You can visit the Poesiomat from December 5, 2024, to December 31, 2026.
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The Trenčín 2026 project has brought carols — and now poetry and the sounds of nature — into the city’s streets. All of this is made possible by the Trenčín Poesiomat, formerly known as the Koledomat. This unusual object, resembling a submarine periscope with a crank, originally played carols from various EU countries. Now, it offers works by Trenčín’s artists — past and present — as well as natural sounds connected to the place where it stands.
Since 2015, Poesiomats have been installed in cities by the Czech association Piána na ulici, founded by Ondřej Kobza.
“Originally, they were meant mainly as jukeboxes for poetry, but over time the concept evolved into what it is today — an attempt to capture the symbolism of a place. The Poesiomat acts as an amplifier of the local spirit,” explained Kobza. “The magic of a place can take many forms. That’s why a listener might hear not only poems, but also a fairy tale or the sounds of nature,” he added.
“The Koledomat we placed on Trenčín’s Štúrovo Square at the beginning of December has recorded 45,000 plays so far, making it the most frequently used of more than 80 Poesiomats in the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” said project manager Martin Šeda.
The idea for this unconventional sound installation caught the attention of the organizers of Trenčín – European Capital of Culture 2026 last autumn.
“The Poesiomat fits perfectly into the concept of the European Capital of Culture. It’s one of many projects aimed at revitalizing the city and bringing culture directly into public spaces. Thanks to it, even ordinary squares and streets become places for encounters with art and poetry. It gives new meaning to the urban environment and shows that culture doesn’t have to stay inside theatres or galleries — it can be accessible to everyone, anytime and anywhere,” said Ján Sudzina, former director of the Trenčín 2026 project.
“I’m grateful for this great idea. The Poesiomat will present the work of Trenčín’s artists in a completely new way and, I believe, will be a pleasant addition for both locals and visitors. We have much to offer Europe and Europeans. I’m really happy about it — I’ll definitely try the Poesiomat myself,” said Richard Rybníček, Mayor of Trenčín.
Štúr, Földvári, the Trenčín underground, and contemporary voices
Since the end of February, visitors to Štúrovo Square can listen to Štúr’s poetic song “Matúš z Trenčína”, songs by local bands Bez ladu a skladu and Chór vážskych muzikantov, poems by Rudolf Dobiáš, humorous columns by Kornel Földvári, the fairy tale The Water Goblin Valentin by Vlado Kulíšek, and music by young Trenčín musicians Nina Kohout and Jerguš Oravec, among many others.
The voices of the Poesiomat were recorded by actors from the Divadlo Normálka theatre and actor–mime Pavol Seriš.
With this installation, Trenčín joins more than eighty other cities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and beyond — from Brno and Prague to Paris, Dublin, and Buffalo, USA — where poetic pipes invite passersby to stop and listen.
