Galerist Sklenář opened a new gallery after a year and a half following the explosion

Prague - The Gallery Zdeněk Sklenář is opening today at a new address in Prague with an exhibition of graphic works by Bohumil Kubišta. Its original location on Smetanovo nábřeží was destroyed a year and a half ago by an explosion in a nearby building. The gallery owner has found a new place in Salvátorská Street in the Old Town.
    The exhibition commemorates the 130th anniversary of the birth of the painter and graphic artist Bohumil Kubišta (1884 to 1918), one of the most significant creators of Czech modern art in the first half of the 20th century. At the same time, it is the first comprehensive showcase of his graphic work. A monograph by the author Mahulena Nešlehová is also being published to accompany the exhibition. Together with a rich visual accompaniment, it brings a number of new insights and for the first time evaluates the artist's graphic production. The work includes a complete visual catalog of Kubišta's graphic works.
    The gallery has found its new home in a building that is part of a complex of neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings constructed between 1899 and 1909 by Osvald Polívka for the former City Insurance Company. The space, which previously served office purposes, was leased to the gallery based on a public commercial competition announced by the Ministry of Regional Development. The building modifications were carried out under the supervision of architect Josef Pleskot.
    The Gallery Zdeněk Sklenář was established in the mid-1990s in Litomyšl and has been operating on the waterfront in Prague since 2001. The shockwave from a gas explosion in April 2013 shattered the gallery's windows, damaged the walls, and destroyed several works of art. "In the vicinity of the Old Town Square and the legendary studio of Václav Boštík, Gallery Zdeněk Sklenář expands its exhibition activities at a permanent Prague address 497 days after the tragic explosion," said gallery owner Zdeněk Sklenář.