The exhibition from the second year of Artrooms Moravany is called Sme príroda, ktorá sa bráni (We are nature that defends itself).
This phrase is used by activist ecological organizations worldwide and
it means that people who protest against climate change and defend the planet are a part of nature that warns the world about danger and extinction.
We as curators have a feeling that this topic isn't discussed enough and that's why we brought it
to the manor house Moravany, it's an optimal space for an ecological exhibition.
The exhibition originated during the Covid-19 pandemic, which still surrounds us,
and maybe the pandemic compelled people to reevaluate their relationship towards nature and
the idea that humans don't need it and can live without it.
We composed the exhibition with Zuzana Sabová, Diana Majdáková, and Filip Krutek based on an open call.
The advantage to working like this is that there are many artist generations,
people who work with different media meet each other and the exhibition is also multinational.
We are glad that many authors signed up for this open call,
not just from the younger generation but also established artists and artists from older generations who
remember the time when the Slovak Fund of Fine Arts resided in the manor house.
They told us many stories from those days.
Besides the open call, we picked some artworks that serve as a tribute to some artists of the older generation.
For example Ján Mathé.
The exhibition originated in cooperation with 4D Gallery where a copy of one of his artworks Vzlet (Takeoff)
was created, we installed this artwork as an introduction for the exhibition.
It's a welcome statue that symbolizes a merging between human and nature, a human is holding a bird in his hands and creates one body with it.
We consider it important to continue with the tradition of activities that took place here from the 60s until 2006.
For example, a painting symposium that took place for 40 years in a row.
Besides that I know there were graphic symposiums, sculptures, wood making directly in the parking and we would like to bring back these activities.
We collaborated with Silvia Čúzyová and started the painting symposium this year and we had four artists working directly in the ateliers.
We also had students from The Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava from the Illustrations laboratory, we established a graphics workshop with their help that's going to stay.
We have more plans for other activities in the future year and we hope that they will come true and we can continue the tradition.