The head of NG showed how he wants to manage the gallery. The ministry is not satisfied

Prague - The director of the National Gallery in Prague (NG) Vladimír Rösel was to submit a concept for the future direction of his institution to the Ministry of Culture by the end of June. Rösel was appointed to the position on June 1 last year by former Minister of Culture Jiří Besser (STAN), and he has been leading one of the largest cultural institutions in the country for over a year. "The NG director submitted the concept for the future direction of NG by June 30, but it was returned for revisions because it was found to be incomplete," said the Ministry's spokesperson Markéta Ševčíková to ČTK.
    Rösel has another month to finalize the material, which he is to submit by the end of July. What exactly will be included in the new concept is unclear. However, according to earlier statements from the NG management, it should include, for example, a new arrangement of permanent exhibitions; Rösel also hints that he would like to manage the institution differently than before from an economic standpoint. The reorganization of the NG exhibitions is planned to be implemented by 2016; it is unclear how much it will cost, but according to ČTK information, the submitted concept specifically lacks the specification of planned expenditures.
    Even after a year of the new NG director's tenure, there are still no answers as to whether the gallery will continue to be more of an art museum, as advocated by the former director, or focus more on hosting short-term exhibitions. The concept is also awaited because the position of the director of the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection has been vacant since last September, and there has been speculation that changes could also occur in the organization of the individual NG collections. At the very least, the gallery states that it wants to significantly change the presentation of modern and contemporary art.
    French art from the 19th and 20th centuries, which is a highlight of the Veletržní Palace, is to be moved to the Kinský Palace, that is, to the center of Prague, where reportedly tourists can find it more easily. Gothic art will move from the St. Agnes Monastery to the Salm Palace, that is, back to the Castle. Art from the 19th century will return to the St. Agnes Monastery.
    According to Rösel, the management model should be income-based rather than cost-based; the level of income should determine the range of NG's activities, as the cost-based model leads to the organization becoming indebted. After taking office, he reportedly found that NG had obligations for unpaid invoices amounting to nearly CZK 50 million. They are gradually being paid off, but at the expense of the exhibition program.
    This year, NG received CZK 227 million from the state, but even with revenues from admission fees and rentals, according to NG management, it does not cover the contribution needs associated with public service, especially with the exhibition program. Last year, the total costs of NG, even after savings, reached CZK 330 million.