40 Years Ahead

In 1987, the Linhart Foundation emerged from a pure desire for free expression within the cultural underground of the time. Its first mission was to revive physical ruins and transform neglected places into vibrant centers of independent culture and dialogue — from the post‑revolution festival Totalitní zóna under Letná, to the creation of ROXY and NoD, and the rescue of the Školská 28 courtyard. For nearly four decades, the foundation has upheld absolute non‑political neutrality as a guarantee of freedom of speech and thought. On the eve of its 40th anniversary, however, it recognizes that today’s greatest challenges no longer lie in external ruins but within human society itself. Civilizational crises, ethical questions surrounding the rise of artificial intelligence, and growing fragmentation call for a new architecture of responsibility. The foundation is therefore naturally transforming its mission: shifting from revitalizing external spaces to cultivating and developing the inner ones.