EXPO and the CR

Rio de Janeiro 1922 / 1923

Between 7 September 1922 and 31 July 1923, Rio de Janeiro hosted the Exposiçao internacional do centenario do Brasil to mark Brazil's hundredth anniversary (the Empire of Brazil was declared independent of Portugal on 7 September 1822). The young Czechoslovakia was prepared to take risks. Edvard Beneš's government, as part of its pro-export policy, invested in this event in a distant country overseas because it decided that, from the aspect of exports, this was a place that could offer certain prospects. A secondary factor was that the Ministry of Industry and Trade, responsible for Czechoslovakia's participation in the event, was gathering experience in international expositions. Jan Havlasa, the Czechoslovak ambassador to Brazil, deserves recognition for ensuring the smooth course of the country's participation. What is more, he provided the incentive for Gustavo Barroso to compile a book about Czechoslovakia, called Coraçao da Europa (Heart of Europe), and thanks to Ambassador Havlasa's efforts this work was published in August 1922, just before the exposition opened. The project for the Czechoslovak Pavilion was prepared by Professor Pavel Janák. The finely decorated pavilion, covering an area of 600 m2, had a low hipped roof suggestive of Rondocubism. Dr J Turnovský was appointed the Government Commissioner for the exhibition, and over the course of the exhibition was responsible for running a commercial office in Rio de Janeiro, which at the time was the capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Sixty Czechoslovak exhibiters accepted the opportunity to promote themselves in South America. The oldest porcelain works in Bohemia, Haas & Czjzek from Horní Slavkov, was awarded a Grand Prix by the exposition committee for its collection of porcelain.

Jaroslav Halada

backtop

print