photo: www.citedesartparis.net
SLOVAK artists have been gaining work experience in the heart of Paris since 1996, when the Society of Slovak Artists acquired one of the 350 studios at the prestigious Cité Internationale des Arts.
The Paris art foundation arranges work-stays for international painters, graphic artists, sculptors and musicians. The Slovak association makes bi-monthly selections on who should be sent to its shared Paris studio space. This way, the artists do not have to undergo the Cité Internationale des Arts official selection process, which can take several years.
So far, some 80 Slovak artists, all visibly active on the local scene, have taken part. The results of their creative stays were displayed in Paris before coming to Bratislava five years ago in the Danubiana Museum at the Čunovo waterworks and last year at the French Institute.
Mária Horváthová from the Society says that any artist can apply by submitting the necessary materials. The Society donates Sk10,000 (€270) per head to cover costs.
"In the age of information technology, when the international art field is so intertwined with electronic highways, one would hardly talk of some [national] influences," Horváthová said, "but the stay helps Slovak artists to experience Paris and the world gathered there to see their work."
- ZH
