GASK I.
Artyčok Tv presents a documentary in two parts called GASK
In early May, shortly after Artyčok TV published their first critical report about the Artbank project, the governor of the Central Bohemian region David Rath was arrested by the police. At that time we had been working for several weeks on a new critical report dealing with the Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region. The governor’s arrest made it impossible for us to get his opinion on this issue, but on the other hand we suddenly found ourselves in a completely different situation when a two- year-old issue gained an unexpectedly current dimension. Apart from the clearly defined roles of all participants we could also notice during our interviews doubt, insecurity and unanswered question in their faces whereas other times we would just come across ostentatious confidence or self-examinating balancing. The current situation of GASK was foreshadowed by an almost forgotten event from 2009 when the recently elected governor of the Central Bohemian region David Rath dismissed the head of an important regional institution whose seat was in Prague then without giving any reason. Although it later came out that this intervention of power also had another quite understandable reason (newly reconstructed Jesuit College in Kutná Hora and an alleged unwillingness of the director Ivan Neumann to move the gallery from Prague to Kutná Hora), it did not meet sympathy of the artists. Petitions were being signed and disagreement was expressed but it all fell quiet after a while. Finally Jan Třeštík was appointed the new director of the gallery, he set up a new team of co-workers and the gallery started working in the Jesuit College in Kutná Hora. Everything took a turn for the better and the art community were contented. But only until the new manager Jana Šorfová was appointed within public selection procedures at the beginning of 2011. Our report deals with this event and its impact on the institution. Through interviews with all the participants we aimed at clarifying the circumstances and the course of the selection procedure and at the same time we tried to point out also more general issues. The resulting mosaic of different and often opposed views related to the same event can appear a partly absurd story lacking clear outlines and sometimes even logic. The distorted view of the whole case caused by contradictory statements of the participants, their unclear motivations and incomprehensible behaviour in a place without clearly set rules may seem burdensome. That is why we find it very important to show how such organizations work at present. With view to public selection procedures which are currently in progress, our report could be seen at least as a case study. Taking over leading positions in cultural institutions by managers without relevant knowledge has recently become a significant trend in our country. Besides Jana Šorfová, the most striking example is probably Vladimír Rösel in the lead of the National Gallery in Prague. If a cultural institution is lead by a professional who is not successful in keeping a balanced budget, he can still rely on his financial manager or accountant consultants. But if the institution is lead by a manager without necessary knowledge of the branch and the context given, we have no other option than to hope he will not try to outline the institution and its program just by the rules of a profitable business. In our opinion a public institution should not only boast an effective economy but primarily offer top quality service to the public.
- We decided to record the following interviews00:00:01.788
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- in spite of that the events described are for most of the people interviewed00:00:05.118
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- already a closed chapter. We wanted to show00:00:09.946
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- the circumstances and the course of a director selection procedure00:00:13.171
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- in a state gallery institution. At the same time, we wanted to point out00:00:16.327
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- a more general dimension to these issues.00:00:19.402
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- In light of the current events and ongoing selection procedures,00:00:22.191
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- this report could be, at the least, understood as a case study.00:00:25.956
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- Elections took place in the fall of 2008.00:00:31.324
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- Ivan Neumann, director of the Czech Museum of Visual Arts 1999/2009:00:00:35.136
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- We thought it would take some time00:00:37.869
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- before the governor comes to the college.00:00:40.442
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- But it wasn't that long. He came in November for the first time00:00:43.052
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- and he liked it very much. He was very enthusiastic.00:00:45.659
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- Of course we put in some effort, we cleaned, polished, put on the lights.00:00:48.396
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- He liked it very much, as did the previous governor Bendl.00:00:53.646
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- Then the office of the governor called to say that the governor wants00:00:59.840
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- to organize a press conference and that he liked the college00:01:05.363
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- and wants to organize it there. So we did it in great style, with00:01:08.297
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- refreshments and so on. He was again very happy but he said00:01:14.602
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- the building was too big and he would like to have his00:01:18.520
