From the former power plant in Trutnov, a modern art gallery will be established

Trutnov - From the more than 100-year-old building of the former power plant in Trutnov, a cultural center with a gallery of modern art will be established. The Trutnov family company Kasper Group, which owns the premises where the power plant stands, has decided to repurpose the building in the Trutnov district of Poříčí for this new purpose. The renovation of the building began this February. The first sculpture exhibition is expected to take place in the spring of 2022. The complete completion of the complex named EPO1 is planned for the years 2024 to 2025.

The project, valued in the tens of millions of crowns, is spearheaded by the Kasper couple, whose Kasper Group is one of the largest employers in the Trutnov region. They intend to finance the renovation from their own funds without utilizing grants or subsidies. According to Rudolf Kasper, quality culture fosters education. "When the power plant began operations 106 years ago, it supplied electricity to more than 60 towns and villages. Now, it could supply top-notch visual art to a much larger part of the region, the country, and our continent," he said.

In the five-story building made of exposed brick, contemporary art, oversized sculptures, and studios for artists are expected to find space. The goal of restoring the building, which was formerly used for the production of the ČKD Dukla company, is to preserve its original appearance. The transformation of the power plant, which is divided into several phases, was designed by architects from the Náchod-based Atelier Tsunami.

The gallery will offer an exhibition area of 3,400 square meters. Three of the five floors of the former switchyard will be transformed into exhibition spaces for smaller three-dimensional objects, paintings, graphics, and photographs, with a depository and technical facilities also being part of the building. The largest space will be the original generator room and turbine hall, where large sculptures are planned to be displayed. These sculptures, which due to their size cannot fit into other Czech galleries, are expected to be a major attraction of the EPO1 center.

"We want to focus on sculptures and plastic arts because the spaces of the center literally call for it. Moreover, we have a warm relationship with sculptures; we collaborate with sculptors in our factory, and we personally purchase some works," said Kasper. In addition to short-term exhibitions, the center will also host working meetings with artists, young people, and students.

Kasper Group collaborates with sculptor Michal Gabriel, among others. The company has created several of his sculptures from stainless steel strips. Among them are a steel shark, a steel lion, and a 3.5-meter-high sculpture of a rider on a horse, which is now on display in Trutnov's Krakonoš Square.

The establishment of Kasper Group dates back to 1990. The main part of its business is custom engineering production, manufacturing pressure and non-pressure vessels, and producing trusses and wooden supporting structures. The annual turnover of Kasper Group is around 800 million crowns, providing jobs for approximately 450 people.