Eskoumoderní

Eskoumoderní is a term used in Czech-language discourse to describe a trend that fuses Czech modernist heritage with contemporary design and media practices. As a coined neologism, it signals a specifically Czech approach to modernity, one that reinterprets early 20th-century movements such as Czech Cubism, Devětsil, and functionalism through new technologies, media, and urban context.

Etymology and usage: The form eskoumoderní is a stylized compound, often interpreted as a contraction of českou moderní, intended to echo the linguistic playfulness typical of critical writing. It is not a standardized label and appears mainly in essays, exhibition catalogs, and scholarly discussions rather than as a formal movement name.

Origins and scope: The term emerged in contemporary Czech criticism in the 21st century as artists and scholars looked to the nation's modernist past while addressing globalization, digital culture, and post-socialist urban life. Projects described as eskoumoderní commonly combine historical reference with experimental media, such as interactive installations, typographic experiments, or architecture that nods to functionalist forms.

Characteristics: Common themes include a careful negotiation of national memory, the revival of craft and materiality, and a blending of retro aesthetics with present-day technologies. Works are typically site-specific, dialogic, and oriented toward public engagement, often situating Czech identity within broader European modernist narratives.

See also: Czech modernism, Czech Cubism, Devětsil, Functionalism, Design and architecture in the Czech lands.