Outside catalogues
Don’t look for them in the center of the town and neither expect large shop windows with their logos. While Gabriela Pecičová’s Praguekabinet has literally settled in the former residential area in a rental house in Žižkov, Jana Zielinski, together with Jiří Macek, have opened a generous gallery Křehký in the former ham factory in Holešovice. Forget the classic shops and traditional way of selling. These two Prague swallows bring us a fresh breeze in the form of sales galleries based on a very personal approach and unconventional selection of objects, authors and brands.
Both gallerists often travel because of their work, and therefore, on top of that, they picked some places in their favorite destinations for you. Until recently, they focused mainly on the production of prestigious events of major companies (such as Dom Pérignon, L'Oréal , Veuve Clicquot). From this year on, Praguekabinet represents in its own sales gallery the Italian brand Fornasetti, the furniture of iconic Finnish designer Ilmariho Tapiovaara, Eero Aarnio’s lights and French antiques in perfect harmony together with them, stunning glass sculptures of Franz Vízner and crystalline objects of Parisian sculptor and designer Arik Levy.
ELLE: What encouraged you to open Praguekabinet?
GP : Two years ago, when I was furnishing my flat, I found out that it is perfectly designed by architects, but that is not easy to complete such an interior. It is important that the individual accessories, furniture and artworks make some sense put together and offer real aesthetic satisfaction. It's amazing when someone is surrounded with things that he or she likes, that fit into his home and also have certain meaning, origin and value. I realized that there is no such a place in Prague, where people who have less and less time can choose a quality, meaningful objects, which make their homes cosier, because these homes are usually cold and simple after handover of architects. A place where they can be sure that offered things are verified.
ELLE : How is your approach different from other shops and galleries in our country?
GP : I based it on a more personal approach to customers and basically a little bit on the ‚made to measure‘ principle. After talking with a client and his response to the displayed objects, I am able to offer him what he really wants, without he or she could formulate it oneself before that.
ELLE : Along with the design, you also offer antiques and works of art. What brought you to this, in our country unprecedented connection?
GP : From my own experience, and the beforementioned experiences from abroad, I know that is not always the luckiest to redesign the interior, literally to overwhelm it purely with just design. It may be necessary to breathe a bit of soul and character into it. Just the conjunction with a suitably chosen element of antique, work of art or a vintage vase can deliver a completely different, more original dimension to it. It removes the effect of catalogue interior of it, which is really widespreaded in our country. In Praguekabinet, I offer much more than what is directly presented in it. I often seek, together with professionals I work with, antiques and custom-made arts of work for people, and I also provide advice how to install them in the interior.
ELLE : Why did you choose the space of former flat, what intersted you in it?
GP : This is what made me think that I wanted to invite people to a place where they would feel like home and where objects have their own so called ‚fore-space‘, allowing to someone to easily imagine where a similar or the same thing would be put in his or her own place. I like a certain intimacy of this interior, in which clients appreciate the absolute calm, pleasant atmosphere with a drink and the time that they give to it. People often come for a while and they finally spend several hours here. After all, every object that I offer here has an interesting history, origin, story or author.
ELLE : Can we find Czech authors in the gallery?
G. P.: Definitely, especially in the area of arts. In Praguekabinet, unique sculptural glass objects of world-famous artist Francis Vízner have their leading place from its beginning. In the paintings area, we offer such as images as those by Petr Písařík or Eva Sakuma. The offer is much wider than the actual gallery space allows – from paintings of the old masters to young authors.
