In September ParaCENTRUM Fenix opened the second annual picture collection. Its aim is to connect the world of art with handicapped people and to promote the work of young talented people in the city of Brno, as well as abroad. The picture will be chosen by an all-star committee – including František Kinský, Lucia Lettenmayerová, Michal Horáček, Katherine Kastner and Denisa Kujelová – Czech personalities significantly linked with contemporary art. A part of the project is the contest for the most beautiful “Picture for Fenix” and the “Auction for Fenix” with the money raised in support of ParaCENTRUM Fenix.

At the beginning of the new school year, the second annual picture collection of young talented artists was launched. Its aim is to connect the world of handicapped people with the young generation of people with artistic potential. It was Tomáš Zezula from the Zezula Auction House, a leading partner of the project, who came up with the idea to present ParaCENTRUM Fenix as a supporter of young artists and to show the world that even people with serious disability can be a driving force of society with significant cultural impact. He says that “In the world there is a great interest in the work of young talented artists, among other things, for its investment potential”. To find and select such works in the Czech Republic with the help of a contest for young artists and to round this up by an auction where the works will be assessed and bid for, and what´s more to use the sum raised for the ones who need it the most; that is a project which is truly unique. Thus, the selection, bidding and sale does not lead to profit in strictly economical terms, but has a higher purpose – to help those in need, which is phenomenal.

This year more than 400 basic and secondary schools and art schools from Bohemia and Moravia were addressed. The task is to set up a collection of paintings of the most talented young artists from the whole Czech Republic. The closing date was October 30th, 2020 when all the provided paintings were registered and prepared for assessment. An expert choice will be carried out by a five member committee comprising of significant personalities from Czech showbusiness as well as gallery curators such as Graf Franz Kinsky, Czech lyricist and producer Michal Horáček, the Hunt Kastner Gallery owner Czech-American Katherine Kastner, the artist director of the Fait Gallery Denisa Kujelová and the founder of the private gallery COLLETT Prague/Munich, a.s. Lucia Lettenmayerová. The climax of the project will be an exhibition and a charity auction together with the announcement of the public competition for the most beautiful “Picture for Fenix“. The most successful young artist will be awarded at the charity auction for Fenix. All profits from the auction will be donated to the activities of the ParaCENTRUM Fenix which has been helping people with spinal cord injury and their dear ones in and around Brno for 16 years. Due to the complicated epidemiological situation a virtual version of the exhibition will also be prepared, and it will serve to promote the works of the young artists abroad.