Karlin Studios

Karlin Studios (KS) is a Czech art organization and association based in Prague, focused on contemporary visual art. It was founded in 2005 by Italian architect Alberto Di Stefano in collaboration with Czech artist Jiří David. The initiative emerged in Karlín, a district that had been devastated by catastrophic floods three years earlier and was gradually undergoing regeneration. Karlin Studios was notable as the first industrial space in Prague that, after industrial production ceased, combined exhibition halls with artists' studios and a place for residencies. From 2005 to 2016, Karlin Studios operated in a former ČKD factory hall in Prague 8-Karlín. During its time there, the gallery program was managed by the production team of the FUTURA gallery, including Michal Novotný and Caroline Krzyszton. The building also housed other exhibition spaces such as k.art.on and K4, and provided room for fourteen studios plus a studio for a foreign resident artist. In 2015, the building's owner, the development company M2, announced the termination of the lease. After two years of negotiations, Karlin Studios reached an agreement with Prague City Hall, which offered them Hall No. 40 at the Holešovice Market. The hall had been empty for twenty years and the city had no use for it. A free five-year loan of the building was approved by the Prague City Council on 26 January 2016, and by spring a lease agreement was ready for signature. However, on 21 June 2016, the city's property commission unexpectedly awarded the lease of the Holešovice hall to another party—OSE Czech Republic and the Signal festival. The councilor for property, Karel Grabein Procházka, refused to discuss the matter with the association. After half a year without a home, Karlin Studios found new premises in the Karlín Barracks as part of a project by "cultural developer" Matěj Velko. The three-year lease of the former barracks space was arranged through cooperation between Minister of Justice Robert Pelikán and Petr Vilgus, deputy mayor of Prague 8. Since May 2017, Karlin Studios has been based in the Karlín Barracks, continuing its mission to support and present contemporary art in Prague.

Karlin Studios was established in 2005 by Italian architect Alberto Di Stefano in collaboration with Jiří David. It was founded in Karlín, a Prague district that had been hit by catastrophic floods three years earlier and was gradually transforming. The organization was the first industrial space in Prague to combine exhibition areas with artists' studios and residency accommodation after industrial production ended. From 2005 to 2016, Karlin Studios was located in a former ČKD factory hall in Prague 8-Karlín. During this period, the gallery program was run by the production team of the FUTURA gallery, namely Michal Novotný and Caroline Krzyszton. The building also hosted other exhibition spaces, k.art.on and K4, and offered fourteen studios plus a studio for a foreign resident artist. In 2015, the building's owner, the development company M2, announced the termination of the lease. After two years of negotiations, Karlin Studios reached an agreement with Prague City Hall, which offered them Hall No. 40 at the Holešovice Market. The hall had been empty for twenty years and the city had no use for it. A free five-year loan of the building was approved by the Prague City Council on 26 January 2016, and by spring a lease agreement was ready for signature. However, on 21 June 2016, the city's property commission unexpectedly awarded the lease of the Holešovice hall to another party—OSE Czech Republic and the Signal festival. The councilor for property, Karel Grabein Procházka, refused to discuss the matter with the association. After half a year without a home, Karlin Studios found new premises in the Karlín Barracks as part of a project by "cultural developer" Matěj Velko. The three-year lease of the former barracks space was arranged through cooperation between Minister of Justice Robert Pelikán and Petr Vilgus, deputy mayor of Prague 8. Since May 2017, Karlin Studios has been based in the Karlín Barracks, continuing its mission to support and present contemporary art in Prague.

• 2017

  In May, Karlin Studios moves to the Karlín Barracks.

• 2016

  Prague City Council approves a free five-year loan of Hall No. 40 at Holešovice Market on 26 January.

• 2016

  On 21 June, the city's property commission awards the Holešovice hall lease to OSE Czech Republic and Signal festival instead.

• 2015

  Building owner M2 announces termination of the lease.

• 2005

  Karlin Studios founded by Alberto Di Stefano and Jiří David in Karlín, Prague.

• 2005

  Karlin Studios begins operating in a former ČKD factory hall in Prague 8-Karlín.

Independent non-profit art association and exhibition space for contemporary visual art in Prague.

Product categories. Exhibitions · Artist studios · Residencies · Gallery program

1. 1Karlin Studios - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Karlin Studios - Czech Wikipediacs.wikipedia.org