Transparentní, kontinuální a inovativní podpora současného umění v České republice od roku 1992

Transparent, continual, and innovative support for contemporary art in the Czech Republic since 1992.

In 2024 the Acquisition Program supported 9 institutions

"For a long time NSU Foundation for Contemporary Art has helped young people reach the public with their energy, thinking, and sensitivity instead of having it remain hidden. These are the things that are judged much later in ways that can’t be compared to the mere valuation of material objects."

Petr Nikl, artist, musician, and performer.

Mission

NSU Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague supports contemporary visual art as an essential element of the harmonious development of a civil society. The Foundation’s programs are designed to support the creative freedom of individual artists without ideological or commercial pressure thereby strengthening the societal role of visual art while also building trust between those within the field of art.

Programs

NSU advances the continued development of the Foundation’s home and supports the Center for Contemporary Art Prague (CSU), which includes the Kurzor and Jelení galleries, as well as the Artlist database and related lectures. In recent years, NSU has focused on securing funds to complete the renovation of the Foundation’s home near Strossmayer Square in Prague 7. This converted former bakery opened to the public in 2016 and now hosts NSU, CSU, and other nonprofit organizations contributing to art and fundraising, together constituting a vibrant cultural center in the heart of Prague 7. Currently, we are preparing and implementing the following grant programs:

Akviziční program pro sbírkové instituce

Acquisition Program for Collecting Institutions

This new program supports regional institutions by providing them with funds to acquire works by contemporary artists for their collections. It aims to accelerate systemic change and strengthen trust between artists, institutions, and philanthropists.

ROZVOJOVÝ PROGRAM na tvůrčí činnost

Development program for creative activities

The development program regularly supports innovative creative activities of artists and other professional participants in the field of visual art. The program aims to support individual creative freedom.

Open call under development

NADAČNÍ DŮM A AKTIVITY NSU

The foundation’s home and NSU activities

Continual development and improvement of the Foundation’s home as a space for experiencing contemporary art and as host for other nonprofit organizations from the field of visual art and fundraising.

Supported
Projects

Projects supported by the 2024 Acquisition Program can be found here.

Over the past 32 years of its existence, NSU Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague has supported more than 750 artistic projects with over 51 million Czech Crowns through regular grant programs. In addition to over 150 visual artists, curators, and theorists, NSU has supported more than 200 institutions, primarily galleries, as well as non-profit organizations and associations engaged in the development of contemporary art.

Eva Koťátková & Barbora Kleinhamplová

In 2018, NSU supported a 12-hour conference, the joint artistic project of Eva Koťátková and Barbora Kleinhamplová. This performative, site-specific event turned visitors into participants. Among other questions, the project raised issues related to the conditions and difficulties of scientific work as faced by cultural workers or artists themselves.

Pavla Sceranková & Dušan Zahoranský

In 2016, NSU supported the joint curatorial project by Pavla Sceranková and Dušan Zahoranský, The Apparatus of Utopian Images. A pair of group exhibitions, created in cooperation with the Efa Project Space in New York and CSU Prague, presented joint works by authors from the Czech Republic and the USA.

Krištof Kintera

NSU supported the visual artist Krištof Kintera three times during the 1990s while he was a student at the Academy of Fine Arts Prague and at the start of his artistic career. In 1995, the Foundation supported his residency in the USA, and two years later, his participation in the Office Tower Manhattan project in Brussels. NSU also funded the creation of Kintera’s catalog for his 1999 exhibition Mluviči, organized by the Gallery of the City of Prague. In 2001, it supported the artist’s participation in an international group exhibition at NoD/Roxy Gallery in Prague reflecting life in cities.

Federico Díaz

During his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Prague, visual artist Federico Díaz completed a funded residency at the Soros Center for Contemporary Art in Ljubljana. In 1996, NSU supported the creation of a catalog for Díaz’s first solo exhibition created in 1997 at the City Gallery of Prague, and years later, his participation in the exhibition L’Art du Monde 98 in Paris. In the following year, NSU supported two of Díaz’s international residencies. účast na výstavě L’Art du Monde 98 v Paříži. V následujcím roce podpořila dva Díazovy zahraniční rezidenční pobyty.

Fotograf Festival

In 2018 and 2019, NSU supported programs accompanying the Fotograf Festival, which has been presenting contemporary photography in the broader context of visual art for over ten years.

Artmap

Artmap, a directory of contemporary art, was founded in 2008. Through its web portal and printed maps distributed in Prague and Brno, it shares information about events on the Czech art scene and serves as a kind of archive of artistic events held all across the Czech Republic. NSU has supported the Artmap initiative twice. In 2013 and 2018, it helped with the creation and expansion of the artmap.cz web portal.

Support Us

Your financial support will directly support NSU’s grant and development programs. Grant administration costs are capped at 10% of the budget. We will inform you about the specific use of your support at the annual NSU donor meeting, in our newsletter, and in the annual report. Thank you, we look forward to your cooperation!

Our deepest thanks and respect go to all the organizations and individuals who have financially supported or continue to support the development of contemporary art through the NSU Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague.

