A petition has been created against the closure of the České Budějovice gallery

Image from the current exhibition of Liam Gillick Wall Diagrams, photo Jan Mahr

České Budějovice - First letters and now people are protesting against the closure of the House of Art in České Budějovice through a petition. A wave of discontent arose after the councilors allegedly concluded that the operation of the contemporary art gallery is too expensive and needs to be closed. The city had previously sent the organization running the gallery into liquidation. Nothing prevents the potential sale of the building or favorable rental. According to Mayor Juraj Thoma (ODS), however, no one has yet decided to close the gallery. In a statement he sent to ČTK, he objected to "hysterical campaign."
    Operating costs of 1.1 million crowns are, according to councilors, unsustainable, and the gallery's activities must be halted as soon as possible, said Deputy Mayor Rudolf Vodička (KDU-ČSL) to reporters after the last council meeting. Even during the budget compilation, councilors did not hide that the economic crisis would force them to sell some properties to finance European projects.
    The gallery in the central square has been organizing exhibitions focused on contemporary visual arts and architecture, especially spatial installations, since 1998. Entrance is free. Curator Martin Škoda considers the councilors' decision unethical. "At the beginning of the year, the mayor guaranteed me that by the end of 2011 I could count on the gallery remaining where it is, and if the building were to be sold, then it would be with a commitment to the scheduled exhibitions. If something unexpected were to happen, a space would be sought where the gallery could continue its activities continuously," Škoda told ČTK.
    According to the petition organizers, the gallery has significant international renown due to its concept. Hundreds of millions of crowns flow into the city and tourist infrastructure of České Budějovice, and the question arises as to what offering potential visitors will encounter, they ask in the petition. A briefing has been called in the gallery for Wednesday. The mayor also received several open protest letters from cultural representatives in the Czech Republic, including the editor-in-chief of the magazine Fotograf, Pavel Baňka.
    According to the mayor, the information about the alleged closure of the Gallery of Contemporary Art is untrue. "The fact is that the lease agreement between the company City Cultural Houses and the city for the rental of the House of Art will expire on February 1. From that date, the Department of Culture of the České Budějovice magistrate will temporarily take over this activity formally on behalf of the company," he informed ČTK. On January 13, the council instructed the head of the Department of Culture to submit a document "with a clear definition of steps and their consequences regarding the potential closure of the gallery during the year 2010." Thus, no decision has been made regarding the closure of the gallery, according to the mayor.