Protesters in Plzeň want a new selection of the director of the Klenová Gallery

Plzeň - A protest happening and a petition signing event against the actions of the Plzeň Region regarding the dismissal of the former director of the Klatovy/Klenová Gallery attracted more than a hundred people to the center of Plzeň today. They demanded a new selection procedure for the director of the nationally recognized gallery, which is currently led by a former economist at the decision of the region. Artists have already gathered hundreds of signatures against the dismissal and the new director. Last year, a petition against the dismissal of former director Marcel Fišer circulated, which was signed by over 2,000 people, CTK found out.
    The organizers invited representatives of the region, but no one responded or attended. The region issued a statement in the morning. Governor Milada Emmerová (ČSSD) stated that it is a politicized problem because only two people from the eight-member council are being blamed - herself and the councilor for culture Václav Koubík (ČSSD), who are on the candidate list for parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, the dismissal was allegedly approved by the entire council.
    "The region's approach seems to us to be very dangerous behavior, as it could be repeated anywhere and anytime. Political parties should not compete against each other in art," said CTK protest organizer, Plzeň artist Barbora Motlová. According to her, many more people are signing this year's petition than last year, and they are coming from all over the Czech Republic. Foreign artists, including those from Bavaria's Regensburg, have also noticed the interference in the prestigious 20-year-old gallery and have supported the protest. According to Motlová, they all disapprove of the opaque and strange actions of the region.
    Today people came with banners reading "Klenová - candidate for European disaster 2010", "Koubík - butcher, Koubík - gravedigger" and "Culture is for fools". Local artists supported the organizers with statements, recitations, and music, as well as letters from various parts of the country.
    "We won't rest until a new selection procedure is carried out. We have plenty of other nice activities planned, like a comic now," added Motlová, who wants to take the petition to the region and address the issue personally.
    Fišer has also received support from leading Czech artists. The region dismissed him last March and has since held several selection procedures. Allegedly due to a low number of interested parties, they did not appoint a new director, and instead appointed the former gallery economist, Hana Kristová, without a competition. Fišer remained the curator. However, after a personnel audit commissioned by the region, he received a notice of termination this year. According to recommendations from the audit, two other professional curators were also to be dismissed, which the governor denied.
    The publication of the audit results is another demand of the petition and activities on the social network Facebook. The region's representatives had previously refused to provide the audit to journalists. The current director does not have a higher education degree. The council granted her an exemption from education. Insufficient qualifications are another issue that the protesters dislike.
    "Former director Marcel Fišer was dismissed due to mistakes and deficiencies in the area of budget and cooperation with the founder. The purposefulness of financial resources was not observed, thereby grossly violating budgetary discipline," the region stated today. Money for the construction of repositories, professional facilities for the gallery, offices, and restoration workshops was supposedly not properly used. However, the region did not disclose specific shortcomings. Artists are talking about personal disputes as the real reason for the dismissal. "People may be aware of Mr. Fišer’s professional abilities, but they probably know nothing of his managerial failures," Emmerová stated today.