The gallery will change after the coronavirus, says the next director of NGP

Prague – There is no cultural institution that hasn't had to change in some way due to the experiences with the effects of measures against the spread of coronavirus. When the bleak situation of both public and private budgets is added after nearly a year of cultural impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is much to consider. This was stated in an interview with ČTK by the incoming Director General of the National Gallery Prague, Alicja Knastová. She will take up the position on January 1, and she plans to inform about organizational changes in the gallery after discussions with her team in March.

Museums and galleries in the Czech Republic have been closed twice due to measures against the spread of the coronavirus, and they are likely facing another interruption of operations for visitors. After the easing of measures in the spring and early December, people returned to galleries and museums, but often their capacity was insufficient due to government restrictions. For example, outside the Kinsky Palace, where NGP is hosting an exhibition of works by the famous painter Rembrandt, people have recently waited in line for up to three hours.

Knastová admits that museums and galleries will not be the institutions that need to change too much in response to the newly established situation. "But we are facing this just like other types of companies or organizations. The most important thing is not to forget what our main role in society is - that is to be a responsible and sustainable organization at the same time," she stated.

One significant issue that the new director will face is the potential reconstruction of the Trade Fair Palace, the home of the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. These days mark the 25th anniversary since the building was reopened for the gallery's needs after reconstruction. Throughout its operation, there has been a debate about whether the building originally designed for trade fairs is suitable for exhibiting art; its operation is very costly and unsuitable for some exhibits.

The former NGP director Jiří Fajt had planned a major reconstruction of the Trade Fair Palace instead of the occasionally considered new building for the NGP. This plan involved significant construction interventions into the heritage-protected building. Last year, he prepared an architectural competition, but his successor Anne-Marie Nedoma, who is currently managing the NGP, stated that reconstruction would not begin until a gallery repository is built, which she estimates will take six to seven years. According to her, the reconstructed Trade Fair Palace could then be ready in 15 years, as she mentioned earlier.

"Regarding the Trade Fair Palace, it is necessary to start any discussion concerning the outlines of what can be done. (...) Such fundamental projects change the entire institution and require careful planning. In Poland, several such projects were rushed and became costly, and now they even have technical problems," Knastová, the former director of the Silesian Museum in Katowice, stated.

Regarding the possible new building for the NGP, she mentioned that such a thing is a temptation for every museum director - it seems to her easier than working with the existing buildings that the institution has available. "It's not up to me to decide," she remarked. The budget for the reconstruction is currently undergoing an audit. She does say, however, that the Trade Fair Palace has enormous potential. "The layout and height of some galleries can change if we need to create a spectacular exhibition space, but the Small and Large Halls are simply breathtaking. I believe they have the same potential as the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern in London, with one big difference - they are constructed to allow natural light, which is not the case for the Turbine Hall. We can have both bright and dark spaces depending on what we need," she enumerates the qualities of the building.

Past directors of the NGP have had differing views on how to interpret its mission. Some focused on building collections and permanent exhibits, leading it towards the form of a museum, while others focused more on organizing a large number of temporary exhibitions. Knastová says that neither will prevail at the NGP; according to her, building collections and making art accessible to the public must occur with equal attention. "Building collections and public access to them are like two wings of a beautiful bird," she concluded.