The Mucha epic will probably be moved to the Křižík pavilions

Prague/Moravský Krumlov (Znojmo) - The monumental Slav Epic by Alphonse Mucha is likely to be moved from the castle in Moravský Krumlov to one of Křižík's pavilions at the Prague Exhibition Grounds. The city council approved the intention today, announced councillor Milan Richter (ODS) to journalists. It could be in Prague as early as this year. The municipal office will now prepare a project and investigate how much the necessary modifications to the pavilion would cost. A final decision will likely be made in July. Representatives of Moravský Krumlov consider the proposal to be incorrect, insensitive, and even unethical in relation to the creator of the monumental epic, as it completely denies the conditions under which the famous painter dedicated this work to the nation.
    The city's goal remains to build a new building for the series of two dozen large canvases at the Exhibition Grounds. It should be located on Bruselská street. However, the tenant of the area, Incheba Praha, does not agree with the current proposal for the building, known as the matchbox turned on its side, claiming it is too massive. According to the councillor, it is as tall as a Ferris wheel.
    Richter believes the pavilion could look more magnificent. It could also include an auction house and Mucha's museum, he stated. One option, according to him, is that the current Mucha Museum, which is in Panská Street in the center, could be moved to the new building. The new building could be constructed within three years, said the councillor, who will now officially negotiate with the tenant of the exhibition grounds.
    There is no estimate of how much the move of the epic to Křižík Pavilion B would cost. According to Richter, the expenses would not be exorbitant. The canvases would fit there; the pavilions have air conditioning. However, it is necessary to modify the interior spaces, and a major item will be the installation of air conditioning. Richter noted that the castle in Moravský Krumlov is not heated at all, and temperature fluctuations do not benefit the canvases. They would only remain there if it turned out that the move to Křižík's pavilions is not possible, he emphasized.
    The opposition fears that the work could remain in Křižík's pavilion forever. "I very positively evaluate the relocation of the cycle to Prague. However, I hope that the proposal to place the Slav Epic in Křižík's pavilion will not lead to the abandonment of the intention to build a new object for a permanent exhibition," stated Miroslav Poche, vice-chairman of the ČSSD representatives, to ČTK earlier. On the contrary, the mayor of Moravský Krumlov, Jaroslav Mokrý, has already stated that the town hall will oppose the move unless the capital creates quality spaces.
    Mayor Jaroslav Mokrý reminded that Mucha dedicated the work under the condition that it would be exhibited in a pavilion that would be created for this purpose. There was no talk of any temporary solution, such as Křižík's pavilions, at that time, and everyone knows it very well, Mokrý stated.
    "We respect ownership rights. We will not throw ourselves under the wheels of cars that would take the work away from us. We only want it to be well taken care of," emphasized the mayor. According to him, only Moravský Krumlov has the moral right to the Slav Epic. The town offered its castle for the restoration of the work in the 1950s, at a time when "Prague was unable to take care of it."
    Richter promises that Prague will "compensate" Moravský Krumlov. He talked about lending some other collection from the Prague City Gallery, which is currently not publicly accessible. However, Moravský Krumlov definitely does not want such a loan. "If they think they will pull out dusty works from the depository, sweep them with a broom, and then loan them to us, then they should just keep them in Prague. Thank you, but we don’t want that," added Mokrý.
    Mucha dedicated the epic to Prague with the condition that a gallery would be built for it. According to the municipal office, however, this condition is not legally binding and is rather a moral matter. According to city officials, artistic ownership is not related to the copyrights, whose protection will expire in 2010.
    The epic has been at the castle in Moravský Krumlov for 45 years. The discussion about relocating the canvases depicting scenes from Slavic history back to Prague has been going on for a long time. There have been numerous proposals for where the work should be exhibited, such as the Industrial Palace at the Exhibition Grounds and Klementinum.