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There were many artists involved in shaping fine art in Slovakia at the turn of the 20th century.

The art at the turn of the twentieth century was still dominated by genres such as portrait, landscape painting and still life, however, due to artists’ new vision of the world and their new understanding of art and its mission they underwent significant changes. Ladislav Mednyánszky, one of the most reputable landscape artists of his era, brought the type of landscape painting in the manner of lyrical realism to a level of absolute mastery. On the one hand, he was fascinated by the grandness and power of natural forces, on the other hand he felt deep compassion for suffering, which led him to create exceptionally rich, expressive figures, what was more or less unique in Slovak fine art.

Dominik Skutezky depicted subjects from everyday life of burgers. It was in the environs of the town of Banská Bystrica that he discovered his life-long theme: work in copper smelters, which inspired him to capture brand new subjects with an epic and expressive power not found before, thus introducing a new subject in genre art in the wider region around us. Peter Július Kern is our foremost representative of symbolist painting. The pre-war work of Anton Jaszusch, on the contrary, introduced the latest trends of post-impressionism in painting. Thanks to these artists and their work, the phenomenon of Slovak modern fine art was able to develop in later periods.

Slovak fine art in the interwar period was shaping in circumstances of permanent change, which had a tremendous impact on the life of each individual.

Slovak fine art in the interwar period was shaping in circumstances of permanent changes, which had a tremendous impact on the life of each individual. World events of unprecedented intensity, social catastrophes, the break-up of states, two world wars, revolutions, all these events brought considerable change into people’s lives and affected both the fates and works of artists. The crucial question facing art in that period was the controversy between traditional and modern art.

Art became independent and the world of art authentic. This reached its apogee in the works of Ľudovít Fulla and Mikuláš Galanda, who articulated the principal change in the understanding of art and the mission of an artist not only in their actual works but also in their artistic manifesto entitled Private Letters of Fulla and Galanda. Art was deliberately standing out as an autonomous phenomenon for the first time in the modern history of Slovakia. However, this state of independence of the mind and freedom of the soul and art lasted only for a short time in our circumstances. In 1948, a whole period of art development in Slovakia came to an end; a period which had formed the basis for Slovak modern fine art and fostered values which prevailed in the artistic work process and which were acknowledged by artists for the next fifty years.

Opening hours:

Last entry 17:30.

Slovak fine art in the interwar period was shaping in circumstances of permanent change, which had a tremendous impact on the life of each individual.

Slovak fine art in the interwar period was shaping in circumstances of permanent changes, which had a tremendous impact on the life of each individual. World events of unprecedented intensity, social catastrophes, the break-up of states, two world wars, revolutions, all these events brought considerable change into people’s lives and affected both the fates and works of artists. The crucial question facing art in that period was the controversy between traditional and modern art.

Art became independent and the world of art authentic. This reached its apogee in the works of Ľudovít Fulla and Mikuláš Galanda, who articulated the principal change in the understanding of art and the mission of an artist not only in their actual works but also in their artistic manifesto entitled Private Letters of Fulla and Galanda. Art was deliberately standing out as an autonomous phenomenon for the first time in the modern history of Slovakia. However, this state of independence of the mind and freedom of the soul and art lasted only for a short time in our circumstances. In 1948, a whole period of art development in Slovakia came to an end; a period which had formed the basis for Slovak modern fine art and fostered values which prevailed in the artistic work process and which were acknowledged by artists for the next fifty years.

There were many artists involved in shaping fine art in Slovakia at the turn of the 20th century.

The art at the turn of the twentieth century was still dominated by genres such as portrait, landscape painting and still life, however, due to artists’ new vision of the world and their new understanding of art and its mission they underwent significant changes. Ladislav Mednyánszky, one of the most reputable landscape artists of his era, brought the type of landscape painting in the manner of lyrical realism to a level of absolute mastery. On the one hand, he was fascinated by the grandness and power of natural forces, on the other hand he felt deep compassion for suffering, which led him to create exceptionally rich, expressive figures, what was more or less unique in Slovak fine art.

