The Cheb granary is gradually transforming into a photography gallery

Cheb - The barn of the former Franciscan monastery in Cheb is gradually being transformed into an art center. Once completed, the G4 photography gallery will move into it. The reconstruction of the baroque building is funded by the Karlovy Vary Region and will cost 19 million crowns, said Governor Martin Havel (ČSSD) during a construction inspection day.
    The oldest permanent photography gallery in the Czech Republic, now operated by the region, had previously been located in inadequate spaces on Kamenná Street. "Thanks to the renovation of the barn, the gallery will remain in the historic core of Cheb. I believe that visitors will be curious not only about the upcoming exhibitions but also about the final form of the reconstruction that is currently underway. We also plan to expand the library and the collection of photographs from the depository," Havel stated.
    As G4 gallery director Zbyněk Illek mentioned, when the gallery started in 1985, no one could have anticipated the changes brought by digital photography in the 90s. "Before that, the largest photographs were 100 by 120 centimeters, but now we have to reject some exhibitions because enlargements of two by three meters or even larger are being made," Illek noted.
    The construction workers began the renovation of the barn last June. The masonry structures are now completed, and the laying of basalt pavement is finishing. Workers are cleaning and painting the historical wooden structures on each floor and installing internal thermal insulation and drywall ceilings.
    Originally, the barn, which has never been accessible to the public, was to be repaired with the help of European subsidies. However, this encountered a problem, as repairs cannot be done with subsidies, and conservationists did not allow significant interventions in the building beyond repairs. The region then took over the financing.
    The construction is expected to be completed in August. "Subsequently, in September, the occupancy permit will take place. We anticipate starting activity in the reconstructed spaces on December 4, 2015, and on this occasion, we will invite the public to the first exhibition in the new art center,” Illek stated. The exhibition will begin 30 years after the opening of the original G4 gallery on Kamenná Street.