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- university there that he wanted to establish.00:01:22.660
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- He proposed to me: You, Mr. Director, could be its bursar.00:01:25.102
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- I tried to explain that it would not work together00:01:29.907
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- university and museum, me as a bursar and a director.00:01:34.943
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- He said he could find a way. But there was no tension,00:01:39.241
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- no aggressiveness, not at all. It was a conversation,00:01:47.690
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- he knows how to act, he behaves like a doctor, softly.00:01:51.413
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- I wasn't frightened by it, I just thought it would take some time00:01:58.180
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- before we would reach an agreement.00:02:03.264
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- This was December, during the press conference.00:02:05.807
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- After I got ...no, it wasn't a letter. His assistant called me an said00:02:09.669
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- that I should come to the Regional Office because there was00:02:16.042
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- a meeting of the Council, the 1st of February,00:02:19.656
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- I should come because they wanted to talk to me.00:02:22.809
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- But she didn't tell me about my removal. But it was somehow clear to me.00:02:26.148
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- I came and there was Mr. Dostál, whom I know, and he told me00:02:30.064
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- what it was about. They called me in. In the meantime,00:02:37.445
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- a young, slim man came with a notebook in his hand I think.00:02:41.002
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- He was introduced as Mr. Třeštík, but I didn't make any conclusions yet.00:02:46.626
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- Martin Dostál, Director of the Czech Museum of Visual Art 2009: If I remember clearly,00:02:53.237
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- it was in the beginning of 2009, I was invited to visit David Rath,00:02:58.342
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- the governor of Central Bohemia. It turned out he was not satisfied00:03:07.846
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- with the Museum of Visual Art and with the director00:03:14.816
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- and that he wanted a change. He asked me whether I00:03:18.234
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- would want to do the job. I said: no problem,00:03:21.410
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- I could also be the director of the Czech Museum of Visual Art.00:03:24.812
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- He said OK and I asked: since when or how is it planned?00:03:27.729
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- He said: since now.00:03:35.948
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- So right afterwards I was appointed by the Council00:03:38.979
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- to be the director of the Czech Museum of Fine Arts.00:03:42.777
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- At the time I was appointed I already knew I had no time for it.00:03:45.973
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- During the first three or four months I had other projects to do and so on00:03:54.828
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- and I could not cancel it, it wouldn't have made much sense.00:04:03.589
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- The day after I was appointed, I stepped down.00:04:11.720
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- I knew that instead of me there would be Jan Třeštík.00:04:19.728
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- With Jan Třeštík we made a deal that after two or three months00:04:25.922
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- I would be appointed as the chief curator, for example. Of course,00:04:30.591
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- this eventually didn't happen. Nevertheless, I was asked00:04:35.294
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- by David Rath to stay in the position of the director for a week.00:04:39.092
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- I was appointed on Monday - until the following Monday when00:04:45.227
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- there was another Regional Council meeting and they would00:04:50.352
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- appoint Jan Třeštík.00:04:54.264
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- At the beginning of 2009, Jan Třeštík, a gallerist, became00:04:56.754
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- the provisional director of the Czech Museum of Fine Art.00:05:00.937
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- Under his directorship, the museum was renamed as00:05:04.549
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- the Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region (GASK)00:05:07.567
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- and Ondřej Chrobák became it's chief curator.00:05:10.751
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- In May 2010 the new team headed by Jan Třeštík00:05:13.833
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- successfully opened the repaired spaces of the Jesuit College in Kutná Hora.00:05:18.075
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- So we are in Kutná Hora, it is the 8th of May, 2010.00:05:24.110
