Aleš Vaupotič resigned as director of the Modern Gallery. Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Culture started the procedure for his early dismissal, as there were many warnings about the poor management of this public institution.
Vaupotič was appointed to the position of director in April 2021, during the time of Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti. The employees and authorities of the institute have been warning about his poor management for a long time, and they have also called for his dismissal. Also in this mandate, according to their statements, the Ministry of Culture received several warnings about individual problems in cooperation with artists and the realization of the program, as well as about poor relations between management and employees.
The expert council and the board of the institute once again warned about bad management. In the official letters they sent to the Ministry of Culture, they assessed the leadership of Director Vaupotic as “professionally incompetent, inefficient and non-transparent, which is also reflected in the non-implementation of the planned program, inappropriate attitude towards employees was also highlighted“.
The professional council and the council of the public institute because of “inconsistencies, errors and omissions” they did not approve the annual report of the Modern Gallery for 2022, nor did they approve the work program and financial plan for 2023, “as it is not harmonized with the decision of the ministry”. Therefore, in accordance with the regulations of the law on the implementation of the budget, from April 2023, the Moderna galerija will be temporarily financed at only 80 percent, the ministry wrote.
This is also why the Ministry of Culture started the procedure for early dismissal. Now Vaupotič resigned himself.
Martina Vovk was appointed acting director of the Modern Gallery.
Source: Rtvslo
