Databáze uměleckých výstav v českých zemích 1820 – 1950

In June 1922, the Municipal House in Prague hosted an exhibition of the Jednota výtvarných umelcov Slovenska (Union of Slovak Artists) – the first to officially present the Union to the Czech public. This was also the first show aiming to showcase "the cultural manifestations of Slovakia in the field of visual arts" [Váross 1960, p. 20] and to "establish artistic contacts with the Prague and Czech artistic milieus and audiences." [Anonymous author 1922a]

Founded on October 16, 1920 in Banská Bystrica, the Union of Slovak Artists emerged from the need to bring together visual artists living in Slovakia. However, from the outset, Hungarian and German artists dominated the organization. The founders invited two Slovaks, M. Th. Mitrovský and P. J. Kern, to join – a token gesture intended to give the Union a superficially Slovak character. They also reserved certain positions for Slovak artists as part of this strategy. Though the association aspired to become a "nationwide organization of visual artists," as stated in the Prague exhibition catalogue, it never achieved this goal. Its changing name reflects these struggles: government decree forced it to rename itself from the original Association of Slovak Visual Artists (Spolok slovenských výtvarných umelcov) to Association of Visual Artists of Slovakia (Spolok výtvarných umelcov Slovenska), and finally, in 1921, to Union of Slovak Artists (Jednota výtvarných umelcov Slovenska)."

Contemporary observers viewed the 1922 exhibition as an attempt by Hungarian and German artists to reconcile themselves to the new political reality following the establishment of Czechoslovakia. [-l- 1922, p. 451] Despite these conciliatory intentions, the exhibition sparked fierce criticism in both Czech and Slovak newspapers. Critics focused on its fundamental "non-Slovakness," pointing out the absence of Slovak themes, folklore, and authentic expressions of Slovak life. They perceived the artworks as alienating, considering them merely artifacts created "in Slovakia" rather than genuine Slovak art rooted in national identity. [Jež, p. 392] Czech critics argued that the exhibition exposed the reality of Slovak artistic life under Hungarian rule, where artists needed Hungarian or German identity to succeed. These critics recognized authentic Slovak art in folk traditions – songs, wood carvings, embroidery, and ceramics [Marek 1922, p. 4]. While acknowledging the technical competence of many works, they dismissed most pieces as having an "international, non-domestic character," often influenced by realism and decadent Art Nouveau. [Marek 1922, p. 3] The selection itself drew criticism, with many arguing that portraits should have been replaced with scenes from Slovak peasant life [Anonymous author 1922b, p. 94]. Despite token efforts to include Slovak artists, both Czech and Slovak communities viewed the Union as representing minority interests.

The exhibition shed light on the historical reality of art in Slovakia, shaped within a Hungarian context. Most artists involved were from Hungarian or German minorities, and their artistic training and aesthetic sensibilities were primarily influenced by Budapest, Vienna, and other foreign centers. This circumstance explained the criticized "non-Slovakness" of the works and underscored the lack of an institutionalized national art scene in Slovakia – a situation that only began to change after the establishment of Czechoslovakia.

Lucia Kvočáková

Works Cited

Marek 1922: Josef Richard Marek, Jednota výtvarných umelcov Slovenska, Venkov XVII, 1922, no. 134, 11. 6., pp. 3–4

Anonymous author 1922b: Anonymous author, Jednota výtvar. umelcov na Slovensku, Svojeť I, 1922, no. 3, p. 94

Jež 1922: Štěpán Jež, Výtvarné umění, Lumír XLIX, 1922, no. 7, 27. 9., pp. 391–392

Váross 1960: Marian Váross, Slovenské výtvarné umenie 1918–1945, Bratislava 1960

Anonymous author 1922a: Anonymous author, Výstava slovenských výtvarných umělců v Praze, České slovo XIV, 1922, no. 120, 27.,5., p. 5

-l- 1922: -l-, Výstava Jednoty výtvarných umelcov Slovenska v Prahe, Slovenské pohľady XXXVIII, June – August 1922, no. 6–8, pp. 451–453

Jednota výtvarných umelcov Slovenska, Čas XXXII, 1922, no. 128, 3. 6., p. 4

Jednota výtvarných umelcov Slovenska, České slovo XIV, no. 122, 30. 5., p. 5

Jednota výtvarných umelcov Slovenska, Národní listy LXII, 1922, no. 150, 3. 6., p. 9

Výstava slovenských výtvarníků v Praze, Právo lidu XXXI, 1922, no. 127, 2. 6., p. 9

Výstava slovenských výtvarníků v Praze, Venkov XVII, no. 122, 27. 5., p. 6

Výstava slovenských výtvarných umělců v Praze, České slovo XIV, 1922, no. 120, 27. 5., p. 5