12 Aug 2008

CONTACT - Contemporary Norwegian and Slovak Art

CONTACT – Contemporary Norwegian and Slovak Art belongs to such significant projects which support artistic dialogue among artists from different countries.

Contacts with world artists and organizing exhibitions was made possible thanks to the membership in the International Association of Art – UNESCO, in which on a platform of mutual discourses and stimuli such projects can be put forward and agreed.

The Slovak Union of Visual Arts thanks to its possibilities of using exhibition space on Dostojevského rad in Bratislava offered I.A.A.- UNESCO members common reciprocal exhibitions in certain time frames always in a dialogue of two countries.

The first exhibition of such kind is being held in August this year with Norwegian artists thanks to activities of Her Excellency Brit Lovseth, the Norwegian Ambassador to Slovakia as well. Upon selection of jury a collection of artworks from 23 visual artists was put together of whom 10 were Norwegian and 13 Slovak. The selection criterion focused on the topicality of artworks in the context of contemporary visual arts, quality and testimony value.

Exhibit organizors are aware of the pitfalls of such an exhibit based on diversity of national cultures, variety of genres and techniques. At the same time they hope it is this uniqueness that will enrich the visual arts scene in Slovakia and Norway.

CONTACT – Contemporary Norwegian and Slovak Art

Organisers:

Slovak Union of Visual Arts, Association Graphica Norvegica

Curator: Lýdia Jergušová-Vydarená
Artists: František Blažo, Otis Laubert, Igor Minárik, Marián Mudroch, Róbert Makar

Curator: Grete Marstein
Artists: Ingela Adamson, Harald Fenn, Heidi Wexelsen Goksøyr, Tore Hansen, Marianne Haukebø, Hennie Ann Isdahl, Rita Marhaug, Elisabeth T. Medbøe, �?yvind Torseter

Curator: Denisa Rakoský
Artists: Erik Binder, Martin Derner, Jana Farmanová, Viktor Frešo, Svätopluk Mikyta, Andrea Pézman, Lenka Rajčanová, Martin Sedlák, Veronika Šramatyová

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The Gallery of Slovak Union of Visual Arts resides in the original building of the former Slovak Artistic Club emerged in 1921. In 1924 the Club announced the competition on the project of the building that would serve as a residence of the Club and the place of its exhibitions. The winners were young Czech architects Alois Balan and Jiri Grossmann who worked in Bratislava.

The functional core of the building consists of the big exhibition hall and the small exhibition hall.

The building presents a good manifestation of architectural development from classicism to modernism and functionalism. The entrance still has the traces of arched decorations and the vestibule displays heavy compartment ceiling. The big exhibition hall, however, was constructed from the simple ferroconcrete frames and the glass-covered roof of factory appearance creates its northern covering. The facades consisting of bare brick masonry remind early Dutch modernism. Despite these contradictions the structure appears as a homogenous object. It became symbolic construction characterizing the beginning of modern architecture in Slovakia.

In 2004 - 2006 the Slovak Union of Visual Arts realised the large-scale restoration of the building. The restoration was realised also thanks to the SPP Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

The Slovak Union of Visual Arts is an open, apolitical, protective and status professional organization forming an umbrella for associations of professional visual artists and theoreticians.

It was founded in 1991 as a legal subject and has a national sphere of activity. The Slovak Union of Visual Arts is a member of international non-profit organization International Association of Art – I.A.A. UNESCO and Slovak Coalition for Cultural Diversity.

The main priorities and mission of the Slovak Union of Visual Arts are the following:

- representing and coordinating interests of SUVA members, visual artists and theoreticians in relation to legislation, protection and advocacy for status of artists, visual art and art in societal, social and economic spheres,

- cooperation with similar organizations home and abroad,

- securing and coordinating activities and services in relation to public, state administration bodies, protects questions of visual arts and creation, advocates professional interests of SUVA members asssociating visual artists and theoreticians, especially activities of information, exhibition and visual art development are concerned.