List of author's articles, page 6
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIABratislavaDANCE:KATHAK is one of the eight forms of North Indian classical dance. Its origins go back to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks (story tellers), who specialised mostly in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures and embellished their recitals with dance gestures and facial expressions. On March 2, at 19:00, Kathak will be performed at Dom kultúry Dúbravka in Bratislava by Dhwani, a troupe led by Vaswate Misra. Apart from festivals in India, Dhwani has performed at many international events in Europe, the USA, South America, Japan and South Africa. Dhwani’s recognition has also come from its empanelment by the International Council for Dance, CID–UNESCO.
Post-occupation emigrants tell their stories
WHEN Soviet tanks were crossing the Czechoslovak border four decades ago, nobody could imagine how far-reaching the effects of this quick dissipation of the hopes for Alexander Dubček’s “socialism with a human face” would be.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava LIVE MUSIC: FIVE briefly-attired American singers known as the Pussycat Dolls will shortly visit Bratislava to give a concert as part of a European tour to promote their latest album, released last autumn, entitled Doll Domination. The award-winning girl-group, which was founded in 1995, are best known for their hits Don’t Cha, Stickwitu and Buttons. The quintet promise their fans can now look forward to “something they have never seen before”. Pussycat Dolls will perform at the Incheba Expo Arena at Viedenská cesta 3-7 on February 24. Tickets cost between €39.50 and €52.78. For more information, call 041/5004-136 or see www.vivien.sk.
Slovak film boom in Berlin
AFTER a promising first month of 2009, during which more Slovak movies premiered than during the whole of 2006, local cinematography continues to flourish.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava EXHIBITION:A PHOTOGRAPHY and design exhibition by numerous Slovak artists and architects titled City Interventions is being shown at Bratislava's Slovak National Gallery until February 28. Aiming to make our towns and cities better places to live, the joint project of 35 teams of architects suggests innovative ideas of how to “achieve a great effect even through only small changes”. The solutions presented include, for example, installing sunset-like yellow and red lights at parking lots and much more. City Interventions is available daily except Mondays from 10:00 to 17:30 at the Esterházy Palace on Ľudovíta Štúra Square 4 for admission of €3.32 (Sk100). For further information call 02/5443-4587 or see www.sng.sk
The Slovak public is not open enough yet’
SPEAKING ABOUT money in connection with art has often been considered as lacking in refinement. But history has shown many times that a rumbling stomach can drown out even the most persistent muse.It has been proven once again, as one of Bratislava’s independent galleries, Bastart, closed in February due to a lack of resources.
Countrywide events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava EXHIBITION: THE POLISH Institute in Bratislava, in co-operation with the Nowy Sącz Muzeum Okręgowe, has prepared an attractive exhibition for all admirers of the lore of Lemkos, a Rusyn nationality inhabiting the eastern Carpathian Mountains. On display are paintings and drawings by Nikifor (aka Epifan Drowniak) from Krynica, who lived near the Polish-Slovak border in the first half of the 20th century. Soldiers, old churches and old train stations were among his favourite themes, but he also left a number of interesting self-portraits. The exhibition, called Nikifor, is available Monday through Thursday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Fridays from 09:00 to 15:00 until March 15. Admission isfree. More information can be found at www.polinst.sk.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava EXHIBITION: WORKS BY Michal Studený, a member of the last century’s ‘forgotten generation’ which tried continually to redefine the function of a piece of art, are on display at the Bratislava City Gallery under the title I Am a Child of the 1960s. Studený was one of the first to have used objet recherché (sought-after object) rather than objet trouvé (everyday object), when he made a collage of four-leaf clovers in 1968. Later, nature became a fundamental part of his paintings and has been Studený’s source of inspiration ever since. The exhibition is open daily, except Mondays, from 11:00 to 18:00 at the Mirbach Palace, Františkánske Square 11, until February 22 for €3.32 (Sk100). More information can be found at www.gmb.sk.
An ivory tower that should be torn down
CALLED BY musicologist Vladimír Godár “Slovakia’s only musical immigrant”, Evgeny Irshai, who in 1978 graduated from the famous N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory and thirteen years later moved to Slovakia, is among the most interesting personalities of the local classical music scene.
