In The Most Beautiful Czech Books of 2009 competition, held annually by the Czech Ministry of Culture and the Museum of Czech Literature in Prague, the Czech Minister of Culture awarded first prize in the category Art Books, Pictorial Publications to the National Gallery in Prague's publication

909 / Art from the Turn of the Millennium in the National Gallery in Prague Collections 1990-2009 Milan Knížák - Tomáš Vlček (editors)

A selection of the most beautiful Czech books is entered in the annual international World's Most Beautiful Books competition and presented at international book fairs and exhibitions in the Czech Republic and abroad.

This spectacular book presents post-1990 artworks acquired by the National Gallery in Prague for its Modern and Contemporary Art Collection. The works cover virtually the entire spectrum of contemporary art, serving both as a chronicle of the times and as evidence of the Gallery's acquisition policy which, while reflecting the contradictions that exist in art today, never forgets the Gallery's role as a traditional museum of art. In the words of Milan Knížák, ".... The opinion that we must show how "quickly" Czech artists caught up with the world persists in Czech art theory. We seek to show the opposite, i.e. the Czech art that anticipated or essentially modified world trends or went beyond them in finding its own way. This is clearly visible in our permanent exhibitions."

Another National Gallery in Prague publication entitled 155 20th-century Artworks in the National Gallery in Prague also attracted the jury's attention. The Tiskárna Libertas printing house was awarded third prize by the Association of Printing Professionals. The book To Learn the Art of Painting also qualified for the finale and will be displayed with the winning publications.

The award ceremony took place on April 20, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. in the Summer Refectory of the Premonstratensian Monastery in Prague's Strahov.

The originals of the displayed books can be seen in the permanent exhibition of 20th- and 21st-century Art in the Veletržní Palace. Besides seeing the exhibits, visitors can also take part an accompanying program organized by the National Gallery in Prague's Education Department.

National Gallery in Prague publications are regularly recognized in The Most Beautiful Czech Books competition. First Prize in the category Catalogues 2009 was awarded to an exhibition catalogue edited by Andrea Rousová: Dances and Festivities of the 16th-18th Centuries. The same prize was awarded to a publication edited by Alena Volrábová: Wenceslaus Hollar 1607-1677 and Europe Between Life and Desolation in 2008.

About the other winning books

Milan Knížák-Tomáš Vlček et al.
155 20th-century Artworks in the National Gallery in Prague

This National Gallery in Prague publication presents a collection of 155 20th-century artworks to evidence the exceptional character and size of the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. The collection houses many surprising works. Most importantly, it does not emulate the schemes of the so-called mainstream, but offers a non-fashionable view, discovering new artists and approaches in the spirit of tradition, referencing collections of preceding centuries, which themselves emphasized authenticity and intimate character rather than the grand gesture. Owing to the many trends and tendencies in twentieth-century art, it was impossible to publish the artworks in simple chronological order. Therefore, the book's authors chose to follow semantic clusters describing the collection's character in a more interesting and complex manner.

The book was published with text in Czech, English, German, French and Italian, 338 pages, 155 reproductions. The Czech, English, German, French and Italian version, 328 pages, 155 reproductions.

Radka Tibitanzlová-Martina Beranová (editor)
... To Learn the Art of Painting: Birth, Apprenticeship and Wedlock and Baptism Certificates from the Collection of the Prague Painting Guild

The Archives of the National Gallery in Prague is publishing an independent series Art in the Archives. Its first book focuses on written materials that have survived among the documents of Prague's painting guilds. It presents new information on painters, glaziers, their apprentices and, no less importantly, the activities and operations of the guilds, which brought together artists from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia and foreign countries.
In Czech, 232 pages, 30 reproductions.

Milan Knížák, Tomáš Vlček (editors)
909 - Art from the Turn of the Millennium in the National Gallery in Prague Collections 1990-2009

Cooperation: Anna Janištinová, Blaguna Paskaleva, Jana Šmídová
Photographs: Jan Diviš, Iveta Kopicová, Blanka Lamrová, Milan Posselt, David Saudek, Maria Slezáková, Miroslava Sošková
Translation: Gita Zbavitelová
Editing: Dana Mikulejská
Graphic layout: Filip Heyduk, Martin Strnad
Pre-print preparation: Martin Brada, Josef Musil, FPS Repro spol. s.r.o.
Printing: Tisk Horák, a.s., Ústí nad Labem

Published by the National Gallery in Prague in 2009.
www.ngprague.cz

© The National Gallery in Prague, 2009
ISBN 978-80-7035-438-4

380 pages, 432 reproductions
Price: 750 CZK / in Czech-English

The book is being sold in National Gallery in Prague shops and selected bookshops in the Czech Republic.

The National Gallery in Prague - Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art / Veletržní Palace
Dukelských hrdinů 47, Prague 7
Open daily except Mondays from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m.
Admission to the permanent exhibition:
200 CZK basic fee
100 CZK reduced fee
300 CZK family fee
A reduced fee is charged after 4 p.m.
www.ngprague.cz

Press release of April 20, 2010

Contact for journalists: Petra Jungwirthová, National Gallery in Prague spokeswoman
Cell phone +420 606 166 513;
e-mail: jungwirthova@ngprague.cz