Dominik Skutezky depicted subjects from everyday life of burgers. It was in the environs of the town of Banská Bystrica that he discovered his life-long theme: work in copper smelters, which inspired him to capture brand new subjects with an epic and expressive power not found before, thus introducing a new subject in genre art in the wider region around us. Peter Július Kern is our foremost representative of symbolist painting. The pre-war work of Anton Jaszusch, on the contrary, introduced the latest trends of post-impressionism in painting. Thanks to these artists and their work, the phenomenon of Slovak modern fine art was able to develop in later periods.

The Design Museum is opening its second exhibition of Slovak design. The exhibition dizajn.sk presents a curated selection of representative, timeless, and unique works of Slovak design from the 20th and 21st centuries, mainly from the collections of the Slovak Design Museum.

The basic theme of the exhibition is the stories of Slovak design, told through individual works from various fields of design. They reveal fragments of the creative processes and ideas of authors unfolding against the backdrop of the era. The main element of the exhibition is an exhibition system consisting of a set of upcycled lightboxes, which, even in a figurative sense, illuminate iconic works of Slovak design.

“The colorful history of design in Slovakia can still surprise us with forgotten prototypes, hand-crafted poster designs, or sketches of products that never made it into mass production. Contemporary Slovak design and applied arts successfully present new paths to their own identity while reflecting current social issues. They are shaping their future through technological innovations and the latest opportunities for experimenting with creative potential, form, and materials,” said Maroš Schmidt, director of the Slovak Design Center.

Design is a living organism that is constantly changing, growing, and developing. A characteristic feature of the new exhibition at the Design Museum is its dynamic nature, which allows us to present the latest acquisitions and works that have resonated in the National Design Award, or to respond to the anniversaries of important figures in Slovak design, by continuously changing the exhibits in a small space.

“For us, supporting design is an investment in cultural heritage and a creative future, which significantly shape society. Design is an everyday part of our lives – it influences how we live, how we work, and how we feel. We believe that the dizajn.sk exhibition will not only give visitors a glimpse into history, but also serve as a source of inspiration, showing that Slovak design has the ability to create beauty and functionality in one,” said Anna Macaláková, director of J&T Banka in Slovakia.

“Design in Slovakia is made up of an endless number of ‘small’ stories – ideas, experiments, the different fates of authors and producers, but also of people who use design, think about it, and live with it. The intertwining of these stories also reflects the ‘big’ stories: the rhythm of the times, the voice of society, and the energy of the space in which they are created. Our exhibition is an invitation to listen to and follow these stories – we believe that in this way, the history and present of design will become part of further stories for the future,” said Mgr. Silvia Seneši Lutherová, PhD., Deputy Director of the Slovak Design Centre for Professional Affairs.

In cooperation with individual departments of the Slovak Design Centre, the exhibited items come to life in the exhibition and the Design Club through guided tours, discussions with designers, manufacturers, design theorists, and thematically rich accompanying events for a wide audience. Further information and context for the exhibition is provided by professional journals and publications in the Design Reading Room and the Loma Materials Library.

This exhibition, with works of a permanent and variable nature, aims to be a public space for discussing current cultural topics.

The exhibition of art from the late 1950s will introduce you to the works of art by male and female authors and collectives from the SNG collections, which cover more than 70 years of diverse artistic tendencies that developed after the period of modernism and after World War II.

You will see a selection of works of various media and artistic genres and begin to understand their mutual connections, authorial anchoring, and contexts. At the same time, you will think about the concept of the present and what it means to us.

The phrase “museum of contemporary art” can be seen as an oxymoron due to the opposing meanings of the words “museum” and “contemporary art”. Traditionally, museums are seen as places where artefacts from the past are found, presenting the history and culture of bygone eras. On the other hand, contemporary art refers to the art of our time, which is innovative, experimental and often unconventional. The combination of these concepts is as contradictory as it is political in the Slovak environment since a similar institution is still missing in Slovakia.