25 let v pichlavém sametu – Knížák Milan (2015)

In his controversial autobiography, former rector of AMU and director of the National Gallery Milan Knížák focuses primarily on the quarter-century that has passed since November 1989. He uncompromisingly evaluates his roles in both institutions and reveals remarkable facts about their artistic and political backgrounds. In separate chapters, the author recalls his meetings with all post-revolution presidents, culture ministers, art theorists, and 'figures from the panopticon,' such as Karel Schwarzenberg, Meda Mládková, and Ivan Jirous. Knížák also devotes considerable space to articulating his views on the current political scene, general taste, people's relationship with freedom, the influence of media on the perception of reality, and more. The publication is accompanied by appendices in the form of photographs from the author's archive, reproductions of artworks, a list of artistic activities and awards, and facsimiles of important written documents from his life. In a comprehensive introductory chapter, Milan Knížák describes his life from birth up to the autumn of 1989. The forewords to the book were written by Václav Klaus and Václav Budinský.