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- And, we have just opened the Jesuit College, the central building of GASK.00:05:28.534
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- I am happy we've achieved this because it's been a lot of work.00:05:33.975
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- It was great, yet demanding work. I have to say that without all the people00:05:40.624
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- in my team I could not have done it. This was fundamental for this result,00:05:49.599
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- a success maybe. I don't know.00:05:54.605
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- Ondřej Chrobák, chief curator of GASK 2009/2011:00:05:56.888
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- Jan Třeštík came from a very different environment.00:05:59.806
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- There was a declared, but also real willingness00:06:04.047
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- on the part of the regional authorities to radically solve the situation.00:06:10.547
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- A space for change opened up. Under regular circumstances,00:06:16.737
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- what I wanted could not be realized -00:06:25.875
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- to change fundamentally the team of people or the way the institution functioned.00:06:30.704
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- The exhibition program and the general concept of GASK00:06:35.650
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- was at the time appreciated both by non-professionals and by experts.00:06:39.893
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- That it was a private gallerist who was the director of a state institution00:06:43.606
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- somehow lost its relevancy in light of these achievements.00:06:47.935
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- Jan Třeštík, GASK director 2009/2011:00:06:51.938
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- In the beginning, the agreement, which was only spoken not written,00:06:55.588
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- was that I would hold the position for a couple of months.00:06:59.947
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- I myself thought it would be half a year during which00:07:05.575
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- both good and bad things might happen.00:07:14.287
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- During this period, I would withdraw from my other projects and activities.00:07:17.116
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- This really happened and I did it in an official way.00:07:19.769
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- My business was transferred to someone else00:07:22.586
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- I was no longer either a statutory representative or a director.00:07:28.920
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- Which means that not only on paper, but also in actuality,00:07:33.837
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- I worked for GASK.00:07:36.589
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- When it turned out that the tasks set required more time,00:07:38.826
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- the situation remained the same. So I have to laugh when people say00:07:45.565
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- I really didn't have time, I spent 90 percent of my time in GASK.00:07:52.863
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- So If I wanted to have another gallery and bakery00:07:59.578
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- or engage in any other activity I would not be able to do it.00:08:03.603
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- Maybe someone else could but I couldn't.00:08:08.606
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- Ondřej Chrobák, chief curator of GASK 2009/2011:00:08:11.225
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- If you are involved in two activities at the same time,00:08:14.104
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- like running a gallery and having a business, it can be difficult in that00:08:16.768
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- these two spheres - sometimes it is less apparent - can overlap.00:08:20.562
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- For example, if you look for sponsors, it can become difficult.00:08:27.422
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- If you have your own business at the same time,00:08:34.328
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- you kind of become your own enemy.00:08:37.901
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- You are trying to get money convincing these people00:08:41.953
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- to invest their money to support this institution,00:08:44.751
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- a project other than your business.00:08:48.546
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- These people have only one money and they will decide if they want to00:08:50.989
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- invest in an exhibition or buy art. It is this or that.00:08:53.840
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- The danger is that the person is his own rival.00:08:58.328
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- The second thing is, and it is problematic00:09:01.983
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- that's the way it is,00:09:09.109
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- to what extent, in the context of such a system,00:09:11.372
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- it is possible or even right out of principle and so on.00:09:15.228
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- I would say it is typical for the Czech environment00:09:20.221
