Open letter against the dismissal of the director of the Slovak National Gallery
Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic,
We write you this public letter as professionals working in museums, art organizations and universities, as well as supporters of Slovak art and culture. We urge you to reconsider your decision to dismiss the Director General (DG) of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG), Alexandra Kusá, following the dismissal of the Director of the Slovak National Theatre, Matej Drlička. This decision has undermined the independence of the cultural sector in your country and damaged the trust in and reputation of Slovak culture at the international level.
You cite your perception of a conflict of interest between the Director General and the contractor as the main reason for dismissing the SNG Director General. It is not our job to judge such a connection. However, we would ask you to allow the case to be pursued in accordance with the legal framework of European democracies and their independent judiciary and audit. State cultural institutions are subject to the rule of law and decisions on the guilt or innocence of cultural directors should not be made on the basis of political expediency alone. Your statement states that “the Department is preparing a request for retrial”, but to our knowledge the review has not yet been initiated. Your actions undermine a fair trial and violate the principle of innocence until proven guilty, which is the basis of our European legal framework.
We are also writing this letter in full awareness and recognition of the dedicated and highly successful leadership of DG Alexandra Kusá. During her tenure, she was entirely focused on improving the SNG for the benefit of museum visitors and the Slovak and international art field in general. Since 2010, she has opened the largest Slovak art museum to the public with free admission, modernized visitor services including a renovation of the building, opened a new museum shop and provided digital access to the collections. The SNG has become an important reference point in Europe in terms of collection presentation and temporary exhibitions. She has motivated the team of experts under her leadership and together they have successfully promoted Slovak art and artists and presented them in international institutions and important narratives of contemporary international art. Under her leadership, Slovak artists have had solo exhibitions at Tate Modern London (M. Bartuszová) and Mumok Vienna (J. Koller) and have been included in many international collections and exhibitions.
Your decision jeopardises these developments, which are so important for art and culture in Slovakia. It also causes us great concern for the future. We ask you to publicly assure us that we, as European cultural institutions, will be able to work with Slovak institutions in the years to come. We ask you to respect the cultural diversity of the art audience and the freedom of museums, theatres and cultural institutions to program independently. We ask you to reject direct political control of cultural institutions and to defend the right of art and artists to freedom of expression.
It is encouraging to read in your press release that you hope that the SNG will “become a recognized and respected cultural organization at home and around the world.” Under Alexandra Kusá’s leadership, the SNG has long been on this path. Therefore, we ask you to take steps to ensure that the SNG can continue to do so. Start with a clear statement that if Alexandra Kusá is not found guilty of a conflict of interest, you will promptly reinstate her as Director General.
Read the signatories here.
