Biennial of Free Visual Arts

The Biennial of Free Visual Arts is a regular Slovak national exhibition of free arts organised by the Slovak Union of Visual Artists and featuring the work of members of the SVÚ and its guests. Its purpose is to support the creation of professional Slovak visual artists involved in free arts and to highlight original contemporary Slovak production.

The Biennial of Free Visual Arts is held every two years in Bratislava, alternating with the Biennial of Applied Arts. The first Biennial of Free Visual Arts was held in 2006 and the first Biennial of Applied Arts in 2007. The organiser is the Slovak Union of Visual Arts (SVÚ). Any member of SVÚ may apply to participate while non-members may also be invited as guests.

The Biennial of Free Visual Arts is a presentation of work by authors who preferably engage in free visual arts creation (painting, sculpture, graphic art, installation, video). The event had its premiere year on 8 September-1 October 2006. The exhibition was held under the auspices of President of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Gašparovič, and the Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Marek Maďarič. The exhibition’s curators were Xénia Lettrichová and Kinga Szabóová. The jury awarded the Grand Prix to Roman Hrčka for his work Fragile, the SVÚ Award to Peter Roller for his work The Darkness Dwelling (acrylic) and to Jozef Srna Jr. for his work Protester (oil). In 2008 the second Biennial of Free Visual Arts was held from 9 September-5 October 2008 at the premises of the SVÚ Exhibition Hall in Dostojevského rad 2, Bratislava. The Biennial of Free Visual Arts 2008 drew on the preceding year 2006 when regular exhibitions of contemporary free visual art by SVÚ members were initiated.