The activity of the
Česká pojišťovna in the arts
The Česká pojišťovna is an institution that not only insures works of art but also has makes important contributions to the preservation of the Czech cultural heritage. It owns one of the largest private art collections, which it continues to add value to, conserve and restore, and, mainly, present to the public in the Galerie České pojišťovny.
The first exhibition that was held in the gallery was ‘Paintings in Paintings’ (Obrazy v obrazech). It comprised mainly damaged works that had been stored deep in the repository. These works, however, were successfully restored and could then be exhibited.
The collection began with the establishment of the Česká pojišťovna in 1827. Its core consists of almost 400 works by famous Czech painters – Alphonse Mucha and members of the ‘National Theatre generation’, in particular Mikoláš Aleš, Vojtěch Hynais, Václav Brožík, and František Ženíšek, as well as landscape painters like Augustin Piepenhagen, Julius Mařák, and Václav Radimský. Among the most valuable acquisitions in the collection are two unique paintings by Mikuláš Medek. The collection also includes works by contemporary artists such as Jiří Sopko, Ivan Ouhel, Stanislav Diviš, Jiří David, Jiří Načeradský, and Jan Merta.
The Česká pojišťovna is also a partner in another important arts project, the Summer Shakespeare Festival.
PPF Group´s
Cultural Projects
In the Czech Republic, where it was first established and continues to operate, the PPF Group was one of the first privately owned corporations in the early 1990s to begin systematically to support art and thus to help save unique art projects and works.
The PPF Group’s support for the arts is focused primarily on painting and sculpture. A subsidiary, PPF Art, operates several art galleries and manages unique collections of Czech and Slovak photography. It manages the collection of the most famous Czech photographer, Josef Sudek, and also operates the gallery bearing his name, the Josef Sudek Studio, on Újezd street, Prague. The Josef Sudek Studio was restored thanks also to the PPF Group.
PPF also ensures the operation of the Václav Špála Gallery, the best-known Prague gallery focused on contemporary art. In addition, it manages a collection of art for Česká pojišťovna and sees to the exhibition programme of the České pojišťovna Gallery.
Another area in which PPF Art is involved is the publication of art books on themes linked to the collections and current exhibitions. Thus, for example, it published Zemská fotografie by Lukáš Jasanský and Martin Polák and also Privatissima, a volume devoted to the photos of Josef Sudek.
PPF Art contributes to the development and popularization of art and also collaborates with other galleries and lenders of works of art for local and foreign exhibitions.
Among the other arts projects supported by the PPF Group are the Žižkovské divadlo Járy Cimrmana (Jára Cimrman’s Žižkov Theatre) in Prague and the Summer Shakespeare Festival, which takes place every year at Prague Castle and in other Czech towns.