The National Gallery has announced an international competition for the director of collections

Prague - The National Gallery in Prague (NG) is announcing selection proceedings for the positions of directors of the Collection of Old Art, the Collection of 19th Century Art, and the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. CTK was informed today by NG spokeswoman Šárka Pleslová. The former directors of these collections were dismissed by NG director Jiří Fajt last December.
    Their successors will join the group of five heads of all NG collections and will collaborate with Fajt and chief curator Adam Budak to participate in the restart of NG with the ambition of establishing it as a top museum institution in the international context, as stated in the advertisement for the director positions. Jiří Fajt promised that he would look for new collection directors through an international competition - applications for the first round must include a CV and a motivational letter in English, and a list of publications and completed research and exhibition projects must also be provided in English.
    The advertisement further states that NG is looking for strong personalities capable of bringing their own initiatives while collaborating on the concept of creation, protection, and presentation of the collection funds. A commission of experts will evaluate the applicants, although its composition has yet to be disclosed. Detailed information regarding the selection process can be found on the website of the National Gallery in Prague. Fajt has previously stated that he intends to fill curator positions through an international competition in the future, with the number of curators expected to be roughly half of the current count.
    Art historian Jiří Fajt took over as head of NG last July and announced personnel changes in the highest management from the beginning of his tenure. In September, the position of chief curator was assumed by renowned curator Adam Budak. In December, Fajt dismissed the directors of the three mentioned collections; NG also includes the Collection of Oriental Art and the Collection of Prints and Drawings. The three dismissed directors, Vít Vlnas, Šárka Leubnerová, and Helena Musilová, publicly defended themselves against Fajt's decision. They stated that their dismissal at that moment was unjustified and occurred amidst successful exhibitions, without Fajt having adequate replacements for them.
    However, Jiří Fajt said that he had agreed with Vlnas on his departure from NG at the end of the year back in July. They agreed to collaborate on some short-term projects. He agreed on the exchange of Musilová with Adam Budak. Fajt claims that before making his decision, he assessed the exhibition and publication activities of the modern art collection, the attendance at short-term exhibitions, as well as the concept and exhibition dramaturgy. Fajt offered the director of the 19th Century Art Collection a position as a curator, which she did not accept. One of the criticisms that Fajt made about curators and senior staff at NG after he took office was their excessive ties to the market, specifically concerning the paid preparation of reviews for artworks sold at auctions.