The Moravian Gallery benefited from the removal of admission fees to higher attendance

Brno - The Moravian Gallery in Brno recorded increased attendance last year after abolishing entrance fees for its permanent exhibitions. Including accompanying events, educational programs, and temporary exhibitions, which remained fee-based, the gallery welcomed 118,944 visitors. Nearly 40,000 more people attended the International Biennial of Graphic Design. Michaela Banzetová, the gallery spokesperson, stated this today to ČTK.
    The number of entries to the permanent exhibitions in the three palaces in the center of Brno increased two and a half times, reaching nearly 21,000. The gallery abolished entrance fees on December 1, 2013, following the example of major foreign institutions.
    According to director Jan Presse, in the UK, for example, the number of visitors increased by more than 50 percent after removing entrance fees. The increase at the Moravian Gallery therefore exceeded expectations.
    "It is therefore confirmed that it is possible to make permanent exhibitions a lively and attractive place for the general public, where one can spend leisure time, meet in front of paintings, and cultivate their visual perception," Press stated.
    For this year, the Moravian Gallery is preparing, for example, a solo exhibition of artist Václav Stratil, who received the Michal Ranný Award last year, particularly for his strong influence on the generation of younger artists. The work of set designer, architect, and book graphic artist Zdeněk Rossmann, as well as photographers Jan Svoboda and Miroslav Tichý, will also be featured. In the autumn, the gallery will open an exhibition of Czech visual artists in France from 1938 to 1945.