Artists and theorists want to occupy the building of Prague's Mánes

Prague - A symbolic occupation of the Prague exhibition hall Mánes is being prepared for next week by a group of artists and theorists united in the initiative Mánes to the Artists. They are concerned about the condition in which the famous building finds itself. The building belongs to the Foundation of Czech Visual Arts, which had to stop its reconstruction earlier this year due to a lack of funds. However, its management claims it is unaware of any mismanagement regarding the building. "The reconstruction continues," said the foundation's director Dagmar Baběrádová today to ČTK.
     The halt in the repairs is not the only reason for the protest; it is also allegedly due to long-term mismanagement of this historically valuable object and significant cultural center in Prague. "The main reason for the entire event is to force the current management of the foundation to resign and appoint new members who will renew the association's activities," said curator Jiří Ptáček today to ČTK. Under the slogan End of the Mánes embezzlement, the two-day protest will begin on April 18 at 11:00.
     "During the two-day occupation, we will transform the building’s spaces into a forum where historical and prospective perspectives on association activities will be discussed. At least for two days, we will restore the building's intended function. During these two days, it will be open to the public 24 hours a day," states the organizers' announcement on the internet. It is signed by individuals such as Zbyněk Baladrán, Milena Bartlová, Tomáš Císařovský, Kryštof Kintera, Eva Koťátková, Jiří Kovanda, Dominik Lang, Lenka Lindaurová, Jiří Ptáček, Jan Šerých, Jana Ševčíková, Jiří Ševčík, Michal Škoda, Jiří Thýn, and Tomáš Vaněk.
     According to the organizers of the Mánes protest, the foundation operated Mánes commercially without any regard for the program's quality. "The foundation's actions resemble those of a real estate agency, which operates primarily for profit," they state, reminding that the Society of Visual Artists Mánes was established out of the necessity for artists to organize their professional lives and mediate contemporary art to society.
     The renovation of Mánes began last year, costing approximately 150 million crowns, with the foundation planning to cover one third from its own sources. Additional funds were sought from sponsors and European sources, but this did not occur as planned. The construction company halted the reconstruction in January due to unclear financing and disputes within the foundation.
     Last year, the foundation intended to take out a bank loan, and the building of Mánes was to serve as collateral. However, the law does not permit this. One option for securing Mánes was its temporary removal from the foundation's assets. Thus, this year the foundation transferred Mánes to the company Apella fine arts, which it established in 2009. A new foundation law will come into effect on January 1, 2014, which will allow the collateralization of the foundation's assets; at that time, Mánes will return to the foundation's assets, its management promised today.