Organizations:

ART HUB ARTEFIN, ARTEX ART SERVICES, s.r.o., Conseq Investment Management, Crove Advertis Accounting s.r.o., Gestor z.s., Hunt Kastner Artworks, Janošík Okna-Dveře, s.r.o., Jlbjlt, Nadace Benetheo, Nadační fond Kmentová Zoubek, Nadační investiční fond České republiky, Ohio Art Council, Open Society Fund, Projekt Darujme.cz Nadace VIA, Střední odborná škola mediální a propagační tvorby, s.r.o., Trust for Mutual Understanding

Individuals:

Adam Majerčík, Adéla Matasová, Alena Kotzmannová, Alžběta Skálová, Anna Doušová, Charlotta Kotik, Emanuel Poche, Eva Koťátková, Eva Volfová, Federico Díaz, Gabriela Těthalová, George Soros, Hana Buddeus, Hana Kafková, Hana Kratochvílová, Jan Kroupa, Jan Mlčoch, Jan Nálevka, Jana Doudová, Jaromír Novotný, Jiří and Radana Waldov, Jiří Janda, Jiří Žák, Jitka Svobodová, Johana Střížková, Karina Kubišová, Kateřina Černá, Kateřina Svatoňová, Katherine Kastner, Lenka Klodová, Ludvík Hlaváček, Marcela Steinbachová, Marie and Zdeněk Kratochvíl, Michal Pěchouček, Miloš Šejn, Ondřej Váša, Pavel Mrkus, Pavlína Morganová, Petr Dub and Jana Bernartová, Phyllis Plotnick, Regina Stupalová, Robert Runták, Šárka Zahálková, Tomáš Džadoň, Tomáš Moravec, unconductive trash, Vasil Artamonov and Alexey Klyuykov, Veronika & Libor Winkler, Zinovij Masinovský

Support through the donation of artworks:

Adriena Šimotová, Alena Kotzmannová, Alice Nikitinová, Antonín Střížek, Arnošt Pacola, Barbara Benish, Čestmír Suška, Dalibor Chatrný, Daniel Hanzlík, Daniela and Linda Dostálková, Daniela Baráčková, David Adamec, David Böhm and Jiří Franta, David Fesl and Sláva Sobotovičová, Erika Bornová, František Kowolowski, František Matoušek, František Skála, Igor Korpaczewski, Ivan Vosecký, Ivana Lomová, Jan Haubelt, Jan Hísek, Ján Mančuška, Jan Merta, Jan Pfeiffer, Jan Řezáč, Jaroslav Prášil, Jaroslav Valečka, Jindřich Štreit, Jiří Bartůněk, Jiří Černický, Jiří David, Jiří Kornatovský, Jiří Kovanda, Jiří Petrbok, Jiří Štourač, Jiří Surůvka, Jiří Valoch, Jitka Géringová, Josef Bolf, Josef Švanda, Kateřina Štenclová, Krištof Kintera, Kurt Gebauer, Lena Knilli, Lenka Klodová, Lenka Vítková, Lukáš Jasanský a Martin Polák, Magdalena Stanová, Marek Meduna, Marian Palla, Marie Blabolilová, Markéta Othová, Martin Kolář, Martin Mainer, Martin Raudenský, Martin Zálešák, Martin Zet, Michael Delia, Michaela Thelenová, Michal Adamovský, Michal Cihlář, Michal Gabriel, Michal Novotný, Michal Sedlák, Míla Preslová, Milan Maur, Miloš Michálek, Miloš Šejn, Olga Karlíková, Otto Placht, Patricie Fexová, Pavel Hayek, Pavel Mrkus, Petr Dub, Petr Kvíčala, Petr Lysáček, Petr Nikl, Petr Pastrňák, Petr Písařík, Petra Herotová, Richard Tymeš, Robert Novák, Roman Franta, Roman Trabura, Stanislav Kolíbal, Svatopluk Klimeš, Tereza Severová, Tomáš Císařovský, Tomáš Vaněk, Václav Girsa, Vladimír Havlík, Vladimír Houdek, Vladimír Kokolia, Vladimír Skrepl, Zdena Kolečková, Zorka Ságlová

Collaborations and partnerships:

NSU was the professional guarantor for the preparation of the ‘Philanthropy and Art’ meeting at Lobkowicz Palace, organized by the Via Clarita Foundation.

Viac clarita

We collaborate with expert volunteers thanks to the organization HERO CLAN

Hero Clan

NSU was selected for the FRIN 2023 acceleration program organized by the Czech Fundraising Center.

Frin.cz

NSU is the professional partner of the project ‘Identity – the Story of Czech Graphic Design’.

identita

Wealth Magazín and SmartEmailing are media partners of NSU

Wealth magazín

Smart Emailing

The winery Víno Šílová is the partner of NSU’s annual dinner for supporters.

Víno Šílová

NSU headquarters were renovated with the support of the construction company Kostka Stav.

