extension of the slovak national gallery
studio Hájek, Hulín ; project was part of the Venice Biennale 2016 exhibition
The task was to create experimental music and exhibition spaces as an extension to the historical buildings of the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava. The assignment was connected with the realization of the national pavilion at the La Biennale di Venezia 2016 exhibition. I cooperated with Ivana Nechajová on the project.
As one of the biggest problems of the current SNG, I see a lack of adequate exhibition space, which is quite low compared to the national galleries of similarly large and developed countries. On average, several hundred square meters of exhibition space are missing. However, there was not enough space in the undeveloped parts of the SNG for such a number of new exhibition spaces. Another problem of the current SNG is its complexity and lack of clarity, which is due to the fact that it is a combination of old barracks and new SNG objects designed by the architect Dědeček.
The proposed solution brings new generous spaces to the gallery, which are located above the SNG buildings, not only because of the proximity of the Danube. By launching the “feet” from the new exhibition mass to the nodal points, a “spider “ has been created that links the entire complex SNG microurbanism. This allows easy access to the entire area. The proposed object also brings an element of art - historical elevation, ie from the oldest collections in the lowest situated barracks, through more modern art in Dědeček’s bridging, to the present one located in new flexible spaces.
The exhibition Care for Architecture: Asking the Arché of Architecture to Dance highlights the struggle for preservation, reconstruction and restoration of the premises of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) in Bratislava. This set of buildings was partly realized in the years 1969–1979 according to the projects (1962, 1963, 1967–1969) of the leading Slovak architect Vladimír Dedeček. The result was never unequivocally accepted by the public, and it took a lot of effort by many actors, including architects, to keep the complex from disappearing. The SNG model in 1:17.78 scale together with the screens installed on the walls of the pavilion document the reactions of the public, artists and architects of several generations. Through this theme, the exhibition enters into the discussion with the assignment of the 15th Biennale of Architecture in Venice with the conviction that, in addition to solicitude and concern, new architectural concepts and projects.
