Prague has prepared the first two projects in the Arts for the City program

Prague – The Prague City Hall has prepared the first two projects in the program Art for the City, which aims to support the creation of artworks in public spaces. The first is the installation of a sculpture in Prague 10, and the second is so-called mural art, meaning painting on a facade in Prague 9. This was stated today by councilor Hana Třeštíková (Prague for Itself) to ČTK. The program was approved by the previous leadership of Prague, while the current leadership has allowed its conditions to be adjusted. The mentioned two projects will be discussed by the councilors on Thursday.

Last year, about 135 million crowns were allocated for the program, which the city did not utilize and transferred to this year's budget. "We found that the rules were clumsy and it was complicated to draw money from the program. The original mechanism was very complicated and multi-stage. It was unclear who was waiting for what or where an applicant should go first," Třeštíková said.

According to the councilor, the possibilities for using the funds have been expanded compared to the original version of the rules. A new feature is, for example, the option to finance temporary art in the streets of Prague.

The installation of a sculpture by Jindřich Chalupecký in the park in front of the Vršovice train station will be paid for from the program. About 1.8 million crowns will go to it. "The intention is to commemorate a significant personality and highlight his social contribution," Třeštíková said.

A large painting on the wall, known as a mural, will be created on the wall of the Jablonecká community center in Prague 9. Architects are currently preparing the reconstruction and expansion project of the center, and the mural will then be part of it.

The program is also known as "2 percent for art," because the city supports the creation of artworks by allocating two percent from the investment budget for the given year. It was established to revitalize public space, to restore contact between the public and contemporary art, and to provide space for artists' self-realization. The works will be owned by the capital city. The guarantor of the program is the Gallery of the Capital City.