Kostka stav

About NSU

In Fall 1992, the Soros Center for Contemporary Art Prague was established by the Open Society Institute N.Y., under the patronage of philanthropist George Soros. It was part of a network of similar centers in post-communist countries. In May 1997, the Soros Center transformed into the independent NSU Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague. Two years later, in response to new legislation on foundations and funds, it split into two entities: the Foundation (NSU) and the Center for Contemporary Art Prague (CSU).

The Foundation continues to pursue its core mission of supporting contemporary visual art through a variety of grant programs. The Center for Contemporary Art Prague organizes exhibitions in two on-site spaces, Galerie Jelení and Galerie Kurzor, as well as all accompanying programs. Additionally, it runs the Artlist artist database and a research library. Since their founding, both institutions have been closely connected by their work within the realm of contemporary visual art, both are guided by the idea of an open society and the development of civic initiatives.

In 2014, NSU invested its foundation capital into a property on Strossmayer Square, which underwent phased renovations until 2022. In addition to housing NSU and CSU offices and exhibition spaces, several other nonprofit organizations in the fields of art and fundraising are based in the complex. The courtyard features a café with an auditorium that hosts a wide range of educational and cultural programs.

NSU Prague is a member of the Donors Forum and a signatory of the Code of Ethical Conduct for Foundations. NSU’s accounting is overseen by PKF APOGEO, an independent auditor.

People

Ludvík Hlaváček

Ludvík Hlaváček

chairman of the Board of Trustees

Ludvík Hlaváček, NSU’s long-time director, has served as the chairman of the board of trustees since 2023. After studying at the Faculty of the Arts at Prague’s Charles University, he worked in historical preservation and later at the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences. After signing the dissident protest Charter 77, he spent the next thirteen years working as a manual laborer. In 1992, he was entrusted with founding and leading the Soros Center for Contemporary Art. In 1998, he played a key role in establishing its sister organization, the Center for Contemporary Art Prague, which is now led by director Ondřej Stupal. Under the leadership of Ludvík Hlaváček for over thirty years, the Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague has continuously focused on supporting artistic creativity as integral to the development of a democratic civil society.

David Korecký

director

David Korecký joined NSU in 2022 with the goal of contributing to the development of a new chapter in the institution’s mission. Since 2023, he has been entrusted with managing it. David has twenty years experience in curating, publishing, project management, and fostering relationships between institutional and commercial entities, as well as for both professional and general audiences. In the past, he worked as a curator and producer for Galerie Rudolfinum, Langhans Galerie and Foundation, the Josef Sudek Studio, and the Ceska pojistovna Gallery. He has organized photography collections for PPF and other private collectors. He prepared the first Czech publication on curating contemporary art, Médium kurátor: The Role of the Curator in Contemporary Czech Art. He is currently collaborating with architects on projects for new museums and exhibitions (the Ghetto Museum in Terezín) and with graphic designers on exhibition presentations (the Identita project). He studied architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT) and the Brno University of Technology (VUT), as well as contemporary history at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University.

Jana Tlustá

office manager

Jana joined the NSU team in November 2023. She spent over twenty years working in the private sector in commercial and administrative roles, since 2017 her work has been in the world of nonprofits. She specializes in project fundraising and has extensive experience in organizational management, PR, and marketing. She earned an MBA in Nonprofit Management from the Society for Management and Leadership.

Tim Gilman-Ševčík

International Projects

Tim joined the NSU team in mid-2024 when he relocated from New York to Prague. For the past seven years he worked as Executive Director of the New York-based climate justice nonprofit RETI Center, operating under the philosophy that, “the current situation is so impacted by environmental and technological challenges that it is essential to create or reform institutions to help us find responses adequate to the world that surrounds us.” Tim is an artist, project leader, and media theorist, and for years worked as part of the artistic duo Františka + Tim Gilman. He holds a PhD in Media and Communication from the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, and lectures at New York University in the USA.

Lenka Bakešová

Lenka Bakešová

Communication & PR Consultant

Lenka has managed and promoted contemporary visual art and other cultural projects for many years. She connects and accelerates activities within the independent art scene, the international art world, and the art market. She also serves as director of Prague Art Week.

Board of Trustees

Ludvík Hlaváček
Board Chair, art historian and theorist

Lenka Deverová
Board Member, lawyer, and university lecturer

Ondřej Stupal
Board Member, director of the Center for Contemporary Art Prague

Board of Advisors

Edith Jeřábková
Curator, critic

Zdena Kolečková
Visual artist, university lecturer

Tomáš Vaněk
Visual artist, university lecturer

Radek Wohlmuth
Curator, critic

Supervisory Board

Katherine Kastner
Gallerist

Alena Pomajzlová
Art historian

Ondřej Hrab
Director of Archa – Center of Documentary Theatre

NSU Advisory Board of Patrons

Charlotta Kotíková
Art historian, curator

Alexandra Bízková
Board Chair of the Pro arte fund, fundraising consultant for the Czech Philharmonic

Martina Břeňová
Director of the OSF Foundation, philanthropy expert

Zdenek Felix
Art theorist, critic, and curator

Petr Málek
Marketing specialist

Libor Winkler
Entrepreneur and philanthropist