko City Gallery, Moravian Gallery in Brno)
Helena Lukášová – sculpture, installation, lecturer at Masaryk University, helenalukasova.com
Denisa Kujelová – curator, art historian, Seminar of Art History, Masaryk University
Jana Pavla Francová – artist, performer, theorist, and curator, janafrancova.cz
Tereza Sikorová – visual artist, performer, choreographer, actress, curator of the Třinec City Gallery (INSTITUT INSTITUT + Mikro-teatro + DIP Theater)
Natalie Perkof – artist, designer, natalieperkof.cz
Lucie Valdhansová – architectural historian, curator at the Brno City Museum, Koma Festival
Patricie Fexová – visual artist, painter, teacher at Faculty of Fine Arts, patriciefexova.cz
Veronika Vlková – visual artist, illustrator, educator, art therapist, bodywork, am3-favu.cargo.site/veronika-vlkov
Júlia Bútorová – curator, art and new media theorist
Marika Kupková – curator, educator, galerie-tic.cz
Ivana Hrončeková – curator, critic, non-practicing artist
Tamara Conde – intermedia artist, curator, tamara-conde-crhova.com
Zuzana Novotná Ištvanová – visual artist, painter, elementary art school teacher, art course instructor, zuzananovotnaistvanova.com
Věra Vtípilová – visual artist, vtipilova.com
Martina Morávková - photographer, instagram.com/martinamoravkova.photography
Karolina Raimund - visual artist, teacher, mother, instagram.com/karolinaraimund
