In this 2026 Special Edition, programmed for the European Capital of Culture, we invite the citizens of Trenčín to host international artists in their homes for two weeks, transforming domestic spaces into a stage for art and dialogue. All the houses are then open to the audience, who move from house to house, discovering art in the most unexpected and familiar corners of their own city.“To host an artist at home is to rediscover the beauty of care, of welcome, of trust. The legacy we leave is a void — the space we open for one another.”
“For One Another” is the main theme of this special edition. It refers to the need to stay together as a community because each one’s destiny is bound to the others’.
It explores the profound ethical and social connections that bind individuals, moving beyond self-interest to a shared commitment to each other’s flourishing.
“For one another” centers on mutual obligation, reciprocity, and recognizing shared humanity, seen in ethics like the Golden Rule (treat others as you’d be treated) and Kantian ethics (treat people as ends, not just means), emphasizing responsibility to the ‘Other’ as fundamental to self-identity, evident in concepts like Levinas’s face-to-face encounter, fostering solidarity, and highlighting virtuous friendship as mutual care for growth.
The spaces in which Altofest takes place are private homes of different sizes and character, located throughout the city. These are complemented by non-residential venues—places that are often representative of the city and are visited, cared for or managed by local residents in various ways.
The artists are hosted in the homes of local residents, whom we call Space Donors. Residents and artists live together for two weeks, encompassing both the artistic residency and the subsequent public presentation of the works. During this time, artists live and work in the same space—informal, domestic and part of everyday life. Participating artists are invited to challenge and reinterpret their work in response to the unique features of the spaces that host them.
The public programme typically lasts five days and extends throughout most of each day, offering the community an immersive experience. Admission to all events is free of charge, with advance booking required. Altofest presents a predominantly international programme. The original works belong to the field of live arts, including theatre, dance, performance and their interdisciplinary and experimental forms. Artistic interventions are accompanied by in-depth encounters and public discussions, while many activities combine documentary, speculative and participatory approaches.
Altofest is a poetic act and a political exercise that is meant to be experienced rather than consumed. Audiences therefore become active and responsible participants in its success, alongside the organisers, the citizens who offer their spaces, the artists, invited professionals and the festival team, all of whom make it possible for Altofest to exist and to be offered freely as a gift.
