We invite you to the guided tour of the exhibition STANO FILKO: COLOR AND SYSTEM, RECTO AND VERSO
April 11, 2026 at 17:00
Venue: Miloš Alexander Bazovský Gallery in Trenčín
Guided tour with the curator of the exhibition, Boris Ondreička
Exhibition architect: Ján Studený
Free entry
Stanislav / Stano Filko, born in Veľká Hradná (June 15, 1937 – October 23, 2015), is among the most important and internationally recognized visual artists not only of his region, but of Slovak art history as a whole. He continuously returned to the idea of home in both his thoughts and his work. After completing his studies in exhibition design at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Bratislava (1956–1960), he continued at the Department of Monumental Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava under Professor Peter Matejka (1960–1965). Alongside an endless range of media, Filko devoted himself consistently to painting and monumental art.
The exhibition STANO FILKO: COLOR AND SYSTEM, RECTO AND VERSO is based on his experimentation within this discipline, offering a retrospective interpretation of his lifelong creative efforts (beginning with his student years). As the artist himself intended, the exhibition provides a literal entry into his paintings—not only their front sides but also their (often equally important) reverse sides. Painting is thus presented not as a “flat” medium, but as a true object and installation in its full spatio-temporal dimension, also thanks to the contemporary architectural concept by Ján Studený. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with the full range of the artist’s approaches to color, painting, and image. It allows works to be experienced from all sides, and in several cases even invites visitors into their interiors.
The curatorial project delivers an intense experience of color, painting, and the image as object-space, spanning from “classical” modernism, through neo-avant-garde, to the present. It thus creates inspiration and a kind of didactic reflection on the life (growth, development, progress, becoming) of the artist. The exhibition presents a comprehensive retrospective view of Stano Filko’s work and will also include pieces that will be shown to the public for the very first time.
Works are kindly lent by The Estate of Stano Filko.
The exhibition STANO FILKO: COLOR AND SYSTEM, RECTO AND VERSO partially overlaps with his major retrospective STANO FILKO: 12 CHAKRAS OF BECOMING at the Museum der Moderne Salzburg (opening April 2).
Photo and video recordings will be made during the event and later published.
In collaboration with:
Galéria M. A. Bazovského
Museum der Moderne Salzburg
Salzburg: Slovak Art in a European Context
Exhibition duration: April 3, 2026 — February 7, 2027
Alongside the exhibition in Trenčín, the Museum der Moderne Salzburg has opened a new exhibition of Stano Filko – which in itself reflects his international recognition. Presenting a Slovak artist on a prestigious Austrian stage confirms that Filko’s work resonates with audiences far beyond the borders of Slovakia.
We invite Slovak visitors to also explore the Salzburg exhibition and follow Filko’s story in its full international dimension – as part of a vibrant European cultural network, of which Trenčín, as the European Capital of Culture 2026, is a natural part.