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- - if I exaggerate and you could give other examples -00:09:24.308
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- simply no rules apply.00:09:31.707
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- This conflict of interests ended up a tragicomedy or rather a tragedy.00:09:34.590
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- This was the famous case of Picasso.00:09:40.141
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- While representing a private collector of Picasso's painting,00:09:43.232
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- he used the stamp of the institution00:09:52.589
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- to make the transport of the painting possible.00:09:57.178
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- This was totally beyond what's acceptable, beyond what also I consider acceptable.00:09:59.661
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- I've never criticized it in public. First, no one has asked me00:10:08.439
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- about it in public. Second, I was also to blame00:10:14.963
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- - I could not act surprised that Jan was an art dealer.00:10:17.725
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- Also, this happened in January 2011 and00:10:21.060
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- there was already a call for a new director.00:10:27.425
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- I announced already in the fall that I wanted to leave.00:10:32.541
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- It was my own decision, no one had forced me into it.00:10:36.710
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- The reason was that, naturally, I felt tired, but above all I felt that00:10:39.878
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- the period of "great freedom" had ended00:10:47.160
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- - to exaggerate. I felt I had to decide either to00:10:52.838
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- struggle - under much more difficult conditions -00:11:01.100
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- for the whole process to continue. Or, I leave the helm to someone else.00:11:03.304
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- I decided to leave the helm to someone else.00:11:08.332
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- Jan Třeštík recommended to the Regional Council00:11:11.264
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- to announce a public call for the position of a new director.00:11:13.973
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- By doing this, according to his own words, he wanted keep up the new reliability00:11:18.761
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- of the institution. Yet, several months passed before the selection procedure,00:11:22.747
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- he picked his own favorite candidate and introduced her to the governor.00:11:26.109
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- He had an unusual influence over the whole procedure.00:11:31.017
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- He recommended committee members and participated in the election.00:11:34.673
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- Klára Zubíková, Regional Councilor for Culture:00:11:39.158
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- My role was the following: when it was decided that00:11:42.999
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- - and it was also the idea of Jan Třeštík himself -00:11:48.934
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- that he would end his activities as the director of GASK,00:11:53.905
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- I was given the task by the governor David Rath to create00:11:57.491
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- a proposal for the Regional Council - that I've brought with me -00:12:04.610
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- for a call for a new director of GASK.00:12:11.992
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- Who were the members of the selection committee?00:12:18.574
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- It was myself as a Councilor for Culture, Mrs. Březinová00:12:20.924
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- who was responsible for human resources in the region,00:12:25.483
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- this is quite usual. Jan Třeštík was, however, also present,00:12:29.210
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- also professor Fajt, Milena Bartlová, and Mr. Srp.00:12:35.077
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- Milena Bartlová, member of the 2011 selection committee:00:12:38.677
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- The paradox is that to me it seemed like a finally00:12:42.152
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- fair competition. Finally, something that would be all right and decent.00:12:44.938
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- Jiří Fajt has approached me to become a member of00:12:50.069
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- of the selection committee because I was the chair of the Society for Art History.00:12:53.294
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- Also, Jiří Fajt and I, we have collaborated for many years00:12:58.850
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- because we work in the same field. I already knew that for a long time00:13:07.479
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- he had been looking for a place to realize an exhibition about art00:13:14.067
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- in the age of the Jagiellonian dynasty, which had been for a long time organized00:13:16.657
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- in Germany. I knew he needed to find a place for it.00:13:21.362
