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Project    Slovak rep.

How to avoid domestic balast while building own identity

 
Critical Daily   218   418cm
 

Like other countries located on the wrong side of the former Iron Curtain, untarnished by globalisation until recently, Slovakia has now been invaded by the unifi ed worldwide aesthetics of multinational monopolies. Information technologies have enabled aesthetic trends to spread faster than infections. Only the power of local culture can guarantee that the good things will be absorbed and that it will not allow itself to be diluted, or washed away, by worthless ballast, another by-product of globalisation. The question is not whether to replace domestic ballast with its foreign equivalent. The question is how to avoid it completely, while maintaining – or, in Slovakia’s case, building – one’s own identity. What does the word  “Slovak” mean today? Is it a reference to the rural past, to the romantics of folklore, or pride in the country as such?

What is certain is that the entire body of design produced on Slovak territory can be labelled “Slovak”. This prerequisite is not, however, as clear as it seems, for it only meets geographical demands as to origin, while design itself does not necessarily reflect the cultural and social environment in which it originated. Can the term “national design” then be applied in a Slovak context?

A long-term tendency to present Slovakia, first and foremost, through its folklore inclines towards a definition of “national design” as design with a pronounced element of “Slovakness”. And provided there exists such a thing as “Slovakness” in design, how is it reflected in its concept and form?

The main purpose of this project is not to find clear answers to the questions above but to describe the current state of Slovak identity in visual communication. It is an experiment, the goal of which is to show specifi cally where several generations of graphic designers stand on the issue, and fi nd out how their work resonates with the cultural envi-ronment in which it was created. The results might be as surprising as those of Slovak ice hockey.

The project was initiated and exhibited in collaboration with the Bienniale Brno 2008.
Exhibiting authors: Juraj Balogh, Palo Bálik, Johana Balušíková, Marcel Benčík, Juraj Blaško, Katka Czikorová, Lukáš Čeman, Andrej Dieneš, Mikina Dimunova, Palo Ďurák, Natália Ferienčíková, Ján Filípek, Jakub Frölich, Peter Gála, Diana Garafová, Ondrej Gavalda, Alex Gutrai, Alica Horváthová, Juraj Chaláni, Miša Chmeličková, Marek Chmiel, Ondrej Jób, Tomáš Klepoch, Kateřina Kubánková, Nikola Latković, Roman Mackovič, Adam Marko, Branislav Matis, Veronika Melicherová, Boris Meluš, Svätopluk Mikyta, Pavlína Morháčová, Jana Némethová, Veronika Obertová, Róbert Paršo, Karol Prudil, Ľubica Segečová, Kristína Slivková, Lenka Stodůlková, Zuzana Šestáková, Lucia Šimková, Martin Šútovec, Peter Vido, Oľga Zemanovičová

The text was published in the exhibition catalogue.

author of the text: Palo Bálik, Juraj Blaško
license: Licenced by author of the text, please contact author personally.
 
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13–11–2018   10–09–2008

Roman Mackovič, Untitled, poster, 2008

author: Roman Mackovič
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Svätopluk Mikyta, The Proper Strain, drawing, 2008

author: Svätopluk Mikyta
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Pavlína Morháčová, Slovak Poetry, receipts, 2005

author: Pavlína Morháčová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Zuzana Šestáková, Embroidered Flags, textile, 2008

author: Zuzana Šestáková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Palo Bálik, Boris Meluš, Svätopluk Mikyta; Goose for a Ham, design of the exhibition, 2007

author: Palo Bálik, Boris Meluš, Svätopluk Mikyta
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Marcel Benčík, Juraj Blaško, Alica Horváthová, Ľubica Segečová; Creater/Slovak Creative Impact, catalogue, 2007

author: Marcel Benčík, Juraj Blaško, Alica Horváthová, Ľubica Segečová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Ondrej Jób, Slovak/Danish – compares Slovakia and Denmark through photographs and short conversations made with instant messengers, book, 2007

author: Ondrej Jób
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Katarína Czikorová, Lightning Flashes Over Tatra, T-shirt, 2008

author: Katarína Czikorová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Marek Chmiel, Pavlína Morháčová, Illah van Oijen; Urban Landscapes of Bratislava, book, 2007

author: Marek Chmiel, Pavlína Morháčová, Illah van Oijen
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Slávka Pauliková, Slovak Handwritting Study, 2008

author: Slávka Pauliková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Peter Vido, “Tatras, Our Pride”, poster, 2008

author: Peter Vido
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Lukáš Čeman, Dishes, 2008

author: Lukáš Čeman
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Peter Gála, Diversed Valley – Single Country, folkloric map, 2008

