The minister will allow Knížák to lead the NG until next year

Prague - Culture Minister Václav Riedlbauch will likely keep the director of the National Gallery (NG) Milan Knížák at the head of this institution for almost as long as Knížák himself wishes, until the end of 2011. The minister intends to complete the selection process for Knížák's successor no later than mid-next year. Jan Cieslar, the spokesperson for the ministry, communicated this today. However, Riedlbauch himself has a mandate limited by the term of the caretaker government until June of this year, and his successor may decide differently.
    In recent days, Riedlbauch spoke about wishing to announce a competition before the end of his cabinet's term, but even more, to conclude it. The minister now justifies the time needed to organize the competition by stating that it is necessary to ensure "a smooth and problem-free transfer of management and the functioning of this significant institution."
    Knížák states that he would like to remain at NG until the end of next year. Last year he concluded a decade-long tenure at the head of the gallery; although this period is very long, Knížák is not the longest-serving director of a domestic state cultural institution, with some leading them for two decades.
    "In a few weeks, we will find a date for a meeting together. I also want to know his vision of what his successor should be like," the Minister of Culture said today in a press release. The exact date of Knížák's departure has not been announced yet. The decision regarding Knížák's further tenure at the head of one of the most significant cultural institutions is related to the system of director reviews for contributory organizations, which Minister Riedlbauch has implemented.
    Knížák has faced criticism from some experts for years while at the head of NG, and in recent years, voices calling for his dismissal have also been heard. He has already faced criticism for the manner of his appointment - he was not clearly the first in the competition, yet the then Minister of Culture Pavel Dostál (CSSD) appointed him. Knížák is also close to the second strongest domestic party; he unsuccessfully ran for the Senate for ODS in 1998.
    Knížák also has a close relationship with the current president Václav Klaus, and although they do not agree on some views on art, they shared a similar perspective on Kaplický's project for the National Library building. Today, according to the server Novinky.cz, they met at a pub in Prague, reportedly for a planned meeting. "It is ridiculous what is happening around the National Gallery," Klaus commented on the information regarding Knížák's planned departure from NG, as well as the media and expert interest in the intended change.
    Critics of Knížák as the director of NG particularly objected to the excessive expansion of permanent exhibitions and the acquisition of additional properties at the expense of organizing significant exhibitions and collaborating with foreign institutions. However, Knížák has always stood by his concept.
    It is not clear among the professional community who would want to apply for the selection process. The new director will face the decision of whether to continue in Knížák's line of building an art museum or to shift NG more toward an institution focused not only on collection activities but also on organizing temporary exhibitions and being more open to the world.