First paragraph- about half way there

The gallery lies within a gated complex, the biggest psychiatric hospital in Czech Republic, in a district north of Prague, Bohnice, 5 km from city center. Bars line the windows. Central space has very high ceilings, which somewhat dwarf the visitor, but is similar to an entrance of a chapel. Sound echoes especially high heeled shoes on tile. This tiling continues half-way up the walls. (There must have been gallons of water pouring in and out of this space at one point.) Holes and missing tiles are throughout as well as random slabs of cement where (I suppose) machines and tables were arranged. The day I visited the space, it was particularly cold, gray and poorly lit. One could feel/imagine the working conditions for hundreds if not thousands of women who washed the laundry for a century from 1909 to 1993—the massive amounts of mechanized cleaning hiding the stains of hierarchy between patient and doctor.

Pradelna Bohnice, is an alternative, contemporary space. Set on the grounds of a psychiatric ward, it was previously a laundry facility for the hospital’s linens as its name implies (Pradelna means Laundromat.)  It is a multi-functional space, for visual, contemporary, “live” works, that confront the public.

Notes:

The biggest psychiatric Hospital in Czech Republic, more than 1200 in-patients, covers all psychiatric subspecialization. 100 docs, 30 psychologists, 300 nurses, 500 health care stuff. Almost 1200 employees. 
Goal on linkedin: Big challenge is to find a good, wise way of change - In 1992 we founded BONA foundation, which provides sheltered housing. In 2012 we began assertive community treatment in Prague 8 region. 
We will continue.

·         Founded

1909

Facility website-

http://www.bohnice.cz/

first image on left- administration building, chapel, and one can see the steeple of the laundromat/gallery in far right of the image