The Czech businessman Petr Pudil is the co-founder of BPD partners, which deals in property and agricultural chemicals, and established the Pudil Family Foundation in 2014 with his wife Pavlína. The foundation supports Czech and international Modern and contemporary art and in 2022 opened the Kunsthalle Praha in a former 1930s electricity substation in central Prague. Rather than having a permanent display, the museum hosts exhibitions and displays its collection in temporary thematic shows. The Pudils bought their first work of art two decades ago and have since amassed a collection of more than 2,000 works, including pieces by the German Surrealist Max Ernst, the Polish sculptor Alicja Kwade and the South African artist William Kentridge. We spoke to Petr about how it all started and what he likes to do when he comes to London for Frieze week.
German Surrealist Max Ernst’s Facilité (1923-24)
Courtesy Kunsthalle Praha
Making the rounds: Polish artist Alicja Kwade’s Trial Turn (2017)
Courtesy Kunsthalle Praha/Galerie Kamel Mennour
South African artist William Kentridge’s Birds in Flight (2016-17) is in the Kunsthalle Praha collection
Courtesy Kunsthalle Praha
The Art Newspaper: What was the first work of art that you bought?
Petr Pudil: It was not by a well-known name. The first work in our collection was a painting by the Slovak artist Zdeňka Marschalová called Card Players.
What was the last work you bought?
We bought an amazing painting and a couple of other works by the late Croatian abstract artist Julije Knifer.
How quickly do you decide to buy a work of art?
We are in a very special situation as collectors, having been able to open Kunsthalle Praha. Our strategy is now more focused on closing gaps in the Kunsthalle Praha’s collection and therefore our acquisition strategy is much more planned. There is less space for spontaneity [these days].
What do you regret not buying when you had the chance?
There are plenty of examples of works of art that were missed. But if I could mention only one, I still regret that we did not buy some work by Günther Uecker [the German artist best known for using nails in his work], ten years ago before his prices went up significantly.
Where do you like to eat and drink during Frieze London?
London is always a place to taste Indian cuisine—and being in London for Frieze is no different to me.
Pudil is a fan of London’sIndian restaurants
Creative Commons
If you could have any work from any museum, what would it be?
That is a very difficult question. But there are a couple of names that are completely unavailable on the market. I could mention Zdeněk Pešánek, who was an [early-20th-century] Czech art innovator [working] in kinetic art, or Marcel Duchamp as an artist-innovator in conceptual art on a global scale.
What events have you been to this week?
I was at the Turbine Hall opening at Tate Modern, I went to the Mona Hatoum exhibition at the Barbican, and I also really liked the Frieze Sculpture display in Regent’s Park.
What is your least favourite thing about art fairs?
Too many people, of course. I personally prefer events around the fairs in comparison with presentations on booths—with a few exceptions.
Where do you go in London to get away from it all?
Early morning runs around the Thames.
What tip would you give to someone visiting London for the first time?
To get around by walking as it is the best way to explore it for the first time.
