Ostrava Gallery Plato is preparing to move to the renovated slaughterhouse facility

Ostrava - The Ostrava gallery Plato, which focuses on the presentation of contemporary visual art, is preparing to relocate to the renovated, historically protected city slaughterhouse. The restoration of the monument cost 170 million crowns, and the move is expected to begin in May, with the gallery's management planning its first exhibition for September. For now, Plato will continue to operate from the building of the former DIY market, where it is currently located. This was stated today by the gallery spokesperson Magdaléna Michlová.

The reconstruction of the building, according to the design by Polish architect Robert Konieczny, is set to be completed in May. Similarly, the adjustments to the surroundings were designed by permaculture designer Denisa Tomášková. "The city wants to first introduce the public to the reconstructed building and offer a supplementary exhibition presenting visions for the development of the historic slaughterhouse area. Together, we are preparing, for example, a week-long marathon of guided tours of the reconstructed spaces," the spokesperson stated.

In the summer, the gallery will equip the interior of the building according to the design of architect Yvette Vašourková and will start preparing its first exhibition in the new headquarters. Therefore, the building will be closed for several weeks. The opening exhibition in the new premises of Plato will take place on September 21. The gallery will thus move its main activities to the reconstructed slaughterhouse building.

The city will retain the former DIY market under the management of the gallery. The established facilities of the local library, cinema, garden, or bistro will be offered by the gallery for use by the Faculty of Art at the University of Ostrava, the Secondary Art School in Ostrava, and other partner institutions. "In the coming years, we will be able to utilize a combination of unique facilities for cultural and community projects in the former DIY market with optimal conditions for exhibitions of contemporary art in the reconstructed building of the historic slaughterhouse," said the gallery director Marek Pokorný.

The nearest exhibition project of the Plato gallery this year will be an internationally staffed group exhibition titled When I Say I Am An Anarchist, which will still take place in the building of the former DIY market from March 16, and on April 20, the exhibition will be complemented by a performance, with a script contributed by seven foreign artists.

The reconstruction of the slaughterhouse has created six exhibition halls that can be interconnected or function independently. Thanks to rotating walls, the exhibition space will also incorporate outdoor areas.

In 1994, the city district Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz sold the two-hectare plot along with the former slaughterhouse building to the company Bauhaus for more than 38 million crowns. The company built a DIY market in close proximity to the slaughterhouse. However, the slaughterhouse deteriorated and was never restored, and the store also ceased operations.

The city long sought to regain the slaughterhouse and eventually succeeded in repurchasing it. It paid 80 million crowns for it, including the former Bauhaus store. In 2017, the city announced an architectural competition for the reconstruction of the slaughterhouse, and the winner was chosen from eight proposals. The Polish architect placed third. The city could not reach an agreement with the winner of the competition, the Prague studio Petr Hájek Architekti, regarding the contract and removed the studio from the process. Only the winning studio, which had not signed a contract, and the Polish architect applied for the negotiation procedure without publication that followed the architectural competition. The studio that placed second in the competition did not submit its project for the negotiation procedure.