Gallery and Space in Znojmo is likely to end, councilors want a commercial lease

photo: BoysPlayNice

Znojmo – The operator of the exhibition space and place for art Gallery and Space, namely the association Art for Znojmo, will likely cease operations at the end of the year due to the council's decision on commercial rent on Monday. While until now it operated as a non-profit and non-revenue organization covering only energy costs and receiving rent relief from the city as a form of support, the council has now resolved that the association must pay an annual rent of 354,000 crowns starting from September 1. This is devastating for the Gallery and Space, said its artistic leader Andrea Krejčí to ČTK.

The city's leadership defends its actions by claiming it is acting with due care and that it does not want support in the form of direct grants to overlap with support in the form of rent-free usage, city spokesman Pavel Kovařík communicated the council's position to ČTK. According to him, the city's leadership was surprised by the news of the cessation of operations, as it did not communicate with the association regarding the council's decision on changing the terms before Monday. "No meeting took place," said Kovařík. On Wednesday, council member David Štolpa (ANO) contacted the leadership of the association.

The association began operating in 2012, and Krejčí and her colleagues gradually began looking for a space where they could settle permanently. They have been operating the house on Kollárová Street under an agreement with the then leadership of the municipality, which is now in opposition, for five years. In Gallery and Space, people could see art that deviates from the mainstream, and the place also served for gatherings, discussions, and creation. "We organized exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, workshops, and lectures that enriched the cultural life of the city. Last year, we held 144 events, and attendance was over 15,000 people," said Krejčí.

She stated that the association contributed to the reconstruction of the house, saving the city some costs. She also mentioned that the house at the edge of the historic center is damp from the bottom and has had to use an industrial dryer for over six months. "Because of this, we are paying an additional 70,000 crowns a year for energy, and if the city leaves the house vacant for two months over the winter, the walls will be moldy and covered in mildew," noted Krejčí.

According to her, the pretext for the municipality wanting to impose commercial rent on the association has become the renting of three tables for coworking, that is for people who work and create freelance and do not have their own spaces. "Paradoxically, we do this also because the previous municipality told us not to just stretch out our hand. But the coworking spaces are not always fully occupied, and we charge 3,000 crowns a month for one. Even if we had all occupied, it wouldn't be enough to cover energy costs. And we do not sublease the space to anyone. When we lend it to someone for an event, they usually only pay for catering," said Krejčí. "From the association's side, there were repeated violations of the contract, specifically the provision that prohibited the rental of the café and gallery spaces to third parties," Kovařík wrote. However, he stated that the council has changed this provision and allowed the association to officially rent out the spaces.

The situation is more complicated because the association is supposed to start paying rent from September 1, but the grant-supported program is planned until the end of the year. "This move has exposed the council's ignorance of what we do. The decision is not only shortsighted and irresponsible but also destructive for the entire community. Instead of investing in the development and support of culture, the city has chosen to suppress it and let it fade away," said Krejčí. She and her colleagues will look for ways to continue.

The opposition will likely try to reverse this situation somehow. "We need to find out what options we have as a council to revoke the decision. The coalition has a majority of just one vote. Maybe someone among them will realize that this is over the line. This simply should not be done. If we let it go, the association will terminate the lease, the space will remain empty, and there will be some fast food or something similar. This is the southern entrance to the historic core, and culture has its place there. And we all know that it is not a profitable business," Jiří Kacetl (Pro Znojmo) told ČTK.