Josef Macek (23 October 1942 – 19 April 2016) graduated from the Woodworking Secondary School in Bystřice pod Hostýnem (1958–1962) and then joined the TON national enterprise in Bystřice pod Hostýnem, where he worked for almost four decades: as a technician in the plant in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm (since 1962), as an engineer – product designer (since 1966) and as a senior designer (1993–2003) in Bystřice pod Hostýnem. In addition to successful models of bentwood seating furniture for serial production, he also participated in other “projects” of the enterprise, e.g. designs of seating furniture for the Palace of Culture in Prague (1978) and the Prague Hotel (1980), worked on the reconstruction of the National Theatre in Prague (1983), designed theatre chairs for restored theatres in Prostějov (1984), Kolín (1985), Zlín (1986), Ústí nad Labem (1992). He collaborated with Antonín Šuman on some of the designs; of the more than eight hundred items signed by Macek, a large part are modifications of older designs and individual custom designs, and over ninety items are registered in the industrial design database. Macek’s chairs (in addition to seating furniture, he also designed tables and desks, hangers and additional furniture) received the highest honours by being awarded the Best Product of the Ministry of Industry of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in 1987 and 1988, the Best Product of the Furniture Industry in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988, the Gold Medal of the International Consumer Goods Fair Brno 1987 and the Czech Chair in 1995.
The organisers’ intention is to commemorate Josef Macek’s lifelong efforts to make a “good chair” through products and prototypes, drawings, photographs and other documentary materials. The exhibition will include both production designs produced in large series at the time, which formed the basis of TON’s product range, as well as designs and prototypes that were not realised.
Exhibition opening: Wednesday 19 February 2025, 18:00
Exhibition: 20 February – 1 June 2025
(accessible without reservation Tue–Sun, February–March 9:00–17:00, April–June 10:00–18:00)
The exhibition is situated on the technical ground floor of Villa Tugendhat.
Organizers: National Centre for Furniture Design, o. p. s., Villa Tugendhat – Brno City Museum
Curator of the exhibition: PhDr. Dagmar Koudelková
Villa Tugendhat curator: Michal Kolář
Concept and preparation of the exhibition, texts: PhDr. Dagmar Koudelková, Mgr. Karolína Kouřilová
Graphic design: MgA. Matěj Doležel
Architectural design: doc. Ing. arch. Ivan Wahla
The exhibition has been prepared by the National Centre for Furniture Design, a public benefit society, in cooperation with the Brno City Museum, with the support of the town of Bystřice pod Hostýnem and the TON joint-stock company.