Crisis manager Vidovencova: We want to keep Kunsthalle Bratislava alive

Kunsthalle Bratislava, which officially merged with the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) in April, continues to operate under crisis conditions, its acting crisis manager Nina Vidovencova and acting programme manager Erik Vilim told a news conference on Friday dedicated to presenting the planned steps in 2024.

"Our intention is to keep Kunsthalle Bratislava alive, we don't view it as a cancelled institution. Our idea is that it's possible to organise exhibitions even under crisis conditions," Vidovencova told TASR. The crisis management should look at things that have been neglected in Kunsthalle for years and put the institution in order, she said. "Cleaning of the space, maybe some possible partial construction adjustments and a kind of map out the situation here. I call this stage 'paper versus reality', said Vidovencova. She accented that the reality of Kunsthalle is in contradiction to what is on paper, adding that her priority is to prepare the institution in terms of papers. "At the same time, I've asked cultural attaches of EU-member states to send me detailed data on how analogous institutions function in their own countries," she said.

Vilim wants to give space first and foremost to 'different artists' in the transition period. He confirmed for TASR that he wants to maintain the continuity of Kunsthalle's artistic direction from the previous period. "My task isn't to go against the previous managements. I would like to follow up on what has been done here, as I believe that every management that has been here offered very high-quality output. My strategy will be a follow-up," stated Vilim, adding that his ambition is to work with the sub-culture that he knows himself.

Source: TASR