author: Peter Gála
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Ľubica Segečová, Czech-o-Slovakia, belt design, 2008

author: Katarína Bellová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Roman Mackovič, Let the Lambs Come to Me, installation, 2008

author: Roman Mackovič
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Juraj Blaško, Ice Hockey Allegory, installation, 2008

author: Juraj Blaško
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Palo Bálik, Flag, 2008

author: Palo Bálik
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Palo Bálik, 6 ks SK, T-shirt collection, 2005 (photo: Paf vs. Tescomatic)

author: Palo Bálik
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Mikina Dimunová, IDentity, poster, 2008

author: Mikina Dimunová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Jana Némethová, Folk Couture, fashion catalogue, 2006

author: Jana Némethová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Marek Chmiel, Veselica, typeface inspired by work of national artist Martin Benka, 2007

author: Marek Chmiel
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Alex Gutrai, Slovak Titans, local origami, 2007

author: Alex Gutrai
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Jakub Fröhlich, EU Recommends, stencil, 2004

author: Jakub Fröhlich
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Lucia Šimková, poster from the workshop “Home” (visiting lector Yasha Rozov), 2007

author: Lucia Šimková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Marcel Benčík, Slovak new banknotes design, 2004

author: Marcel Benčík
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Nikola Latkovič, Slovak folk song (in bossa nova style), video clip, 2005

author: Nikola Latkovič
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Michaela Chmelíčková, Ján Filípek, Ondrej Gavalda; Beet/Rap Campaign, video, workshop in Kremnica, 2005

author: Michaela Chmelíčková, Ján Filípek, Ondrej Gavalda
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Martin Šútovec, “Slovakia doesn’t need design”, poster, 2005

author: Martin Šútovec
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Tomáš Klepoch, Skrep, suitcase, 2008

author: Tomáš Klepoch
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Karol Prudil, Uniformity, poster, 2008

author: Karol Prudil
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Juraj Balogh, Automother, poster, 2008, (Slovakia produce more cars per head than any other country in the world)

author: Juraj Balogh
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Karol Prudil, Klin, typeface, 2008

author: Karol Prudil
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Johana Balušíková, Jigsaw Herbal/Type specimen, type specimen, 2003

author: Johana Balušíková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Michaela Chmelíčková, Slovak Statistics, textile print, 2008

author: Mgr. Ivan Kříž
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Palo Ďurák, Juraj Chaláni, Veronika Melicherová, Andrej Dieneš, Kateřina Kubánková; Redesign, 2008

author: Palo Ďurák, Juraj Chaláni, Veronika Melicherová, Andrej Dieneš, Kateřina Kubánková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Veronika Obertová, Kristína Slivková, Diana Garafová, Natália Ferienčíková; Redesign, 2008

author: Veronika Obertová, Kristína Slivková, Diana Garafová, Natália Ferienčíková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Ján Filípek, Poleno, typeface, 2006

author: Ján Filípek
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Johana Balušíková, Probably worlds’ most tongue-twister, meaning “Stick your fi nger down your throat” in Slovak and illustrating the shortage of vowels in Slavic anguages, T-shirt, 2004

author: Johana Balušíková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Ondrej Gavalda, Constitution, doormat, 2008

author: Ondrej Gavalda
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Jana Némethová, Slovak Gastronomy, stamps, 2004

author: Jana Némethová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Branislav Matis, BA!, magazine, 2008

author: Branislav Matis
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Róbert Paršo, Slovak Myth, design of the exhibition, 2005

author: Róbert Paršo
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Martin Šútovec, Slovak Pantheon – Thief, Fool, Sluggard, painting, 2002

author: Martin Šútovec
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Alica Horváthová, For Dirty Work, For Dirty Money, soap & sponge, 2008

author: Alica Horváthová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Alica Horváthová, For Dirty Work, For Dirty Money, soap & sponge, 2008

author: Alica Horváthová
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Adam Marko, Kaleidoscope, video installation, 2008

author: Adam Marko
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Adam Marko, Kaleidoscope, video installation, 2008

author: Adam Marko
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Kateřina Kubánková, Slovak Hobby Day, poster, 2008

author: Kateřina Kubánková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Lenka Stodůlková, Bla Bla Blava, folding picture-book, 2008

author: Lenka Stodůlková
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Ondrej Gavalda, Temples of Consumerism, poster, 2006

author: Ondrej Gavalda
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Ondrej Gavalda, Temples of Consumerism, poster, 2006

author: Ondrej Gavalda
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

Slovak rep., exhibition catalogue, 2008

author: Pavol Bálik, Juraj Blaško
license: Licenced by author of the image, please contact author personally.

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