Current culture tips for around Slovakia.
20th “Night with Andersen”
Friday, March 28th marks the 20th annual “Noc s Andersenom” or “Night with Andersen”, an event full of readings for and to children. All across Slovakia, kids can spend the night at a library sleepover, where librarians, authors, actors, athletes, scientists, and even town mayors come to share their favourite stories and poems with the young attendees. The voluntary event, created by two Czech librarians, has turned into an international project involving 17 countries around the globe. In Slovakia, it has been organized by the Association of Slovak librarians and libraries since 2006, which explains that this exciting experience can help children develop a positive attitude towards reading, libraries, culture, and meaningful leisure time. The night in libraries is held in memory of Hans Christian Andersen, the famous Danish author best known for his fairy tales, who was born on April 2, 1805.
For the first time, the Pankúchova Street Grammar School in Bratislava is organising this event in English. Apart from reading stories to first-graders, the teachers have prepared many activities for all book lovers.
Pianoday 2025: Not battles but dialogues
On Saturday, March 29th in Dom kultúry Zrkadlový háj in Bratislava, two pianists will perform a concert paying tribute to International Piano Day. Vladimír Šarišský and Marián Čekovský talk about the opportunity for a dialogue instead of a piano battle. Vlado Šarišský is a laureate of the S. Prokofiev International Composition Competition in St. Petersburg and a recipient of honorary diplomas from the Hollywood Gold Awards and the New York Movie Awards, the Tatra banka Foundation Prize, and the Dosky Theatre Award for 2022. Marián Čekovský is a Slovak musician, singer, composer, comedian, and speaker.
Eva Filová’s “Engaged closet” in Prague
On Monday, March 31st, an exhibition by Slovak artist Eva Filová will be open in the auditorium of the Centre for contemporary arts Acid Coffee in Prague. The show, entitled “Engaged closet”, is involved with topics of registered partnership, reproduction rights, and rights for euthanasia, among others. Filová is presenting a series of lingerie and garments with signs whose wearers advocate 'homophobia' or 'registered partnership', 'intolerance', 'sterilization' or 'celibacy'. Clothing symbolises underlying personal beliefs or may refer to political views and concepts that we can put on or take off, appropriate, or renounce. The series was created between 2006-2014 as a reaction to the contemporary situation in Slovakia, and continues to prove topical even today.
Against evil in Bratislava
On Wednesday, March 26th, the Pálffy and Statua galleries opened a show entitled “Against evil” in Bratislava. Curated by art historian Katarína Bajcurová, a former director general of the Slovak National Gallery, it presents kinetic objects, posters, and large size prints of well-established internationally recognized Slovak artist Rudo Sikora. Once a dissident in communist-ruled Czechoslovakia and later a harsh critic of 3-time Slovak Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar, he puts on display his reaction to the steps taken by the current Slovak Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová. To be seen until the 30th of April.
Martin Lukáč in Edinburgh
Until March 30th, it is possible to see a solo exhibition by New York-based Slovak artist Martin Lukáč on display in Edinburgh. The project, Bingin Gardens, showcases his paintings which, according to the press release, “echo the influence of Abstract Expressionism while embodying the spontaneity of graffiti and elements of pop culture”. This project mirrors a journey from New York to Bali, exploring landscapes, serenity, and the motif of a sun umbrella.
Stories wrapped in soil in Spišská Nová Ves
Artist Miroslav Brooš collects soil from different locations and countries, and is recognized in Slovakia and beyond for his conceptual works with textile and fibre. His ongoing cycles make use of found, recycled, and upcycled materials. According to the show’s curator Katarina Balunova, the core part of this show is The Gift of Earth. “He is collecting soil from different locations while often he asks people to give him a handful of earth from locations that mean a lot to them. He wraps the soil into a recycled textile. People who provide him with this earth give him away their personal stories,” explained the curator for public art channel Radio Devín. It is possible to see Brooš’s world in the Gallery of artists from the Spiš region (Galéria umelcov Spiša), in eastern Slovakia, until the 30th of March.
Slovak literature at Leipzig book fair
Female writers Ivana Gibová and Nikol Hochholzerová are representing Slovakia at its stand at the 2025 Leipzig Book Fair in Germany. Invited by the Slovak Literature Centre, they will present their award-winning novels. Ivana Gibová’s Babička (“Granny”) became the best novel of the year 2024, as voted by experts in the highly-acclaimed national accolade known as Anasoft Litera. Nikol Hochholzerová’s debut, “This room is impossible to eat”, which weaves a story of obsession and power, has also been translated into English. In Leipzig, both books will be displayed in Hall 4, stand E300.
And just a reminder, Radio_Head Awards of the public alternative and indie music channel Rádio_FM are to be announced exactly today, Friday March 28th. It is possible to listen to the live stream online.
UPDATE March 30, 2025
Radio_Head Awards 2024
On March 28th, 2025, the Radio_Head Award ceremony was held in the main concert hall of Slovak Radio. For the past 17 years, it has presented the top accolades of non-mainstream music production played on Rádio_FM, the public radio channel focused on non-mainstream music, and Rádio Devín, the arts and culture station. The 2025 ceremony revolved around the topic of connecting genres and musicians. Thus, the gala featured rapper Fvck_Kvlt accompanied by Bratislava boys’ choir, Nina Kohout and Vojtík singing each other’s hits in a duet, and punkers Berlin Manson and pop icon’s Richard Müller playing with each other’s hits. The final medley presented three different songs performed by three different projects, all of which were linked by the late bass guitar player Stanka Apfelová, who was awarded in memoriam for his contributions.
RADIO_HEAD AWARD WINNERS 2024
SONG OF THE YEAR - Nemám koho obdivovať Berlin Manson feat. Katarzia
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Christina Mantis
ADVANCE INVESTMENTS PRIZE - Ovarius
DEBUT OF THE YEAR – Poor but sexy by Berlin Manson
WORLD MUSIC – Jore jore by Ildikó Kali
SONGWRITER/FOLK MUSIC – II by Zabiť Františka
HARD AND HEAVY – Dead doesn’t mean gone by Etterna
ELECTRONIC MUSIC – Burning after writing by Subtension
EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC - alene et by Michaela Turcerová
CLASSICAL MUSIC – Konštelácie / Permutácie project Šušková / Adamčiak
JAZZ - Oskar Török Sextet
ALBUM OF THE YEAR – PRESS PRIZE – Gentle Autopsy by Nina Kohout
ALBUM OF THE YEAR – PUBLIC CHOICE – Poor but Sexy by Berlin Manson
SPECIAL MENTION – Eva Šušková on behalf of all musicians and music teachers who contribute to music education of future generations of artists
Mourning ritual for Slovak National Gallery
On Sunday, March 30th 2025, artists will gather for a traditional mourning ritual in front of the Slovak National Gallery, organized by the Open Culture platform (Otvorená Kultúra). The procession will carry a banner made by Katka Machová and hold an onion as a symbol of mourning. The following day, Monday, April 1, 2025, a hundred employees will leave their positions at the Slovak National Gallery in protest of the current management–which has no expert background in visual art–who were appointed by Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová. The gesture of solidarity with the institution will be held at 16:00 in front of the National Gallery.