Countrywide events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava CONCERT:THE AUSTRIAN Cultural Forum in Bratislava has prepared an attractive classical music concert to kick off a series of events organised within the Haydn Year 2009 programme. Dominika Stráňavská, a young award-winning Slovak singer, and Štefan Doniga, a noted pianist from Romania, will perform compositions by Vivaldi, Bach, Hummel and three arias by Mozart (Chi sa, chi sa, qual sia, Vado, ma dove? and Alma grande e nobil core). The concert will be held at the Austrian Embassy’s Mozart Hall at Ventúrska 10, on January 28 starting at 18:00. Admission is free. More information about this as well as other upcoming events can be found at www.rakusko.eu.
Twinning project stirs still waters
DRUG ADDICTION is among the topics which never leave the political agenda but seldom make it to the highlights programme.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava CONCERT: LOVERS of pop music can look forward to another a glorious musical night in the Slovak capital. Rick Astley, the famous British singer and 2008 Best Concert Ever MTV Award winner, will perform live in Bratislava on January 23. Together with his best-known single “Never Gonna Give You Up”, the musician will perform his most successful hits since the 1980s. An oldies party is scheduled after the main programme. Rick Astley in Concert will be held at the Pasienky Sports Hall (Trnavská 29), starting at 19:00. Tickets cost between €32.86 (Sk990) and €39.83 (Sk1,200). For more information, call 02/16-186 or 02/5443-37 15.
Shared history cannot be erased
LAST AUTUMN, Hungarian-Slovak relations were a hot topic in the media and writing about positive relations was rather unfashionable. But as it turned out, a two-week dispute could hardly shatter centuries of common history.
Slovak filmmakers project bright future
“THERE IS NO such thing as Slovak cinematography,” said Peter Hledík, renowned film director and scriptwriter, in an interview three years ago. This view was shared by virtually all experts in the area and the reason was simple: the country’s film production hardly differed from zero.
Ursíny’s life portrayed on screen
IT HAS BEEN thirteen years since Dežo Ursíny, the legendary Slovak rock musician, left this world. A piece of his soul, however, has now come back with a new TV documentary titled Snapshots (Momentky).
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava CONCERT: JAZZ FANS will get an attractive gift atthe beginning of the New Year. The successors of the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra established in 1938 will visit Bratislava on January 14 to kick off a unique marathon of jazz and swing concerts. It will be the first of 180 live dates that the band will play around the world. Directed today by Wil Salden, the ensemble is one of the world’s most renowned jazz bands. The Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform at The Slovak Radio Concert Hall (Mýtna 1), starting at 20:00. For more information, call 02/5727-3111 or go to www.filharm.sk.
We must help each other
IN CASE OF an emergency, stay calm, do not panic, immediately call for help, report clearly what has happened, wait for medical assistance and give first-aid if necessary. Do you remember all these rules? And would you really remember them in case of an emergency?
Countrywide events
Western SLOVAKIABratislavaEXHIBITION:THE BRATISLAVA City Gallery is holding an attractive exhibition of paintings and photographs by renowned contemporary Slovak artist Daniel Fischer. Titled About the Harmony of the Non-harmonised and the Symmetry of the Asymmetric, the display combines unusual objects, thus symbolising the desire for “integrity” in life. Fisher, who often spends several days painting in nature, says he is looking for perfection in his environment. The exhibition is available at Pálffy Palace (Panská 19) daily except Mondays from 11:00 to 18:00 until January 11. More information is available at www.gmb.sk.
The magic of Ruthenian Christmas
The cultural diversity of Slovakia is probably most remarkable in the East, where several important minorities live side by side. One of them, however, had to wait for an official acknowledgement longer than the others, for its similarity with better-established Ukrainians was causing regular confusion, which did not end until the fall of communism.
Eastern Christmas traditions melting away
Many Slovaks enjoy poking fun at how commercial Christmas is in the United States, joking that Santa Claus drives a truck in America instead of a team of reindeer, or that Christmas advertising and carol muzak start in the middle of July. And yet, almost two decades since the demise of Communism, even the good old heart of Central Europe has not proven immune to the American influence.
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