The West Bohemian Gallery in Pilsen will be led by Roman Musil

Plzeň - The 43-year-old art historian Roman Musil will become the new director of the West Bohemian Gallery in Plzeň (ZČG) starting in December. He will replace Jana Potužáková, who is retiring. The former curator of the National Gallery in Prague (NG) and an employee of the Ministry of Culture since 1998 will focus on the comprehensive presentation of the gallery's collection fund, attempt to increase visitor numbers, and aims to communicate closely with cultural institutions. If a new gallery is built, he will ensure not only a complete exhibition but also its overall functioning, said regional councilor Martin Baxa to ČTK.
    The regional council today decided to appoint Musil to the position for an indefinite period. According to Baxa, he is regarded as a great connoisseur of art from the 19th and early 20th centuries, the period from which the most valuable collections of ZČG originate. "Among the four candidates who met the requirements for the oral selection procedure, he presented the best concept," added Baxa.
    Musil, who worked at the NG from 1990 to 1997 and was responsible for the 19th-century art collections, has already familiarized himself with the gallery in Plzeň. "As part of the National Gallery, I participated in interdisciplinary symposiums dedicated to the art and culture of the 19th century, which regularly take place in Plzeň," he stated. Earlier this year, for example, he prepared an exhibition called "Neklidem k Bohu," dedicated to religious visual arts, in Plzeň.
    His concept, which won the selection process, included collections, programming, the public, and employees. "I perceive the gallery as an organism that connects all these areas," he stated. He would like to focus the most on the exhibition program. Musil is convinced that ZČG should try to exhibit its collections through long-term exhibitions.
    He also wants to involve the gallery's professional staff more in the preparation of the exhibition program. "I would like them to play not only a curatorial role but also to engage more authorially and be able to enter the teams and collectives preparing larger, more research-intensive projects," added Musil. He will officially assume the new position on December 1.