Exhibit: Slovak Artists

On the first night of our Fulbright orientation, we attended the opening reception for a marvelous exhibit, "Dreams Intersect Reality: Slovak Visual Artists in their Own Words." It was held at the Palffy Palace, which now serves as the Bratislava City Gallery on Panska Street in Old Town, across from the British Embassy.

The Palace is on the site of a Gothic Palace dating to the 14th century. Over the centuries it has served as a residence for Count Palffy and the seat of city council government. Its lavishly ornate interior was restored in the 1980s. For more information: http://www.gmb.sk/en/page/palffy_palace

The exhibit was curated by Lee Karpiscak, an American on the faculty at the University of Arizona, married to a Slovak. She spent years interviewing Slovak artists, especially about their experiences before and after the fall of communism. Funding for the exhibit was provided by the Fulbright Commission, the U.S. Embassy, the City of Bratislava, and the Ministry of Culture.

At the opening ceremony, we heard remarks in both English and Slovak from the curator and the Ambassador. A waitress brought a tray of salt and glasses of wine for the traditional Slovak opening toast. The curator is in the middle, holding flowers. To her right is the Ambassador, Rudolphe M. Vallee.

I stopped at the bookstore later and bought the book by Professor Karpiscak. All of the interviews are included in both Slovak and English. This 110-page hardcover catalog, on glossy paper, with numerous color prints cost only 250 SKK (about $10!). I would expect to pay many times that for an exhibition catalog at a U.S. gallery. It is filled with fascinating insights on the importance of free speech to these artists and what their lives were like under communism, one of my main interests here.

For more information on the exhibit: http://www.gmb.bratislava.sk/en/exhibition/83

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