Climb onto the bright orange Temporary Observation Platform, which will travel through Trenčín for five days. At each stop it will reveal new views of the city – perspectives we usually overlook.
The platform is a portable structure, unfolded and pulled through the city, set up in a new place each day. It acts as a temporary beacon, creating a space for shared vision. Visitors are invited to climb up, look through the openings and structures that redirect their gaze, and discover forgotten parts of Trenčín.
At each stop, a local guest will share a story – about the history, memory, or future of the place. Visitors can take photographs, upload them via QR code, and immediately print a copy to take home. Later, all photographs will be collected into a collective poster – a panorama and a new portrait of the city created through the eyes of its inhabitants.
Program
Tour #1: Nonexistent Bridge – Klinec
October 8, 4:00–5:30 PM
Location: Nonexistent Bridge (Klinec)
Meeting point: Bufet pri Jazere
Guest: architect Alexander Topilin
Tour #2: ODA
October 10, 4:00–5:00 PM
Location: ODA (near the Vajanského parking lot)
Meeting point: in front of the main entrance to ODA
Guest: Martin Jurikovič
Tour #3: Grain Silo
October 13, 4:00–5:30 PM
Location: Grain Silo
Meeting point: in front of the main entrance to Boskop Poľnonákup Trenčín a.s.
Guest: silo worker Matej Beták
Tour #4: Hydroelectric Power Plant
October 14, 4:00–5:30 PM
Location: Hydroelectric Power Plant (at Kpt. Nálepku 55)
Meeting point: on the bridge in front of the power plant
Guest: engineer Michal Dušička
Tour #5: Merina
October 15, 4:00–5:30 PM
Location: Merina (between the former factory buildings, Gen. M. R. Štefánika Street)
Meeting point: at the entrance to the site from Kukučínova Street
Guest: Július Bruna
At the same time, another activity is taking place: “Office for Public Disturbance”, presenting stories from the Trenčín Broadcast Archive.
Every day from October 7–15 at 12:15 PM and 4:15 PM, a short voice message will be broadcast through loudspeakers on Mierové Square, continuing the tradition of the local radio. These broadcasts share memories and reflections of residents about overlooked places in the city: the old railway bridge, the Merina factory, the power plant, and the riverbank.
These places may be neglected or ignored, but they still remain part of Trenčín’s shared story. The broadcasts interrupt the city’s soundscape every day at the same time – a regular signal that briefly changes the rhythm of everyday life. They are never archived. Each voice disappears immediately after it is heard, leaving only a trace in collective memory carried forward by those who listened.
The broadcasts are part of the project Section of Temporary Observation by Canadian photographer Donald Weber.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the short newsletter of the Section of Temporary Observation, featuring stories, photographs, and reflections from Trenčín. It is published once a month and will end when the project concludes.
About the author
Donald Weber is a Canadian photographer living in Finland. Through his photographs, he tells stories of how cities and landscapes are transformed by history, industry, and everyday life.
Instagram: @donaldweber, @operational.land
Web: www.operational.land
Subscribe to the short newsletter of the Section of Temporary Observation with stories, photographs, and reflections from Trenčín. It is published once a month and will end when the project concludes.
