SCULPTURE AND OBJECT VII.
27.06. - 07.09.2002
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As in previous years, the exposition SCULPTURE AND OBJECT once more formed one of the opening events of the three-month long summer festival of culture and art in Bratislava Old Town, which is known by locals and visitors alike as the “Summer Meetings”.
SCULPTURE AND OBJECT is already in its seventh year, while the Summer Meetings are now with us for the ninth time. This clearly shows how closely connected these two events are nowadays, and in fact, it is very difficult to imagine one without the other. At the same time, these events document a common abstract platform and a common birthplace. Both events were established in the creative workshop of people who have represented the spirit behind the cultural and social life of the city centre of our capital for the past ten years. The initiator and founding father of SCULPTURE AND OBJECT is artist Viktor Hulík, a Bratislavian whose work has greatly penetrated the awareness of our city and which has co-created its modern day genius loci.
In 2002, the streets, courtyards, and parks of Bratislava came to life with the artistic works of more than 30 artists from nine countries. Since its first year, the SCULPTURE AND OBJECT exposition has seen extraordinary growth both in terms of quantity and quality. This year the exposition even created great space also for the young generation of upcoming artists and recent graduates from the University of Fine Arts.
Today, the SCULPTURE AND OBJECT exposition contributes substantially to something that I personally, as Mayor, and many of my colleagues, could only have secretly dreamt about just a few years ago. We dreamt that one day we would see the inhabitants of Bratislava promenading the streets of the reconstructed historical core of the city, lifting their curious eyes towards renovated facades of old palaces and civic buildings, and attending the many cultural events in the evening while saying to themselves: “It’s nice to spend a weekend in our own city.” In the past 5-7 years we have done a lot for the material restoration of this idea. Thanks also to this idea, today’s Old Town and historical core are something that Bratislavians are rightfully proud of, something that they derive their identity from, as well as their association to the European community and its cultural heritage.
The SCULPTURE AND OBJECT exhibition represents one of the expressional artistic means through which we present the people with a new quality of life, in an attractive and effortless form, which has gradually been formed in the centre of Bratislava.
ANDREJ DURKOVSKÝ,
Mayor, BRATISLAVA – OLD TOWN DISTRICT
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It seems almost remarkable now, but the number seven in the title of this year's exposition tells us that this is already the seventh time we have been given the opportunity of presenting sculptures and objects of Slovak and foreign artists at several locations throughout our city to the public at large.
The project was born in 1996 and quickly became a regular part of the summer Bratislava cultural season. The first exhibition was originally a humble overview of selected domestic authors presenting their works, but in the past few years it has become a large international event – more than 60 works of 33 authors, 14 of whom are from abroad, are displayed at this year's exposition.
The exposition is not intended to map the current fine art scene, but instead endeavours to offer its visitors a solace for both eye and spirit via the presence of a wide variety of original approaches to three-dimensional art. The generational differences of participating artists is also diverse – the exhibition shows works of renowned artists together with a new generation of creators, many of whom are just beginning. It has become an unwritten rule that each year the exhibition also displays works of recent graduates from the University of Fine Arts. This year we have decided to invite several adepts who are still studying fine arts, in order to create a section entitled Young Talent, and so supporteven more the inclusion of young artists in the current arena of fine arts.
VIKTOR HULÍK
Agency ARTLINES
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