Umelka Gallery
A 1920s functionalist exhibition hall where the Slovak Union of Visual Arts shows changing exhibitions of contemporary Slovak art.
Why visit
Umelka is one of the oldest exhibition venues in Slovakia. Its name comes from Umelecká beseda, the artists’ association that commissioned the building in the mid-1920s.
Architects Alois Balán and Jiří Grossmann gave it a plain, undecorated façade that marked a step towards functionalism in Slovak architecture. The building is a national cultural monument.
Today it is run by the Slovak Union of Visual Arts as a gallery made by artists for artists.
What to see
- Large and small hall: the original exhibition rooms, designed for painting and sculpture.
- Changing exhibitions: contemporary painting, graphic art, sculpture and applied art by Slovak artists, with a new show every few weeks.
- The building: the clean functionalist exterior, a landmark of interwar Bratislava.
Plan your visit
Exhibitions change regularly, so check what is on before you go. The gallery also hosts talks and exhibition openings.
A visit takes up to an hour. The Danube embankment and the Old Town are a few minutes’ walk away.
Umelka Gallery
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Monday
Closed
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Tuesday – Sunday
12:00 – 18:00
Address
Dostojevského rad 4533/2, 811 09 Bratislava, Slovakia
Tourist Information Center
Get maps, travel tips and information about Bratislava and the surrounding region. The centre has a step-free entrance and offers a tactile city map, talking cubes with information about 12 landmarks in six languages, and magnifying glasses.
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