Bratislava is the capital city and the cultural and economic centre of Slovakia. It is home to several museums and galleries. The Slovak capital is off many people’s radar, but it shouldn’t be. In the City History Museum, situated in the Old Town Hall, you can find out about the city history and the daily life of its inhabitants from prehistoric times until the end of the 1930s, while the Museum of History in Bratislava Castle documents history and the ethnocultural development of the Slovaks, It also houses an extensive numismatic collection from ancient times to the present. For a wide-ranging overview of Slovak art, a visit to the Slovak National Gallery is recommendable, but here we take on some newer galleries and discover the city through its artists.
T-Gallery is devoted to drawing and printmaking. The gallery was born when one of the founders was unable to find a place to exhibit some art, which she had brought back from a Mexican printmaking gallery during her travels. The answer to the problem was to open up a gallery. A visit might see you discovering young artists from Slovakia, Finland, Mexico or the US. In addition to a space for project animation and small light projects, T-Gallery also houses a design shop and cozy café. Recent exhibitions have included Daniela Krajčová’s drawings, collages and texts, as well as a fascinating example of joint drawing: artists Eveliina Hämäläinen and Kristína Hečková occasionally swap drawings or draw simultaneously on the same piece of paper.
Add: T-Gallery, Panská 24, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 903 601 656
The Rococo-style “House of the Good Shepherd” is one of the few buildings in the area below BratislavaCastle surviving in its original state from earlier times. It was built in 1760 – 1765. The lower part was used for commercial and production purposes, the upper parts were a living area. A false window has been retained in the façade of the house; the moulded statue of the good shepherd in the niche under the baldachin is not original. The house is a small treasure of Central European burgher architecture.
The exhibition of antique clocks documents the history of clockmaking from the end of the 17th to the end of the 19th centuries. There is a unique set of mobile sun-dials from the 17th -18th centuries, various types of portable and wall clocks, alarm clocks and some examples of wrist watches. Most of the exhibits are signed by Bratislava master clockmakers.
Add: Museum of Clocks, Židovská 1, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 254 411 940
Galéria Nova highlights the special affinity Slovak artists have with glass. The oldest private gallery in Bratislava, Nova focuses on the promotion of current glass artists, with an emphasis on showcasing the latest creative trends. Located right by Michalská gate, the gallery possesses a unique, light-filled beauty where sunlight travels across the elegant glass and illuminates the gallery space. You may see something like Linda Viková’s whimsical love of pop art and porcelain or Petr Stanický, one of the major artists on the Czech glass and sculpture scene, and his consideration of the possibilities of spatial thinking.
Add: Galéria Nova, Baštová 2, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 254 433 039
The museum is housed in a residential building from the end of the 14th century located in the historic center of Bratislava, close to Michael Gate.
The museum was established thanks to volunteers and art connoisseurs as well as private collections. Exhibition activities focus particularly on Constructivist and Neo- constructivist tendencies in visual arts.
The permanent exhibition of work of Milan Dobeš and permanent collection of international constructivism is displayed on three floors. The fourth floor presents temporary exhibitions.
Museum was founded with the European Cultural Society Foundation. At present, the museum is owned by an engineering holding VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY GROUP, which provides funds and management to the museum.
Add: Milan Dobeš Museum, Zámočnícka 13, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 2 5443 2305
Satelit is the gallery space for the Slovak Design Center. Their goal is to keep Slovak design in the minds of the public as well as promote new artists, themes and topics running through the design community. Their exhibitions are wide ranging, from professional work to student exhibitions to artists from abroad and research projects. Satelit is home to unusual, fun objects, such as Michala Staška and Michael Bednárovej’s fun and squishy furniture for kids, custom designed footwear or designs especially for seniors.
Add: Satelit, Kollárovo nám. 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 918 110 247
Open all year round, the 160 square meter Uluv is located on Obchodna 64 in Bratislava. The opening of this gallery is a method of paying long overdo homage to the masters, the craftsmen, whose art and work throughout life has influenced and inspired their protégés. Many of these masters, with their unique style of crafting and dedication, have become memorialized in Encylopedias. Galeria Uluv hosts enough room to allow direct contact with the contemporary works of craft masters through exhibits. Uluv also utilizes films and web presentations in a virtual gallery of folk art production to enhance the experience. The ceremonial opening of the gallery occurred on the 4th of September, 2004 with the attendance of the president of the Slovak Reublic Ivan Gasparovic and other official guests.
Add: Galéria ÚĽUV, Obchodná 64, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 252 731 349