Culture Minister Sacks National Gallery Director Amid Growing Criticism

Dismissal Without Warning

Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (Motorists) unexpectedly dismissed Alicja Knast, the Director-General of the National Gallery Prague (NGP), on Wednesday, March 19th. The Polish curator had led the Czech Republic's most important art institution since January 2021, and her six-year term was not due to end until the end of this year. Olga Kotková, the current director of the Old Art Collection, has been appointed as the gallery's interim head.

Ministry's Reasons

Klempíř justified his decision by stating that the gallery needs "more significant professional development and the ambition to establish itself among leading European institutions." The Ministry of Culture also pointed to a problem with visitor numbers – in 2025, the NGP received approximately 555,000 visitors, compared to 650,000 in the pre-COVID year of 2019. Critics of the gallery's management also pointed to a minimalist exhibition program for 2026 and a decrease in exhibition budgets from 110 million crowns in 2019 to just 54 million in 2025.

Surprised Director

Knast herself stated that she did not expect the dismissal. "I wasn't expecting it because the gallery's results are excellent," she responded, adding that the institution is recording good results in visitor numbers and international cooperation and has made progress in digitizing its collections. She also pointed out the non-standard procedure – the minister did not inform her of the decision personally.

Wave of Criticism

The manner of the dismissal has provoked a sharp reaction from the cultural community. Former Culture Minister Martin Baxa (ODS) demanded an explanation and warned that "silence favors speculation about a Slovak path" – an allusion to the controversial interventions of Slovak Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová in the management of cultural institutions there, which sparked massive protests in 2024.

Cultural journalist Jan H. Vitvar from Respekt magazine described the procedure as "non-standard" and noted that such a fundamental step is usually announced by the minister personally at a press conference, ideally together with the dismissed director. Baxa added that such a step is usually "announced by the Minister of Culture, ideally alongside the director."

Context: Tension Surrounding the NGP

However, Knast's dismissal did not come completely out of the blue. As early as June 2024, 23 members of the gallery's advisory bodies resigned in protest against the management's allegedly inadequate communication and the dismissal of the head of the research department. Part of the professional public has long criticized the direction of the institution under her leadership.

On the other hand, Knast promoted a number of internationally acclaimed exhibitions and strengthened the gallery's international cooperation. It is precisely this contradiction – professional successes versus internal problems – that makes the whole case more complex than both sides present it.

What Happens Next

The Ministry of Culture has promised to announce a transparent selection procedure for a new director of the NGP in the coming months. However, the case opens a broader debate about the independence of cultural institutions in the Czech Republic and the extent of political influence on their management – especially in the context of Andrej Babiš's government, which has been in power since autumn 2025.