Masaryk’s great-great-grandson Tom Kotík on art, music, and the family legacy
Tom Kotík, artist and musician based in New York, is the great-great-grandson of Czechoslovakia’s first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. He returned to Prague to witness the unveiling on Friday of a sealed envelope believed to contain Masaryk’s last words. In an interview for Radio Prague International, he reflects on his Czech-American identity, the influence of his family history, and his life in art and music.
A Czech-American Identity
Tom Kotík is proud of his Czech roots, even though he has spent most of his life in the United States. Born in Prague, he emigrated as a baby and grew up in America, where his artistic and musical path was shaped by his parents.
“I’m a proud Czech-American. Even though I was born in Prague, I’ve lived all my life in the United States. But I’ve been coming back to the Czech Republic since I was a small boy. I’m also very much a cultural person — I make art, I play music, and I work in museums in New York. My mother worked at the Brooklyn Museum for a long time, and my father is a composer, so I guess I’m following in their footsteps as a fellow cultural Czech person, but based in the United States.”
Kotík came to Prague this year in a special role to witness the unveiling of a sealed envelope believed to contain the last recorded words of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia. The envelope was handed to the National Archives in 2005 with instructions not to be opened until 2025.
“I’m here to represent the family as an observer for the unveiling of the envelope that was in the care of Antonín Šum, Jan Masaryk’s secretary. Inside are documents believed to be the last words of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president.”
The Influence of a Famous Ancestor
Growing up as a descendant of Masaryk, Kotík carried a weighty family history, though it played out differently in the United States than it might have in Czechoslovakia.
“Of course it has a lot of meaning and influence in my personal life. It was interesting growing up as an immigrant in the United States, where most people can’t even tell you where the Czech Republic is on the map. So it doesn’t necessarily affect my daily life there as it might if I lived here. But having known my grandmother all my life, and being aware of the history and the importance of what TGM stood for — democracy, freedom, truth — that has been the most influential part for me. The idea that ‘truth prevails’ and that you should live your life in a truthful way.”
Returning to Czechoslovakia
Although he left Prague as an infant, Kotík’s later visits gave him direct experience of the country under communism and during its democratic transformation.
“I remember the first time I came back, in 1977, when I was eight years old. I have memories of coming here during the communist regime. Later, in 1989, I was studying at UMPRUM as an exchange student, so I actually witnessed the Velvet Revolution. I have a lot of memories from those years — of difficult times, but also of very hopeful moments.”
Music and Sculpture
Kotík is both a sculptor and a musician, and the two disciplines constantly intersect in his work.
“My sculpture is really based on ideas of music and how to visualize music. So they’re both present in my headspace, pretty much equal. But I do have to practice and rehearse, so timewise I probably dedicate a bit more to music these days. Still, in my mind, they’re equal.”
For more than a decade, he has also played with the Czech band "Střešovická kramle".
“Yes, yes. In fact, we’re planning a concert in New York at the Czech Center this coming May. We’re really excited about bringing everyone over. It’s a nine-piece band, so logistically it’s quite a challenge, but I’ve been playing with them for ten years. It’s an interesting group, because although we’re essentially a rock and roll band, everyone in the band is also an artist. So it’s really an ‘art band.’”
Between Prague and New York
Although Prague and New York are very different, Kotík finds surprising similarities between the two cultural capitals.
“Firstly, I have to agree they’re completely different. But there are also remarkable similarities. New Yorkers are very cultured people and they welcome culture, and in Prague I find the same thing. People here are also very cultured and open to culture. In New York, you can go out any day of the week to a concert or a movie — and in Prague, I find you can do pretty much the same.”
As Kotík sees it, the backdrop is different, but the spirit of cultural life is shared. “Obviously, in New York we have a more diverse population, and that makes it an exciting place to be. You quickly learn that what you think you know, you don’t really know — you’re always confronted with something new. But I find that in Prague too, I’m constantly learning from my friends and the projects I’m working on. So yes, there are differences, but also many commonalities.”
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Envelope containing Masaryk’s last words to be opened in September
At the presidential summer residence in Lány, an envelope thought to contain the last words of first Czechoslovak President T.G. Masaryk will be opened on September 19th.
