ABOUT US
SPACE, founded in 1999 as a non-profit gallery covers several independent projects which focus on presentation of contemporary art both in Slovakia and around the world, residency programs, public art projects and publication activities. SPACE is a space to present those authors who systematically doubt common communication strategies, and who break formal and content structure of artwork, and who stringently desire for innovation and experiment. SPACE’s central mission is to create an interactive room for the viewer’s communication with contemporary art and to initiate international confrontation and exchange. From 2010, SPACE is located in the former central heating boiler room on 7/A Velehradská Street, nearby Mlynské Nivy bus station, in Ruzinov quarter. The founder, curator and gallerist of SPACE is Juraj Čarný; his team of project managers, co-ordinators and curators includes Katarína Slaninová and Diana Majdáková.
(Galéria Priestor) in the white-cube building in former air-raid shelter on Somolického street as a joint project of curator and gallerist Juraj Čarný and philanthropist Martin Knut. Concurrently with art exhibitions of Slovak authors, it realized series of lectures, presentations, international conferences, concerts and other experimental presen- tations. Step by step, it presented the best authors of the upcoming generation /Marek Kvetán, Marko Blažo, Cyril Blažo, Dorota Sadovská, Erik Binder, Anetta Mona Chisa, Lucia Tkáčová, Milan Mikula, Richard Fajnor, Dušan Zahoranský, XYZ, Stano Masár, Roman Ondák/, as well as international „stars“ / Martin Creed, Alicia Framis, Pawel Althamer, Zbigniew Libera, Josef Dabernig, Plamen Dejanoff, AZORRO/, curated projects Pretty Communication, METRO, Runaway, Upside down, Challenge and many other. In 2006, SPACE changed its addressSPACE was founded in 1999 as the Gallery Space for Contemporary Arts and moved to a 19th century estate on Lazaretská street; the first Crazycurators Biennale and Crazycurators Award were organized
here. The gallery was a venue for curated projects of Diana Majdáková – Find 10 differences, East of Eden, Ivana Madariová project for multi- media festival Multiplace and Juraj Čarný’s project LEGO. As part of individual exhibitions, the gallery presented Matúš Lányi, and also Cesare Pietroiusti who established a new “commercial” gallery Evolution de l’Art. The aim of an original project of lectures and discussions called “Not only young art is” was to draw the attention of the young generation to the contribution of the living artists of the older generation.
In 2008 SPACE founded new gallery projectSPACE which was located in the historical centre of Bratislava, on Františkánske square. The concept of the new space was conceived to offer a standard space presenting contemporary fine art to both the Slovak and the foreign public in the historical centre of the city projectSPACE introduced Abidin travels of Adel Abidin from Venice Biennale, an exhibition of Czech videoart.cz and numerous individual exhibitions. Due to great misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the project by the Mayor of the Old Town, activity of projectSPACE was aborted.
In 2009, SPACE realized its exhibitions thanks to the support of OSF foundation in the OPEN Gallery located on Baštová street in Bratislava. Further projects were realized in Prague Karlín Studios, Make Up gallery /Kasárne-Kulturpark in Košice, OPEN SPACE in Vienna, Gallery ŠKUC in Ljubljana, Gallery Sonia Rosso in Turin etc.
As of 2010, both SPACE and projectSPACE are situated on one address, in the city part Ružinov. Thanks to the support of the Mayor, Slavomír Drozd, we were given the building of a former central heating boiler room on 7/A Velehradská Street. Aside from exhibitions, we organize discussions, lectures, education programs for children, international conferences and other programs.
Residencie lab:First Bratislava residency program for artists, aimed to endorse international confrontation and exchange. We invite foreign artists to come to live and create in Bratislava, and we send out Slovak artists to residency stays abroad /Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, New York/. It is organized in collaboration with Futura in Prague, Lumen Foundation, Studio in Budapest and a-i-r laboratory in Warsaw. SPACE residency lab was founded on Lazaretska Street, it continued on Šte- fánikova Street and currently is situated on 7/A Velehradská Street.
CRAZYCURATORS BIENNALE
As of 2003, the project of international collaboration among the most progressive galleries; in 2006 it led to establishing biennale and the Crazycurators Award.
Out of SPACE / Public art BILLBOART GALLERY EUROPE International public-art project, initiated in collaboration with Richard Fajnor and SPACE in 2010, co-ordinated with independent civil association /Mira Keratová/ and realized in cooperation with partners in 12 European states.
NomadSPACE/Migrating gallery Mobile platform focused on presentation of contemporary art in non-traditional venues in a truck. NomadSPACE parasites on other exhibition projects, wanders across Slovakia and abroad as part of respected cultural events’ programmes, and of music and film festivals.
PRAGUE BIENNALE SPACE regularly co-participates on the preparation of the largest international exhibition of contemporary art in Central Europe – Prague Biennale.
SPACE store - Evolution de l’Art Internet “commercial” gallery established by a respected Italian artist Cesare Pietroiusti; it offers immaterializable pieces of art for sale. Gallery is conducted as ironization and parodization of both the art market and the world of commercial galleries. -
ART FAIRS Between 2000 and 2009 SPACE regularly participated in the most respected international fairs of contemporary art intentionally promoting Slovak authors within the international art scene. We participated in the following art fairs: Pulse New York, Pulse Miami, Viennafair, Art Forum Berlin, Arte Fierra Bologna, Milano Flash Art show, Kunstart in Bolzano, Kunst Zurich and other. -
RENTART Project focused on initiating public interest in obtaining pieces of art and on rental of the contemporary art for companies.
Publication activities
FLASH ART Czech and Slovak edition In cooperation with Giancarlo Politi Editore Milano, Prague Biennale Foundation and NEON, we covered the foundation of Czech and Slovak edition of the FLASH ART magazine. The magazine is published quarterly and aside from the translations of foreign authors’ articles from the international edition of the magazine, it focuses on informing about the local art scene and connecting the former Czechoslovak scene.