[Leica] FW: Prague House of Photography needs our help

["Tim Atherton" <tim@KairosPhoto.com>]

I happened to read about this this morning, and then later got the email
below:

tim


Subject: RE: Prague House of Photography needs our help


P.S.  Eva's email address: php@ecn.cz

michaldaniel@cs.com wrote:
> As you probably know, the Prague House of Photography has been terribly
> afflicted by the recent floods. All of our current rooms: exhibition
> hall,
> sales gallery, archive-rooms, depository, offices and photographic
> school
> remained under water for three days---there has been a lot of mud,
> dampness
> and humidity after the water subsided---the flood has brought such a
> terrible disaster to the Prague House of Photography---we have lost a
> lot of
> publications (part of our library and bookstore), all of our furniture,
> our
> computer network, part of our professional equipment (frames, matboards,
> photo-materials, photo-envelopes and portfolio-cassettes, etc) and first
>
> of
> all, we have lost the spaces themselves as we can not exhibit and store
> photography in the flooded building anymore (there is a very high /
> extremely dangerous humidity...). Besides, the building has got
> seriously
> damaged---paving in the courtyard and inside the gallery and offices has
> fallen in---statics of the building has been enfeebled, electrical
> wiring
> has been destroyed....etc. Luckily, we have saved our
> photography-collection
> plus almost all of the photographs in commission sales, the main part of
>
> our
> library plus the most of publications in commission sales, part of our
> computer equipment and electronics, our documentation, database and
> files,
> part of our archive and depository equipment (e.g. some photo-materials,
> frames, photo-envelopes and cassettes, etc.).
>
> I started to evacuate our photography-collection, computers and
> electronics,
> documentation, the most important part of our equipment, facility and
> property on Monday, August 12th 02 even though there was no certain
> proof of
> the upcoming flood yet. Although everyone, at that time, claimed that I
> was
> only panicking. Now I am so glad I did it...on time...even though we
> didn´t
> have enough time to evacuate the entire equipment, items and property of
>
> the
> PHP. I want to emphasize that the flood has meant such a horrible
> disaster
> and traumatic experience for all of us---for the whole country...It will
> take years to overcome all the economic, social, cultural and especially
> human consequences of the devastating flood.
>
> I am working hardly on the "recovering" strategies / procedures of the
> PHP---I am having talks with representatives of the local authorities
> almost
> every day now. Unfortunately, the local authorities such as the Main
> City of
> Prague and the Czech Ministry of Culture are not that flexible at the
> moment
> and culture is not the highest priority as long as thousands of people
> are
> still without home.
>
> I´m making a slow progress as i´m having negotiations on providing
> alternative spaces for the PHP with representatives of the local
> authorities
> such as the Main City of Prague, the Municipal Corporation of Prague 1
> and
> the Czech Ministry of Culture. These negotiations have been going well
> up to
> now---but in case, keep your fingers crossed! The Main City of Prague
> (mean
> City Hall), represented by its mayor Mr. Igor Nemec, has offered us new
> -
> alternative spaces in the city center (located in the very heart of
> Prague),
> in Revolucni street (close by the Old Town Square). The building is
> completely in functional style---it offers enough - large space (about
> 1600
> m2) for the PHP where we can build our exhibition halls, depositories,
> archives, auditorium, offices, photography - schoolrooms, darkroom, etc.
> Unfortunately, the building has been devastated as it hasn't been
> leaseheld
> for a long time (since 1993). Therefore, the building must be
> renovated--especially if we want to use its spaces for our project -
> requirements. At present, I´m looking - together with the City Hall -
> for an
> investor who will express a serious interest in collaboration with us on
>
> the
> reconstruction of the building. In this continuity, I have already
> addressed
> major corporations and constructional companies in the Czech Republic
> and
> offered them particular reciprocity under the emblem of the Main City of
> Prague (City Hall) and the PHP. Hope, we will succeed with this
