Acquisition Program for Collecting Institutions

2026

The third year of the 2026 Acquisition Program has been announced. Applications may be submitted from June 1 to June 30, 2026, via data box using forms available on the Czech version of the website.

2025

The second year of the program was announced on June 1, 2025; 17 collecting institutions submitted applications, four of which were different from those in the previous year. Funding was requested to support acquisitions totaling 5,015,750 CZK in purchase prices, with a minimum 30% financial contribution from the applicant, or 3,486,325 CZK in total requested foundation grants. No application was rejected on formal grounds.

On August 6, 2025, the NSU Board of Directors approved the proposal of the expert committee dated August 4, 2025, which—composed of Radek Wohlmuth (committee chair), Barbora Hájková, Pavlína Morganová, Jiří Ptáček, and Jan Zálešák, recommended supporting the applications of seven institutions for the acquisition of a total of twelve works of art or series, with a total amount of foundation grants of CZK 1,031,225.

The main philanthropists of the second year of the Acquisition Program were Veronika and Libor Winkler, Ladislav Ornst and René Rohan from Art Hub Artefin, and Josef Jelačič. The target amount was reached through additional contributions from the Benetheo Foundation, the Kmentová Zoubek Endowment Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Dušek of Fleysen, Artex Art Services, and financial donations from individual donors. NSU contributed a portion of its own revenue from the operation of the NSU Foundation House to the budget.

Supported Institutions and Their Acquisitions:

Klatovy / Klenová Gallery

Matěj Al-Ali: The Magic of Personality

Matěj Al-Ali: Trajectories of Vision

Cheb Gallery of Fine Arts

Pavel Büchler: New Paintings

Pavel Büchler: Blind Circles, 4 photographs

Luděk Rathouský: Detention

Museum Kampa – Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation

Ladislava Gažiová: Moving

Liberec Regional Gallery

Zdena Kolečková: Paradoxes of German Cuisine

Zdena Kolečková: Triple Identity

Gallery of Modern Art in Roudnice nad Labem

Milan Maur: Snow Melting

Michaela Thelenová: Sudeten Reinette

Brno City Museum

David Možný: Sleepless, 3-channel video

Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín

Dušan Tománek: a collection of 8 photographs

Previews and detailed descriptions of the works, along with the corresponding foundation grants awarded, can be found in the NSU Yearbook 2024/2025 (CZ).

2024

For the 2024 pilot year, the NSU Acquisition Program raised 1,230,200 Kč.

The main philanthropists were Veronika & Libor Winkler as well as Ladislav Ornst and René Rohan from Art Hub Artefin. The target amount was reached thanks to a donation from the Benetheo Foundation, a gift from the Kmentová Zoubek Foundation fund, financial gifts from individual donors, and revenue from the operation of NSU’s foundation building.

An Open Call was announced on June 1, 2024. A total of 17 collecting institutions applied for support to acquire a total of 36 works. The total purchase price of 4,905,220 Kč included a 20% contribution from the applicant, amounting to total contribution of 3,923,600 Kč requested from the fund. No application was rejected on formal grounds.

On August 2nd, 2024, the NSU Board of Directors confirmed the proposal of the selection committee put forward on July 30th. The committee, made up of Radek Wohlmuth (committee chairman), Barbora Hájková, Pavlína Morganová, Jiří Ptáček, and Jan Zálešák, evaluated applications for foundation funds for acquiring contemporary art in 2024 and recommended supporting the requests of nine institutions for the acquisition of a total of 15 works.

Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb
Rafani / Cause, Hana Puchová / Still Life, Daniel Hanzlík / Fragment

City Museum and Gallery Polička
Veronika Šrek Bromová / Times Between Times, Marek Rejent / Reclining Woman

Regional Gallery of Liberec
Dagmar Šubrtová / Burning Heart, Dagmar Šubrtová / Black Egg

Gallery of Modern Art in Roudnice nad Labem
Václav Jíra / Machine Plan, Karolína Rossí / Untitled, from the Masks series

Brno City Museum
Vendula Chalánková / Collages from the House of Art I–IV series, Vladimír Kiva Novotný / From the Gradient series

Jesenicko Regional Museum
Adam Kašpar / Anteater and Břidličná

Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín
Pavel Tichoň / Masaryk

Vysočina Regional Gallery in Jihlava
Lenka Černota / Distance

Aleš South Bohemian Gallery
Jan Vičar / Herons

Critic and independent curator Radek Wohlmuth, member of the NSU board of advisors and chairman of the committee, stated:

“The issue of building collections represents a long-term problem on the Czech art scene, and affects essentially all institutions. For this reason, combined with the chronic underfunding of the cultural sector, it is clear that the NSU Acquisition Program has an undeniable significance and validity by its very nature. This is already evident in its very first year. The results clearly demonstrate that in the future it could become a significant and dynamic component of diversified financing for acquisitions, applying a more lively and independent lens than traditional institutional programs.

It’s not just that this issue is viewed from the perspective of a relatively small but professionally established team that sees the center of gravity of purchasing strategies more rooted in the present and, ideally, in truly current events. But it also possesses a more subtle empathy and unconventional measurement of value that seems to invigorate more traditional support mechanisms. This gives it a quality of its own that is, currently, truly unique within our art scene.”