Slovakist David Short at discussion in London
On Saturday, 18 January, renowned British expert on Czech and Slovak language, translator David Short, will be discussing his life in London. You will learn that he speaks Czech like a native Czech and Slovak like a native Slovak, although he started to learn both languages only in adulthood. He will also share his memories of the Department of Czech and Slovak at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, now part of UCL in London, where he taught for thirty-eight years. The British Society for Sciences and the Arts invites everybody to the debate in Hampstead.
Romani dissent artist’s first big show in Slovakia
Until March 2025, it is possible to visit an exhibition entitled „Only with me can you hear the grass grow“ at the Eastern Slovak Gallery in Košice. The show maps the work of Rudolf Dzurko, a Romani artist of Slovak origin who is relatively unknown here in Slovakia. The exhibition is a continuation of the Gallery's intention to focus on inclusive projects and reassess the history of Central European art. The curators of this show in Kosice have particularly highlighted Dzurko’s unique work with crushed glass–his technique involves crushing glass into small particles using a special grinder, then turning the crushed glass into colourful patterns.
Experts are leaving Slovak National Gallery
Nine key people from the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) resigned last week. Among them are top managers of finance, production and collections departments, directors of galleries in Zvolen, Ružomberok and Pezinok and senior curators. In their joint statement, the experts write that they have come to this decision because they do not want to be held responsible for the destruction of the basic professional principles on which they have built this top collection institution over the last 25 years. More experts are expected to resign by the end of January.
No need for Netrebko
The drama ensemble of the Slovak National Theatre spoke out publicly against permitting a concert by Russian opera diva Anna Netrebko in April. The open letter was signed by top stars of Slovak acting such as Emilia Vasaryova, Martin Huba, Emil Horvath and Kamila Magalova. They noted in particular the poor timing of the current management’s decision, a time when cultural institutions are losing quality people and the cultural scene is threatened by the dysfunction of the Slovak Arts Council. Additionally, the concert is scheduled during a period of consolidation of public finances. "We consider inviting a pro-regime Russian artist for a quarter of a million to be an insensitive and ostentatious waste of money," write signatories of the open letter.
Theatre in Nitra with new director general
Veronika Moravčíková, the newly appointed director general of the Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra, plans to be ambitious in her new role. As director general, she hopes to increase the quality of the theater’s productions, offer more performances, and organize projects focused on communities. She will be joined in her effort by Michal Vajdička, a renowned theater director, who will take over the post of head of the drama and music ensemble, and Daniel Majling, a distinguished expert and writer, who will take over the post of chief dramaturge. Both Vajdicka and Majling have been key members of the Slovak National Theatre's production team.
