In the publishing house Karmášek, with significant contributions from the cultural community, the bilingual book The České Budějovice House of Art 2014–2025 has been released, mapping the past period when Michal Škoda served as the curator of the České Budějovice House of Art. Since 1998, he has managed to build an internationally recognized gallery of contemporary art and architecture. Twelve years ago, the AVU publishing house released a publication that mapped the period from 1998 to 2013. The new book follows up on it in terms of time, yet it differs in its graphic design and format. In addition to a rich photographic documentation of past exhibitions, it also brings theoretical reflections on the gallery's program and Škoda's curatorial concept.
“In an ideal world, this book would have been published in 2028 when České Budějovice would proudly bear the title of European Capital of Culture, and Michal Škoda would also celebrate 30 years of his tenure at the House of Art. However, due to unfortunate political decisions, his era ended prematurely, which is why we decided to publish the book now. Thus, it represents the culmination of the work of a curator who without exaggeration elevated the gallery to a global level,” stated the editor of the publication, architect Filip Landa. The departure of curator Škoda from his position was prompted by the unsustainable and disgraceful state of the House of Art on Přemysl Otakar II. Square, whose long-awaited reconstruction the city council postponed last year and refused to address the transformation of the gallery into a real institution of the Center for Contemporary Art and Architecture.
In addition to Landa, the book was also contributed to by art curator and critic Silvia L. Čúzyová and renowned graphic designer Robert V. Novák. The publication consists of 368 pages, contains hundreds of photographs, and thanks to the English translation of all texts, it aims to garner international attention.
“The book could be published thanks to the support of the State Fund for Culture of the Czech Republic and the Czech Architecture Foundation. We also owe its publication to all the donors who contributed to the public collection on the Hithit platform, and especially to Jaroslav Karmášek Jr., who supported it with a significant sponsorship donation and services from his publishing house and printing house,” adds Filip Landa. The city of České Budějovice, which is the founder of the gallery, did not participate in the creation of the book.
The ceremonial christening, autograph session, and presentation of the publication to the public will take place on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 6 PM in the gallery hall of the Karmášek printing house (K. Weise 2619, České Budějovice).