The minister has also dismissed the director of the Slovak National Gallery after the head of the theater

Press conference on the dismissal of the general director of SNG, August 7, 2024 (photo: Mgr. Zuzana Dzurdzíková)

Bratislava - Slovak Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová has dismissed the head of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG), Alexandra Kusá. The CTK informed today through the gallery's spokesperson as well as the Ministry of Culture, which criticized, among other things, Kusá's managerial decisions. She had been at the helm of SNG since 2010 and described the ministry's move as a result of mutual incompatibility. On Tuesday, Šimkovičová also dismissed the director of the Slovak National Theatre (SND), Matej Drlička, which sparked criticism from some artists and opposition. The strongest opposition movement Progressive Slovakia (PS) announced a new attempt to oust Šimkovičová in parliament and a demonstration.

"The ministry considers the director general's approach concerning the reconstruction of the Slovak National Gallery building to be unacceptable, during which several managerial failures occurred," stated the ministry.

It claimed that Kusá is a relative of the managing partner of the original contractor for the SNG reconstruction project and that the contract value was increased through amendments. The office, like Šimkovičová earlier, criticized the Slovak exhibition at this year's art biennale in Venice, Italy. Šimkovičová, who advocates "traditional Slovak culture," had previously written regarding Slovak participation in this event about "dubious presentation of art" and called on representatives of the "liberal-progressive spectrum" to "stop embarrassing Slovak culture."

"The reason is clear. We are not compatible," Kusá told journalists regarding her dismissal. She compared its reasons to a nest of lies and half-truths.

At the press conference, Kusá was supported by Drlička, who also criticized Šimkovičová and her close associate Lukáš Machala. "What we are witnessing in recent months is not the dismissal of directors; it is a cultural war. Minister Šimkovičová and her ideologist Machala have declared war on culture and art. All dismissals and changes are unsupported by rational arguments; it is a campaign by these two unbraked carriages that are crushing everything in their path," stated Drlička.

The minister has entrusted the leadership of SNG to Anton Bittner, who, according to the ministry, is a crisis manager.

SNG, like the Slovak National Museum, on Tuesday defended the dismissed SND director Drlička. The Czech Minister of Culture Martin Baxa wants to offer him membership in the commission that will choose the future general director of the National Theatre (ND) in Prague.

The police announced today that they had detained a person suspected of spray-painting the window of the Ministry of Culture. According to Machala, the vandal painted a swastika there, which the minister's associate labeled as a result of a hate campaign by Drlička, activist actors, and NGOs.

Some Slovak artists and the opposition already criticized Šimkovičová for the dismissal of the theatre director. An additional petition demanding the dismissal of the Minister of Culture has also emerged on the internet. PS announced that it is beginning to collect signatures to convene an extraordinary meeting of parliament to propose the dismissal of Šimkovičová; the minority opposition failed in a similar initiative in parliament this May. Next week, PS also wants to hold a demonstration in Bratislava in response to Šimkovičová’s actions. Previously, Slovaks protested in the squares against the new law on public broadcasting, which the opposition claims will enable the government to control the station and which was pushed through by the Ministry of Culture.