Gallery and Space will continue in Znojmo, the new city leadership will support the association

photo: BoysPlayNice

Znojmo – The Znojmo Art Society will continue its activities next year in the building on Kollárova Street. It operates an exhibition space and a place for art called Gallery and Space. Andrea Krejčí, the artistic director, informed ČTK today. The continuation was made possible by Monday's change in the city leadership, where the coalition of ANO, SPD, and Znojmáks ended and was replaced by a new coalition composed of the movement Our Znojmo, SPOLU (ODS and KD-ČSL), Pro Znojmo, and Znojmáks. The society now has the support of the new leadership.

The society has been functioning in the city since 2012 and has been active on Kollárova Street for five years. The Gallery and Space showcases art outside the mainstream, and the venue serves for meetings, discussions, education, and creation. The society has been renting the space from the city for free for a long time, paying only for utilities. However, in June, the council decided that starting September 1, they wanted an annual rent of 354,000 crowns at commercial rates. This would be devastating for the society. Shortly thereafter, Krejčí announced that the society would cease activities on Kollárova at the end of the year, as it had funding for its activities, and if it ended earlier, it would have to return the grants.

With the new city leadership, the situation has changed. "We met with the new mayor František Koudela (ODS) and deputy mayor Jakub Malačka (Our Znojmo). They want to support us and reverse the council's decision from June. We should either pay an annual rent of 50,000 crowns, which we could manage, or we will have the same conditions as before," Krejčí said. She has already announced that the Gallery and Space will continue so that people can register for educational courses, for example.

The previous city leadership stated at the end of June, through spokesman Pavel Kovařík, that they acted with due diligence and did not want to overlap support in the form of direct grants with support in the form of free rent. The then councilor David Štolpa (ANO) initiated a meeting when he learned that the Gallery and Space were supposed to end. However, it did not take place.

Krejčí argued that if the city found some other operators, it would cost much more in her opinion, and if the building remained empty, it would generate operational costs. She indicated that the request for commercial rent was justified by the rental of three tables for coworking, i.e., for freelancers who do not have their own space. According to her, the rent did not even cover the utility costs, but the society, according to the contract, could not sublet the space further.

Koudela wants the society to operate in Znojmo. "It is necessary to support these partners in culture. They do something different, have their target group, and have built a good reputation. And even though they also operate a café, they are not café owners," Koudela told ČTK. He added that the society clearly does not earn enough for its activities and needs support from the city.

The society should also develop in the future, as the spaces on Kollárova Street are becoming insufficient. Both Krejčí and Koudela told ČTK that they would look for options for where the society could operate. According to Koudela, one possibility is the riding hall in the Loucký Monastery, which is being reconstructed and is intended to become a cultural and creative center.