> strategy.
>
> We have already received immediate - "diluvial" - financial grants of
> 2.500
> USD (in total) from the Czech Ministry of Culture and from the Main City
>
> of
> Prague on purpose of remotion of the flood damages. The American Embassy
>
> in
> Prague has given us a special financial donation of 3.000 USD on the
> same
> purpose as the local authorities mentioned above. As you probably
> understand, it is a great financial support but still insufficient
> (please,
> see the attachment "Estimation of damages").
>
> I am very glad to inform you that our issue is "on the agenda" of the
> upcoming Online Charity Photographic Print Auction at the Hereford
> Photography Festival as well as of the upcoming CEPIC committee meeting
> later this month. Other institutions such as the FotoFest Houston,
> Seeing
> the Light (Rhonda Wilson together with Leora Kahn and Swan Galleries),
> Moscow House of Photography, BWA Gallery in Wroclaw (PL)...are
> organizing
> internet on-line print auctions for the benefit of the flooded Prague
> House
> of Photography. I want to emphasize how impressed I am that we have
> friends
> who have expressed their interest to help the PHP to recover from the
> flood
> damages. Personally, I hope that I will have a chance to reward all of
> those
> who have offered us any kind of help sometime in the future.
>
> With our official "Request for help", I have addressed many
> institutions,
> foundations, embassies and cultural centers, both locally and worldwide.
>
> As
> a result, I have got an official offer from the Austrian Cultural Forum
> in
> Prague to exhibit as a guest at its Gallery of Oscar Kokoschka which is
> situated in the very center of Prague. I've had several negotiations
> with
> the Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Mr. Walter Perche, who
> became
> very interested in our exhibition activities and offered us immediate
> help
> by providing the Oscar Kokoschka Gallery. I´m so glad that we can
> continue
> in our exhibition activities as they're scheduled. We opened the planned
> exhibition of Josef Moucha - "An American Dream" on schedule: Wednesday,
> September 11th 2002 at the Oscar Kokoschka Gallery. For instance, the
> opening of this exhibition attended about 600 people...it was a great
> success! Besides, I have made lots of publicity in media (interviews and
> articles in newspapers, radios, televisions...for example: I made an
> interview with Mr. Ken Shulman who writes articles for New York Times).
> Hope, this all will benefit the PHP in its present - difficult -
> situation.
>
> At the moment, I would like to ask you for certain help: Could you,
> please,
> send our "Flood Report / Request for help / Estimation of damages and
> photos" through your mailing list? I believe it can help a lot if the
> information regarding our state after the flood will reach as many
> institutions and individuals as possible.
>
> I want to inform you that we are organizing a benefit - print auction
> which
> will take place at the Mayor´s Residence in Prague in November (Sunday,
> November 17 th). We will be very grateful to you if you decide to donate
>
> one
> photograph to the auction. Please, let me know your decision. We can
> discuss
> your possible donation to the auction in detail by e-mail. We have
> already
> received a particular offer for donation of prints to the auction from
> such
> artists like Beth Yarmell Edwards, Elinor Carucci, Elaine Ling, Julia
> Peck,
> Adam Green, Marcelo Brodsky, Arthur Tress and from many other Foreign
> and
> Czech photographers who I have some friendly or business relationship
> with.
> All financial gains from this auction will be devoted to our "Recovery
> Fund"
> on purpose of remotion of the flood damages. If you want to make your
> donation of print to the auction---you can send the donated print to the
> following address:
>
> Prague House of Photography at Isifa Image Service
> To: Eva M. Hodek, Director
>
> Myslikova 28
>
> 120 00 Prague 2
>
> Czech Republic
>
> Could you declare on the customs forms that you are sending a document
> without commercial value---to avoid customs fees? Thank you a lot.
>
> I want to thank you for your concern and will to help the Prague House
> of
> Photography in its difficult time by possible donation of one print to
> our
> auction.
>
> Best regards/wishes and many thanks,
>
> yours Eva Marlene Hodek
>
>
>

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