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- There was an urgent need that GASK would function well at whatever cost.00:13:24.940
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- At the same time, it seemed to me that finally it was something transparent.00:13:32.837
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- I can tell you the whole story.00:13:36.806
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- Noemi Smolik Artistic Director of GASK 2011/201200:13:39.948
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- I was approached first by Třeštík at Jiří David's party in the summer,00:13:43.509
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- it was two years ago. Třeštík came to me and said: So, you are Noemi Smolik!00:13:47.929
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- You know well Jana Šorfová. We would be so happy if she could be00:13:52.894
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- the GASK director. She did a great job at Mrs. Mládek's. Since she came there,00:13:56.991
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- it has been running great - also in terms of finance.00:14:05.016
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- Could you help us to get her? This was the first time I saw Třeštík.00:14:08.071
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- He called me right after that and I called Jana. Two days later,00:14:15.755
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- Mr. Fajt called me: "You know Jana well and we would really like to have her00:14:20.904
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- in GASK, could you help us to convince her,00:14:26.529
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- could you give me her number?" Fajt met three times with Jana for dinner.00:14:29.156
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- He, literally, talked her into it. So Jana finally decided to say yes.00:14:33.784
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- She called me and told me to accept the offer on the condition00:14:41.364
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- that I would help her and that Mr. Fajt would support her.00:14:44.190
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- I called Mr. Fajt and told him that Jana would accept it,00:14:50.090
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- but that we really needed to rely on his support.00:14:55.078
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- Jana Šorfová, GASK director since 2011: I was approached in 2010,00:14:59.827
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- I had been for several months at home after eight years of full time work00:15:04.088
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- for the Meda and Jan Mládek Foundation.00:15:09.882
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- I was finally enjoying my rest. I was contacted by Jan Třeštík00:15:12.564
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- or rather professor Fajt. I was told that Jan Třeštík00:15:16.438
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- was leaving his job and that was August 2010.00:15:21.903
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- I remember they came to me in the summer.00:15:26.828
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- We went together to a meeting at the Karlštejn castle00:15:29.574
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- and I was told that I was going to be introduced to the governor and00:15:33.667
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- that I should apply for the position. And this is how it also happened.00:15:38.269
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- We met in September, October. It wasn't like I was eager for the position00:15:45.632
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- and was nervous to get it. I thought, OK, I will get to know00:15:52.258
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- Mr. Rath and I was expecting - like it was with the National Gallery's00:15:58.332
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- selection procedure - I thought influence, support, politics00:16:03.949
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- all this was necessary, it's a big and important institution, so00:16:09.499
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- in September and October we began to look for information.00:16:12.592
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- At that time, Monika Burian could not realize an exhibition00:16:16.787
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- of Modigliani at the Kampa Museum and she asked me to -00:16:22.620
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- she was supposed to do it with Mrs. Mládek at the Kampa Museum -00:16:27.032
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- she knew I was at home at that time and that I saw sometimes00:16:30.387
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- Mr. Třeštík or Mr. Fajt. They knew I collaborated closely with00:16:33.589
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- Noemi Smolik so they would come to see her too00:16:40.179
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- telling her I shouldn't be afraid of the institution00:16:42.229
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- and that I should apply for the position and prepare for the interview.00:16:45.612
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- At that time I was busy with the Modigliani exhibition,00:16:49.250
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- it was Christmas time, I have to admit that I suddenly realized00:16:53.719
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- there was this call and I had to prepare an application.00:16:58.740
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- Nevertheless, a call was announced some time before Christmas.00:17:01.033
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- Martin Dostál, Director of the Czech Museum of Visual Art 2009:00:17:07.005
- 00:17:07.005
