For more information, see:
Institutional IssuesSupervisory Board
Grant Committee
Gratitude
FCA Prague thanks Mr. George Soros for his generous financial and conceptual support during the past ten years. At the same time we sincerely thank OSF Praha and other international and local institutions and individuals namely: Trust for Mutual Understanding, Phillip Morris, Daniel Langlois Foundation, Czech Ministry of Culture, Prague City Magistrate, Ohio Art Council, European Cultural Foundation, Walter Keller, Czech German Fund for the Future. We also thank artists who donated their work to the Collection of FCA Prague.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Prague
FCA Prague continues with the work of the Soros Center for Contemporary Arts - Prague
FCA Prague is member of the following organizations:
Foundation mission
The aim of FCA Prague is to support contemporary visual arts as the integral constituent of a harmonious development of civil society that enables our self-reflection. Foundation program helps artists create artwork that is free of ideological and commercial pressure and also aims to strengthen the role of visual art in society. Funding for artists and FCA Prague strategy are therefore guided by these key criteria: high quality and social impact of the artwork.
A grant advisory board of experienced art historians that are elected for a three-year period considers the first criterion. Quality of art judged by qualified specialists - a criterion is important for two main reasons: The open yet firm framework of foundation decision-making depends on rules to guide its decisions. Also, works of art whose qualities express humanity, openness and creative freedom as well as care, thoroughness and personal integrity are presently under pressure from performance criteria, achievements and other economic, promotional and media-based factors. FCA Prague aims to confront these tendencies with its limited resources.
At the same time, a work of art no matter how exceptional its qualities, cannot be created outside of society without losing its meaning. That's why the second important criterion for awarding grants is the social impact of the artwork. Based on this criterion FCA Prague supports artwork that involves other disciplines and brings other benefits to the general public. Therefore, FCA Prague awards grants to public art projects, artwork involving ecology, social minorities and other similar projects.
FCA Prague programs support individuals and institutions based in the Czech Republic with the aim of breaking through shortsighted nationalism resulting from long-term cultural isolation under the communist regime. Focus on contemporary art is an important aspect of the FCA Prague strategy and its programs support independent creativity, the developing present, the open future and tolerance of new and alternative thinking. By supporting individual artists as they present their artistic inventions, FCA Prague endeavors to strengthen the role of the individual in society and opposes the pressures of consumer culture.
History
The Foundation for Contemporary Arts - Prague and the Center for Contemporary Arts - Prague emerged from the former Soros Center for Contemporary Arts (1992-1998), one of the Open Society funded organizations in Central and Eastern Europe initiated through the vision and generosity of the global philanthropist George Soros.
The joint mission of the Foundation and the Center for Contemporary Arts in Prague is to support innovation and excellence in the contemporary visual arts as an important constituent of a harmonious development of civil society.
Program organization
FCA PRAGUE carries out its mission in two fundamental areas:
- grant program
- management of contemporary art collection
FCA Prague financial resources
Beginning in 1993 the main source of funding was an annual contribution from OSI New York. This contribution has stopped in 2002. For the following two years OSF Praha has committed to provide support for the Foundation and Center for Contemporary Arts Prague. In 2001, support from Philip Morris was a significant contribution to the grant program. Presently and in the near future, the FCA Prague's main source of funding is a contribution from the National Property Fund. FCA Prague is proactively seeking other resources to carry out its program.
Contribution from National Property Fund
Based on a resolution no. 1946 by the Parliament of the Czech Republic from December 12, 2001and resolution no. 1025/01 by the Government of the Czech Republic from October 10, 2001, FCA Prague has become the recipient of financial resources allocated to the Foundation Investment Fund in the second phase totaling 15,272,000 CZK. In accordance to article III of the contract with the National Property Fund from March 27, 2002, 85% of this contribution was invested into the foundation property in the form of shares in the CSOB foundation fund. In the future, returns on this investment will fund the FCA Prague grant program.
The remaining 15% of the contribution (2,250,000 CZK) was allocated for grant awards in 2002 (2,250,000 CZK) and 2003 (450,000 CZK). These resources are distributed in accordance to FCA PRAGUE rules valid since 1993. The sum was divided up in a public tender with the recommendations by a five-member grant advisory board. In accordance to FCA PRAGUE regulations, grants were awarded to physical and legal entities in the following categories: annual, special and supplementary