The South Bohemian Gallery in Alšova announced a competition for a building in České Budějovice

České Budějovice – Alšova South Bohemian Gallery (AJG) announced an international architectural competition for the construction of a new building in the Senovážné náměstí square in České Budějovice. Currently, AJG is located in the riding hall of the Hluboká nad Vltavou castle. The costs for the construction of the new building are around 800 million crowns. This was stated today by AJG spokeswoman Paulina Skavova.

The gallery is established by the South Bohemian Region. According to Governor Martin Kuba (ODS), the Alšova South Bohemian Gallery is a significant player in culture not only in the region but throughout the Czech Republic. "The idea of creating dignified, suitable spaces for AJG is not new, but there has always been a lack of will and desire as well as the necessary push to realize this intention," he added.

AJG has approximately 20,000 art objects. These include paintings, sculptures, drawings, graphic sheets, ceramics, and porcelain. "The current leadership of the region is actively striving for the realization of projects that can push the entire region forward," said the governor.

The deadline for submitting competition proposals is May 10. The proposals will be evaluated by a jury composed of representatives from the gallery, the region, the city, and independent experts. "In the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia, there has not been a new construction for an art museum in the last 100 years. This is therefore a rare and unrepeatable opportunity to create a place that will not only be a home for art but also an architectural and cultural gem. Our goal is a space that will be open to dialogue, inspiration, and creative expression. We therefore believe that the architectural competition will attract many leading Czech and European architects, and we will receive a large number of quality proposals. We dedicated almost half a year to preparing the assignment and conditions," stated AJG director Aleš Seifert.

Last year, the gallery had a record attendance of 90,310 people. The most popular exhibit was by Hans R. Giger, the author of the film Alien, which was seen by 46,000 visitors.