- I decided to apply, just for fun, and then I found out there were only00:17:10.067
- 00:17:10.067
- two candidates - me, and I knew that I did not have the right00:17:18.930
- 00:17:18.930
- to be a director that was also what Jan Třeštík eventually told me -00:17:25.891
- 00:17:25.891
- he asked why I was applying and said that I knew that it made no sense00:17:37.550
- 00:17:37.550
- and that David was angry with me - and then there was Jana Šorfová.00:17:41.197
- 00:17:41.197
- Milena Bartlová, selection committee member 2011:00:17:47.722
- 00:17:47.722
- The first doubt came when this lady from the Regional Council00:17:51.579
- 00:17:51.579
- came and said that Martin Dostál didn't come and that00:17:55.015
- 00:17:55.015
- he sent a text message telling us he was in China, but he knew about00:18:00.292
- 00:18:00.292
- the interviews and he went anyway. It was quite strange, there was only one00:18:05.550
- 00:18:05.550
- candidate. After that, we all read her project,00:18:10.527
- 00:18:10.527
- which we immediately put aside because we said it was irrelevant,00:18:17.773
- 00:18:17.773
- boring, and low quality. Later it turned out it was plagiarism.00:18:21.193
- 00:18:21.193
- But then we just thought it was copied from management textbooks.00:18:29.436
- 00:18:29.436
- So we didn't pay attention to that. Then we interviewed the candidate00:18:33.384
- 00:18:33.384
- and some of her replies showed she didn't have a clue00:18:37.234
- 00:18:37.234
- about the management of a state-funded institution,00:18:40.321
- 00:18:40.321
- how it functions, the basic principles like that every year00:18:44.210
- 00:18:44.210
- you have to have your accounting finished and so on.00:18:47.740
- 00:18:47.740
- So this was even more questionable and in the end I noticed that00:18:51.425
- 00:18:51.425
- based on those documents, she did not have university education.00:18:57.165
- 00:18:57.165
- So I asked if the conditions did not include university education.00:19:01.701
- 00:19:01.701
- Jan Třeštík said no, they didn't, they stated only that it was an advantage.00:19:09.035
- 00:19:09.035
- It was then I became positive it was something planned in advance by Třeštík.00:19:14.665
- 00:19:14.665
- Jan Třeštík, director of GASK 2009/2011:00:19:21.342
- 00:19:21.342
- As regards to the selection procedure, I gave the region some kind of a manual00:19:26.023
- 00:19:26.023
- or contacts to professionals, I recommended committee members00:19:30.277
- 00:19:30.277
- who were then actually appointed. From my point of view, I don't want it00:19:39.457
- 00:19:39.457
- to sound like what a politician would say, but till now00:19:45.669
- 00:19:45.669
- I don't understand why the selection procedure itself was questioned00:19:50.484
- 00:19:50.484
- in terms of both the procedure and content.00:19:57.287
- 00:19:57.287
- I cannot agree that either the procedure or the content including the conditions00:19:59.273
- 00:19:59.273
- would be in any way manipulated and so on.00:20:05.558
- 00:20:05.558
- I really cannot agree with that. It was a regular procedure, two rounds,00:20:10.407
- 00:20:10.407
- submission of an application, then interview, two candidates,00:20:18.371
- 00:20:18.371
- so the decision was made very quickly.00:20:23.203
- 00:20:23.203
- Jan Skřivánek: Art&Antiques editor-in-chief:00:20:27.602
- 00:20:27.602
- There were more suspicious moments, the call was announced only three days00:20:30.454
- 00:20:30.454
- before Christmas, the deadline was very soon - in three weeks,00:20:35.747
- 00:20:35.747
- the date of the interview was not really given in the call00:20:40.789
- 00:20:40.789
- and the candidates were invited only a week after the deadline.00:20:46.051
- 00:20:46.051
- It was all in a rush, the members of the committee changed00:20:53.931
- 00:20:53.931
- and this was not included in the Council's press release.00:21:00.376
- 00:21:00.376
- The press release states that Jiří Ševčík would be a member.00:21:05.352
- 00:21:05.352
- Instead of him, there was Karel Srp. Out of all the committee members, only00:21:10.310
- 00:21:10.310
- Karel Srp refused to speak in front of the camera.00:21:16.061
- 00:21:16.061
- He did not react to the repeated requests for an interview.00:21:20.228
- 00:21:20.228
- As a selection procedure committee, we met twice, I think,00:21:23.866
- 00:21:23.866
- Jiří Fajt, selection procedure committee 2011:00:21:28.325
- 00:21:28.325
- First time we met at the Regional Council where we were told that00:21:31.797
- 00:21:31.797
- there were two candidates. One of them was Mrs. Šorfová, the other was00:21:38.405
- 00:21:38.405
- Martin Dostál. We were told that they submitted their00:21:42.817
- 00:21:42.817
- proposals. We were given these documents on the spot00:21:49.999
- 00:21:49.999
- which wasn't a regular procedure. We should've received the documents00:21:54.896
- 00:21:54.896
- in advance in order to get to know them. We got the copies on the spot.00:21:59.941
- 00:21:59.941
- Then it was announced that the other candidate Martin Dostál00:22:07.489
- 00:22:07.489
- didn't communicate or that it was impossible to get in touch with him,00:22:13.400
- 00:22:13.400
- that he was abroad, in China or somewhere, and wasn't coming.00:22:17.763
- 00:22:17.763
- I had a phone call when I was at the Ruzyně Airport on my way to China.00:22:24.984
- 00:22:24.984
- It was a lady and she asked me - it was Thursday, I remember it very well-00:22:30.986
- 00:22:30.986
- if I had time the following week, on Tuesday to come for the interview.00:22:39.613
- 00:22:39.613
- I told her I didn't because it was only on Tuesday I was supposed to00:22:51.508
- 00:22:51.508
- return from China.00:22:58.294
- 00:22:58.294
- That was the first meeting. Then we said good bye00:23:00.668
- 00:23:00.668
- and then Martin Dostál called me in the early afternoon saying00:23:05.581
- 00:23:05.581
- that he just landed at the Ruzyně Airport and where he should go00:23:09.812
- 00:23:09.812
- to present his project. I was surprised because in the morning we heard00:23:14.903
- 00:23:14.903
- that he didn't communicate. So I called Jan Třeštík who had contacts00:23:20.698
- 00:23:20.698
