Gallery Brno is closing, a bank will be based in the exhibition halls

Brno - The Brno Gallery, one of the significant exhibition halls in the city, will end its activities in the premises on Veselá Street on the last day of September. The gallery’s final exhibition is dedicated to Jiří Valenta, an artist whose work has been marked by the difficult fate of an emigrant. The gallery's premises will be used by a bank. "The spirit will once again be overcome by matter," said curator Ilona Víchová-Czakó to ČTK. She did not provide information about the gallery owners' future plans.
The listed building is owned by a group of private individuals who have decided on a different use for the space. The gallery was established by the Foundation for Contemporary Art. It primarily focused on the Czech visual arts scene of the second half of the 20th century. Notable artists such as Jiří David, Michal Pěchouček, Dalibor Chatrný, Jiří Černický, Čestmír Suška, and Krištof Kintera exhibited there. The gallery boasted an area of 350 square meters. It also engaged in publishing activities, organized symposiums, and built a permanent collection.
The final exhibition maps Valenta's works created in exile between 1969 and 1977. "Later, Valenta decided to stop painting and dedicated the rest of his life to photography, which is recalled here with a small entry outside the conceptual focus of the exhibition," Víchová-Czakó stated. Valenta lived from 1936 to 1991. After emigrating, he settled in Cologne, where he also died prematurely in 1991.
While the Brno Gallery ends on September 30, a new exhibition hall opens nearby on Friday, although it is somewhat differently focused. On Skrytá Street, which connects Česká and Veselá, the Information Center for Youth will open a new exhibition hall dedicated to young authors. It is called Galerie Skrytá. The project has been supported by the Ministry of Education, the region, and the city.
The new gallery will be located in a building owned by the ministry. Previously, a taxi service operated there, and drivers used the entrance hall as a smoking area. "During the holidays, we renovated the space together with several students from Brno's schools so that it can serve the needs of emerging artists from among young people and students, who will organize their own exhibitions here," said Pavel Zdráhal, head of the Information Center for Youth.
Exhibitions of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and other artworks will alternate approximately every month. It will be open every weekday. The operators do not intend to charge an entrance fee.