The ORBIS PICTUS exhibition has been given the status of an official accompanying event for the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union by the Czech Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra.

Alexandr Vondra


- The Patronage of the ORBIS PICTUS exhibition has been assumed by the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth Ján Figeľ, who declared the year 2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation.


Preface of Ján  Figeľ, European Commissioner in charge of Education, Training, Culture and Youth

Culture lies at the heart of human development and civilisation. Culture is what makes people hope and dream, by stimulating our senses and offering new ways of looking at reality. It is what brings people together, by stirring dialogue and arousing passions, in a way that unites rather than divides. Or, as the Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougemont put it: "Culture is all the dreams and labour tending towards forging humanity."
The exhibition "Orbis Pictus or the Gate to the World of Creative Human Imagination" encourages the visitors to broaden and awaken their creativity and imagination by experiencing the exhibition of instrumental objects and installations in an interactive way. It is an awakening of new interpretations of our continuously changing world. The Orbis Pictus exhibition is inspired by the famous Jan A. Comenius' work. In his book "Labyrinth of the world and Paradise of Heart" he invited us to look at the world in a constantly innovative way in search for a more human life in dignity. In this sense he can be considered as the father of "modern education".

Comenius' thinking has inspired me to propose 2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. The overall objective of this Year will be to promote creativity for all as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, occupational and social competences through lifelong learning. The "Orbis Pictus or the Gate to the World of Creative Human Imagination" exhibition represents in an exemplary way the mission of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation: to stimulate and awaken creativity as well as the awareness of the interchanging world in a quest to improve the human conditions of our life.



- The Patronage of the exhibition ORBIS PICTUS in 2009 in Prague and in Brussels has been assumed by the Mayor of Prague Pavel Bém.

patronnaty op

- The exhibition ORBIS PICTUS in Vancouver is being held under the auspices of Václav Jehlička, the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic.

- The exhibition ORBIS PICTUS in Florence in 2007 was held under the auspices of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Rome.

- The exhibition ORBIS PICTUS in Prague in 2007 was held under the auspices of the Mayor of Prague Pavel Bém.

- The exhibition ORBIS PICTUS in Paris in 2006 was held under the auspices of the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth Ján Figeľ and the Ambassodor of the Czech Republic in France Pavel Fisher.