Centre for Contemporary Arts Prague – CCA

The Center for Contemporary Arts Prague (CCA Prague) was originally the Soros Center for Contemporary Art Prague (SCCA Prague), which was founded in 1992. For ten years CCA Prague was supported by the philanthropist George Soros (Open Society Institute New York) and through the financing of the participation of the Czech Republic at international exhibitions (Sao Paulo, Manifesta 1,2), creative residencies by Czech artists in global art centers, subscriptions to important specialist magazines, etc.

During these ten years CCA Prague created a library, extensive documentation, organized five large exhibitions, some of which could be deemed trailblazing in their field. Since 1997 CCA Prague has organized a total of 160 exhibitions of young Czech artists from in the gallery Regionální chodba and the Jelení Gallery.

The center was also active in the sphere of creative residencies for artists. In 1994 CCU Prague was the founding member of Res Artis, an international association of residential centers. At the same time it was the project administrator of ArtsLink, as part of which Czech artists and curators had the chance to travel to the USA on study trips. In 1997 CCU Prague opened three studios in a building in Jelení Street and from 1998 to 2002 rented Čimelice Castle for this purpose. Up till now CCA has arranged residencies for approximately two hundred foreign artists in the Czech Republic.

The center works closely with its founder, the Foundation for Contemporary Art.