Milan Knížák, former AVU Rector, died aged 86

On 26 July 2026, Prof. Milan Knížák, former rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, died at the age of 86.

Knížák headed the Academy of Fine Arts from 1990 to 1997, having been elected to the post shortly after the change of regime. During this period, he opened the Academy up to new media and international influences and carried out an extensive restructuring of the teaching programme; during his tenure as rector, doctoral studies were introduced at the Academy and a major refurbishment of the main building was commenced, which was completed in 1998.

From 1990 until 2015, he also headed the Studio of Intermedia Art, which he had founded himself. His graduates include, for example, Krištof Kintera, Jakub Špaňhel, Milena Dopitová, Tomáš Hlavina and Milan Mikuláštík.

AVU Rector Tomáš Pospiszyl said on the occasion of his death:

“Milan Knížák was and remains an extraordinary figure in Czech culture. Compared to his Czech contemporaries, he was either ahead of his time in his artistic work, or, more precisely, in a completely different league. He was always in a category of his own. His life and work were intertwined into a single whole. That is where I would look for his path to post-November politics.

He was not afraid of controversy; indeed, he actively sought it out. There was always something that bothered him. Although he himself had no need for formal education, he made a significant contribution to the Academy of Fine Arts. He influenced a wide range of students, both positively and negatively.

His work awaits evaluation, and his inherently contradictory legacy will continue to polarise the cultural community.”