The post of the head of the NG will once again be contested by Pokorný, Rösel, and possibly Fajt

Prague - According to information from ČTK, a total of four candidates will compete for the position of head of the National Gallery. Among them are again the director of the Moravian Gallery in Brno, Marek Pokorný, and economist Vladimír Rösel. The current director Milan Knížák, who has led the gallery since 1999, is no longer pursuing the position.
    Art historian Jiří Fajt, who won the last competition for the head of the NG, later canceled, also considered applying for the position. It is uncertain whether he ultimately applied again.
    The deadline for applications was last Friday, and the ministry is expected to open the envelopes on Thursday, when the selection committee should convene and assess the necessary documents in the first round. The office does not want to disclose either the number of applications or the names of candidates and members of the selection committee for now.
    Rösel already stated at the announcement of the selection procedure that he wishes to apply, and he confirmed this again today to ČTK. On the other hand, Pokorný took a very long time to consider his application and ultimately submitted it at the last minute, on Friday, he told ČTK. The name of the fourth candidate is unknown to ČTK.
    Among the quartet of candidates is not the current gallery director Milan Knížák, who has led the institution since 1999. "I did not participate in the selection process for the position of general director of the National Gallery," Knížák said to ČTK. However, he is satisfied with his tenure at the head of the institution. He claims to have brought new, previously overlooked artists to the NG, maintained a balanced budget, and contributed to its overall stability. "Even though it was sometimes difficult, we always resisted fashion trends. I am probably most proud of that," Knížák added.
    Knížák has been criticized for a long time by many artists and art theorists for his style of leading the gallery. Some claim that Knížák has isolated the NG and also criticize him for preferring to build permanent exhibitions at the expense of organizing significant temporary exhibitions.
    The last competition for the director of the NG took place on April 14, 2010, but it was surrounded by uncertainties from the beginning. At that time, the ministry did not want to confirm the list of candidates. The then Minister of Culture Václav Riedlbauch officially commented on the competition only on June 3, when he stated that he would not select a new director. He left the decision to his successor, to whom he recommended three participants in the competition, although the selection committee selected Jiří Fajt. Riedlbauch recommended both Pokorný and Rösel alongside Fajt.
    New Minister of Culture Jiří Besser (for TOP 09) canceled the selection process. He announced a new competition this February. Besser would like to appoint Knížák's successor as the head of the NG by June 1, 2011. Knížák is expected to remain general director until the end of August. Between June 1 and August 31, Knížák and his successor should hand over the responsibilities.