The ministry supported the establishment of the Central European Forum Olomouc

Olomouc - The establishment of the Central European Forum in Olomouc (SEFO), namely the creation of a unique exhibition of visual art from Central Europe, continues to have the support of the Ministry of Culture. This was stated today during a visit to Olomouc by Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL). According to him, the ministry is looking for ways to bring the project back into play. Its incorporation into the state cultural policy should help with that. The Museum of Art has been planning the project for several years. Five years ago, it was abandoned because it did not receive the necessary half-billion grant from European funds.

"We are looking for ways to give it the most concrete chance for realization; it would be a great boost for encouraging cultural tourism in Olomouc. These institutions are a magnet for tourists from all over the world," Herman told reporters today. According to him, a meeting at the level of deputies is planned in Olomouc next week. "We are trying to make the project actually realizable. For that, we need analyses, financial impacts, and there are also certain architectural perspectives related to it," added the Minister of Culture.

The SEFO project was endorsed by representatives of all Visegrad Group countries with their signatures in Olomouc in 2009. The architecturally bold building was supposed to display modern art from across Central Europe; the back part was planned to include a garden with sculptures and archaeological finds, and the museum was to feature an international research center as well. However, the project was excluded from the grant process on the grounds that it meets the criteria for so-called public support.

According to the director of the Museum of Art, Michal Soukup, it also failed in another European grant program because it was limited by a maximum cap of 123 million crowns. The SEFO project is estimated to cost around 300 to 350 million, he said. However, according to him, it stands a chance because it is included in the state cultural policy. "This gives the Ministry of Culture great possibilities for realizing the project. It seems the ministry has now turned towards it, understanding that there is no other option," added Soukup.

The Central European Forum Olomouc, which was established in 2008 on the occasion of the meeting of the culture ministers of the Visegrad countries, is one of the most ambitious post-war projects in Czech museology. Its main goals include capturing the diverse expressions of visual culture in the Central European region after World War II. It involves a new building on a plot of 1,800 square meters adjacent to the Museum of Art. The new central depository is expected to accommodate up to 200,000 works of art.