The Sýkora Association will donate 1.4 million to the city of Louny for the renovation of the theater piazzetta

The Sýkora 2020 Association will provide the city of Louny with a sum of 1.4 million for the modification of the piazzetta of the Vrchlický Theater, which will take the form of a black-and-white geometric composition by painter Zdeněk Sýkora. This money was raised in a public fundraising campaign. “Dozens of individuals and companies from not only Louny but from across the Czech Republic has contributed to the implementation of this project. Donors sent amounts ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of crowns to the transparent fundraising account. We thank everyone very much. All funds from this fundraising campaign are intended solely for the implementation of the project, and we will hand them over to the city of Louny, which is the project's investor,” stated Jolana Planičková, chairwoman of the Sýkora 2020 Association.

However, the fundraising campaign will not end with this step. “We recognize the financial demands of the project and believe that we will succeed in reaching out to more donors,” added Jolana Planičková.

One of the major donors is the Charter 77 Foundation. “Supporting the public fundraising for the modification of the space in front of the Vrchlický Theater in Louny, where a permanent memorial and remembrance of the local outstanding son and artist Docent Zdeněk Sýkora will be placed, was a question that the Board of the Charter 77 Foundation answered in two seconds. Unanimously yes, it was said. The beautiful piazzetta in front of the theater will remind us of his work from 1962, which was created for the theater's curtain and has not been preserved. Thus, Louny will finally join the cities where Zdeněk Sýkora's works can be found in public spaces. Prague, Basel in Switzerland, Gorinchem in the Netherlands. The Charter Foundation also has another reason to support this good cause. Zdeněk Sýkora and his wife Lenka have been supporting our project Auction Salon for Konto Bariéry since 1993. Thirteen exhibitions and auctions have already taken place, and so I realized that I have already sat thirteen times in the hospitable kitchen of the Sýkorys on Hilbertová Street and also always brought home beautiful gifts from there that decorated each of our auctions. Can one really thank for such kindness? Definitely not just with money,” said Božena Jirků, director of the Charter 77 Foundation and Konto Bariéry. (Statements from other supporters can be found at www.sykora2020.cz/podporuji-nas/)

A significant sum is contributed by Lenka Sýkorová, the wife of Zdeněk Sýkora, who is donating 850,000 crowns to the association and the city of Louny. “I understand that investments from public funds into culture will never be a budget priority; the city is not that rich. Therefore, I have decided to financially support the project. I and all of the Sýkora's friends and admirers are looking forward to walking on the piazzetta soon. The black-and-white composition will certainly become a characteristic landmark of Louny from the perspective of Google Maps satellite.”

The project will be realized this year. The contract for 5,750,000 CZK (6,957,500 CZK including VAT) was awarded to the Děčín-based company Sanex CZ, s.r.o. Construction work will begin in June and last until the end of summer. The base of the piazzetta will consist of a concrete slab, and the final layer will be an epoxy screed that allows for precise drawing of the geometric composition and coloring in black and white, as required by the artistic design of the piece. It will not be a laid mosaic but a “painted” picture. The project also includes making the entrance to the Gallery of the City of Louny, located in the theater's basement, barrier-free.

The Sýkora 2020 Association is preparing a ceremonial unveiling of the piazzetta on Saturday, November 3, with interesting guests. The celebration will also include the vernissage of an exhibition of Zdeněk Sýkora in GAML. An audiovisual show themed around the city of Louny will not be missing.

The piazzetta will take the form of a black-and-white geometric composition that painter Zdeněk Sýkora designed in 1962 for the theater's fire curtain. However, the unique piece has not survived; it disappeared during the theater's reconstruction from 2001 to 2003. The return of the work to the piazzetta was proposed by the award-winning architect Josef Pleskot and Lenka Sýkorová.