The designation of Brno as a suburb of Vienna should evoke feelings of self-confidence rather than inferiority. It reminds us that Brno used to be a kind of smaller Vienna in many ways.

On the timeline of the "long" 19th century (1789–1914), the first part of the new permanent exhibition in the Governor's Palace introduces artistic links between the Moravian and Austrian metropolises. The objective of the Moravian Gallery was to modify the existing exhibition to provide a more comprehensive view of the role of art in the individual eras. The exhibition thus combines free and applied arts in a balanced way: apart from paintings, statues and works on paper it showcases examples of period furniture, porcelain and ceramics, glass, textiles and fashion, jewellery and cast iron.

The exhibition opens with a mirror maze by contemporary designers Jan Plecháč & Henry Wielgus, which reflects the highlights of the Gallery's collection of Gothic and Baroque art. These help place the art of the 19th century in a historical context, working at the same time as a teaser for the next phases of the Old Art permanent exhibition that the Gallery plans to open in the coming years.

The core of the exhibition is divided into four topics, from the Biedermeier through the wave of historicism and folklorism to art nouveau. There is the large painting Ride of the Kings by Joža Uprka, a screen painted by Alfons Mucha, the sculpture The Devil and Kate by Ladislav Šaloun, a chair designed by Adolf Loos and furniture by Josef Hoffmann. Substantial drawings by Viennese artists Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt are displayed in the specially conceived graphics cabinet.

The new permanent exhibition further includes a relaxation zone with a multimedia game called The Art Collector Adventure that will introduce you to the atmosphere of late 19th century Vienna and the personalities who lived there.

Ausstellungen in Brünn