- to people in the Council and I asked him if the committee could00:23:28.133
- 00:23:28.133
- meet again because we're misinformed, Martin Dostál communicated and00:23:33.553
- 00:23:33.553
- most likely, the regional officials forgot that there was a second candidate00:23:38.973
- 00:23:38.973
- who should have the same right to present his project in person.00:23:45.260
- 00:23:45.260
- I was at that time in the Czech Republic for the whole week00:23:51.122
- 00:23:51.122
- so I proposed to meet on the Friday of that week.00:23:54.648
- 00:23:54.648
- We met on Friday, Jan Třeštík was absent and I'm not sure if everyone from00:24:00.872
- 00:24:00.872
- the Council who was there at the first meeting was present00:24:10.544
- 00:24:10.544
- I don't think so, I think there was only one person,00:24:13.074
- 00:24:13.074
- but I no longer remember who exactly.00:24:15.854
- 00:24:15.854
- In any case, there was someone from the Council because00:24:18.309
- 00:24:18.309
- the Council was the organizer, it took place at their office.00:24:21.100
- 00:24:21.100
- Milena Bartlová, selection committee member 2011:00:24:23.660
- 00:24:23.660
- Then Dostál came on a plane from Beijing, called Fajt00:24:27.108
- 00:24:27.108
- and they had a long phone call and then he called me and maybe00:24:32.311
- 00:24:32.311
- some other people and both of us agreed that there would be a second round00:24:34.794
- 00:24:34.794
- to which he would be invited but in the end the whole selection procedure00:24:41.095
- 00:24:41.095
- would be considered one-round. It's true that Martin Dostál was abroad00:24:45.645
- 00:24:45.645
- at that time and he asked for a special interview, but this didn't happen.00:24:49.788
- 00:24:49.788
- Jan Třeštík, director of GASK 2009/2011:00:24:55.505
- 00:24:55.505
- Not so much because someone would want to prevent him from having an interview,00:24:57.771
- 00:24:57.771
- but because all the members could not meet at the same place and a given time.00:25:01.563
- 00:25:01.563
- There was no interview with Martin Dostál. All what we had was his project.00:25:05.752
- 00:25:05.752
- It was a regular procedure. Seven people voted and now I don't know00:25:13.145
- 00:25:13.145
- I would have to look who was for whom and who refrained from voting.00:25:27.247
- 00:25:27.247
- The result was three or two votes against four or something like that.00:25:33.393
- 00:25:33.393
- When all votes were counted, it turned out that the committee00:25:43.754
- 00:25:43.754
- recommended Jana Šorfová, she was the winner by one or two votes I'm not sure00:25:51.458
- 00:25:51.458
- we'd have to go back in history.00:25:56.980
- 00:25:56.980
- In the course of our interview, Jan Třeštík made comments only about00:25:59.842
- 00:25:59.842
- the first meeting of the committee. It isn't clear why he didn't discuss00:26:03.526
- 00:26:03.526
- the second one even if, according to Jiří Fajt, he helped to organize it.00:26:06.829
- 00:26:06.829
- He kept repeating that the committee recommended Jana Šorfová to be00:26:11.655
- 00:26:11.655
- appointed. This is how the information appeared in the media even if00:26:16.902
- 00:26:16.902
- according to some committee members Jana Šorfová was not recommended.00:26:20.038
- 00:26:20.038
- We asked the Councilor for Culture, Klára Zubíková to read in front of the camera00:26:25.459
- 00:26:25.459
- the official protocol of the selection procedure, which includes the final00:26:30.370
- 00:26:30.370
- recommendation.00:26:35.401
- 00:26:35.401
- The selection committee considered the written proposal submitted00:26:39.888
- 00:26:39.888
- by the candidates and evaluated whether these have fulfilled00:26:45.248
- 00:26:45.248
- the given legal conditions and concluded that the candidates have fulfilled00:26:48.923
- 00:26:48.923
- these conditions. The committee has evaluated also the proposals00:26:53.248
- 00:26:53.248
- and considered whether other conditions announced by the call00:26:56.102
- 00:26:56.102
- have also been fulfilled. Both candidates were invited for an interview,00:27:01.577
- 00:27:01.577
- one on January 18th, the other on January 21st. Candidates were asked about00:27:05.871
- 00:27:05.871
- the reason why they had applied, about their working experience,00:27:11.354
- 00:27:11.354
- their ideas on the functioning of GASK, their aims and plans.00:27:16.311
- 00:27:16.311
- At the end of the interview, more precise questions were answered,00:27:21.933
- 00:27:21.933
- and more specific proposals related to concrete steps in the new position00:27:25.401
- 00:27:25.401
- were presented. After the evaluation of all criteria and requirements,00:27:29.965
- 00:27:29.965
- the selection committee is not able to recommend either of the candidates.00:27:33.960
- 00:27:33.960
- The committee believes that it should be possible to reach00:27:39.037
- 00:27:39.037
- more interested applicants. That's the protocol.00:27:41.673
- 00:27:41.673
- During the four-year term of David Rath, governor of the00:27:59.436
- 00:27:59.436
- Czech Museum of Fine Arts or GASK was headed successively by four directors.00:28:02.742
- 00:28:02.742
- The first one was removed by the governor a couple of months after the elections00:28:10.773
- 00:28:10.773
- without any reason given. The second director00:28:17.000
- 00:28:17.000
- who was appointed out of the blue very soon changed his mind.00:28:19.774
- 00:28:19.774
- The third one was appointed as a director only for a couple of months.00:28:22.861
- 00:28:22.861
- In fact, he held this position for two years.00:28:27.008
- 00:28:27.008
- The fourth one was to be chosen by an expert committee through00:28:29.700
- 00:28:29.700
- a public selection procedure. Although the committee didn't select anyone00:28:32.642
- 00:28:32.642
- and proposed a new call to be issued a candidate who was approved of00:28:36.944
- 00:28:36.944
- in advance was appointed by the governor and the Regional Council.00:28:41.645
- 00:28:41.645
- -> PART 200:28:49.181
- 00:28:49.181
- 00:28:55.486
- 00:28:55.486
- Realized by: Special thanks to:00:28:57.895
- 00:28:57.895
- Our thanks go to all, whose comments have helped us to realize GASK - Part One.00:29:02.895
- 00:29:02.895