About us

The Josef Šíma Foundation was established in 2021 as a foundation fund to provide long-term care for the work and legacy of Josef Šíma and to build a scholarly basis for its research, documentation and protection.

Its principal long-term project is the preparation of the authorised catalogue raisonné of Josef Šíma’s work, undertaken on behalf of the artist’s family and the holder of the economic copyright in his work. The artist’s family has given the Foundation its exclusive support for this work. ADAGP Paris, which as the French collective management organisation administers the relevant economic rights in Josef Šíma’s work on behalf of the copyright holder, has also been duly informed of the Foundation’s mandate and is cooperating with the project.

The Foundation’s work also builds on many years of scholarly care for Šíma’s oeuvre and estate. It brings together the artist’s family, Czech and international experts, and people who for decades looked after significant parts of his artistic and archival estate. One of the cornerstones of our work is the Josef Šíma archive, which the artist’s family has handed over to the Foundation.

The aim of the project is to create a well-founded and systematically compiled catalogue of Šíma’s work that will serve collectors, museums, researchers and future generations as a reliable source of knowledge about his art. The catalogue is based on the study of archival sources, historical documentation and the individual works themselves.

The Foundation’s activities also include the long-term protection of Šíma’s artistic legacy and safeguarding the authenticity of his work.