The Bibiana art gallery in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
In the end, the Bibiana Children’s Gallery in Bratislava will host a children’s workshop on nutrition, led by the controversial doctor Igor Bukovský.
The workshop was initially scheduled as a supplementary event to the exhibition “Illustrations for a Cookbook for Fantastic Creatures”, which had UNESCO as one of its partners, on Tuesday, August 6. However, Bibiana earlier announced the cancellation of the workshop, reportedly due to an overwhelming response to the free event. The organisation has promised to reschedule the workshop for a future date.
Dr. Bukovský, a trained physician with a PhD in normal and pathological physiology, previously advised television audiences on healthy eating. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, he emerged as a prominent figure in the disinformation landscape, questioning both public health measures and vaccines. Despite lacking the requisite expertise, practical experience, and research focus on the virus, his popularity surged on social media. YouTube has since removed both of his channels, the first in 2021 and the second earlier this year.
“Much of what I spoke about during the Covid-19 pandemic is either being confirmed or remains open to discussion,” the doctor said in his latest video, defending his invitation to speak at the workshop.
Dr. Igor Bukovský, as pictured in 2012. (source: TASR)
Excited culture minister
Bibiana did not clarify the criteria she used to select Dr. Bukovský. According to the doctor, he was contacted directly by the gallery’s director, Petra Flach, in June.
Flach, a neighbour and friend of the current culture minister, recently secured the position of the children’s gallery director through a private selection process. Despite lacking experience in working with children or cultural management, she was the sole candidate who appeared for the selection last month.
Additionally, Bibiana has not announced a new date for the event. However, the gallery has announced that the workshop will now be open for online registration exclusively to parents and their children for safety reasons.
In a recent social media post on Telegram, Martina Šimkovičová, the Slovak culture minister who is known for her affiliation with a pro-Russian disinformation online channel, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming visit of Dr. Bukovský to Bibiana.
“I’m excited,” Šimkovičová said.
Criticism
Despite her praise, the workshop has faced criticism on social media in recent days.
“It’s sad that you’re tarnishing the good reputation of what was once a great institution,” wrote a Facebook user, as quoted by the news channel TA3.
“It’s a shame—perhaps the conspiracy theorist [the doctor, ed.] could have finally learned something from children,” another user commented, referring to the workshop that was initially cancelled.
In response to Bukovský’s invitation, the Facebook page “Hunters of Charlatans” (Lovci šarlatánov), a group of doctors and experts from Slovak medical and pharmaceutical faculties, has also expressed sharp criticism, casting doubt on Bukovský’s expertise. Comments left by the page under Bibiana’s Facebook post were subsequently removed by the gallery’s page administrator.
The Hunters of Charlatans emphasise that Bukovský lacks any formal specialisation. “In the realm of nutrition, one would typically expect a doctor to be specialised in fields such as gastroenterology, internal medicine, endocrinology, or clinical biochemistry,” they say. When it comes to paediatric nutrition, the complexities increase substantially—so much so that experts suggest the specialisation in paediatrics is essential before even beginning to address such issues.
Dr. Bukovský is known for his advocacy of vegetarian diets and his aversion to dairy.
Bibiana has been advised by critics to seek counsel from established experts, such as Judita Tkáčová, a nutrition therapist with a degree from the medical faculty in Brno, the Czech Republic. Tkáčová’s extensive experience in evidence-based nutrition spans both healthy individuals and those with dietary issues, including paediatric nutrition, the Hunters of Charlatans note.
In response to the event and the ensuing criticism, Bukovský addressed the situation in a half-hour Facebook video. He accused the media of harassment, defended his qualifications to speak on nutrition to children, and threatened legal action against the experts from the Hunters of Charlatans page.
“Ideological and Covid-19 activists, in collusion with allied media—particularly Denník N—have launched another smear campaign against my character, expertise, and public trust.”
