What Kind of National Gallery Do We Need?

A series of three roundtable discussions will open a debate on the role of the National Gallery in Prague as a public cultural institution. It will focus on the gallery’s position in a democratic society, on the ways in which exhibition practices and collection management help shape art history, and on the institution’s relationship with its current and potential audiences. The discussion will incorporate various academic and professional perspectives. The goal of the series is to create a space for critical reflection on the functioning of the National Gallery, its public roles, and the conditions that influence its future direction.

The first debate will address the role of a national cultural institution in a democratic society. It will focus on the institution’s responsibilities toward the state, the professional community, and the public, as well as on what public service in the field of culture means today. It will raise questions regarding institutional autonomy, cultural policy, and funding. Attention will be directed toward how these frameworks and conditions influence the institution’s operations, strategic decision-making, and long-term direction. The discussion will also address the National Gallery’s position within the broader Czech cultural infrastructure and its relationship to regional institutions, the independent arts scene, and other actors in the cultural sphere.

Moderator: Jan Motal

Guests:    

Olga Kotková – Director General and Director of the NGP Collection of Old Art
Sabrina Muchová – philosopher, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Contemporary Continental Philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Marek Pokorný – Director of the PLATO Municipal Gallery of Contemporary Art in Ostrava
Jiří Vajčner – Chief Director of the Cultural Heritage Section at the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic