Two percent of the invested money will be allocated to art by Prague

Prague - The capital city will allocate two percent of the invested funds to art placed in public spaces for the next two years. This year, it is expected to amount to 135 million crowns. The "2% for Art" program will operate on a trial basis for two years. After a council meeting where the proposal was approved today, culture councilor Jan Wolf (KDU-ČSL/Trojkoalice) stated this.

Half of the amount will be designated for the purchase of completed works. The other half will go to competitions in which artists will prepare works for specific locations. The main guarantor of the program will be the Gallery of the Capital City, and the Institute of Planning and Development will also participate in its implementation, selecting locations where the works should be placed. At the same time, a committee will operate to select works for public spaces.

There are three reasons for establishing the program - revitalization of public space, re-establishing contact between the public and contemporary art, and providing space for artists to realize themselves. "Our intention is to bring visual art back into conversation, to make people notice it, and to provoke discussions, as it cultivates the debate about art and aesthetics," said councilor Matěj Stropnický (SZ/Trojkoalice).