Trenčín Castle, an iconic landmark of the city and a bearer of centuries-old stories, is becoming one of the key venues of the programme Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture. This historic monument, connected to the legend of Omar and Fatima, is transforming into a living platform for contemporary art. A trio of exhibitions in the Gothic Chapel and Barbora’s Palace creates an exceptional dialogue between past and present.
The legend of the Well of Love is among the most famous stories of Trenčín Castle. It tells the story of the young Turkish man Omar, who, out of love for the imprisoned Fatima, dug a deep well into the rock. This story of devotion and hope is now taking on a new form through contemporary art. This very motif became the starting point for the exhibition The Well of Love, which forms the central focus of the trio of exhibitions.
The multimedia, site-specific exhibition The Well of Love (7 February – 28 August 2026), curated by Ekmel Ertan, connects the historical context of the castle with contemporary themes of memory, myth, labour, and human experience. In the Gothic Chapel and the space of the Cannon Bastion, an intimate environment emerges in which light, sound, and holograms open up new layers of the well-known legend. Turkish artists work with modern technologies – from artificial intelligence to holography – creating works that do not offer clear answers, but rather space for personal reflection.
“The artists were not interested in illustrating the legend, but in translating it into a contemporary language. The Well of Love is a metaphor for labour, memory, and voices that have often been lost in history,” says exhibition curator Ekmel Ertan.
More information about the exhibition: The Well of Love Exhibition – Trenčín 2026
The other two exhibitions in Barbora’s Palace expand this dialogue with new perspectives. Portuguese artist Carla Rebelo, in the installation Barbora’s Thread (7 February – 24 May 2026), works with fragments of the original wooden floor from the Merina textile factory in Trenčín. She combines material imbued with traces of labour and time with delicate fibres and drawing in space. The result is a poetic reflection on collective memory, in which the city’s industrial past subtly intertwines with contemporary perceptions of space.
“I am interested in how materials preserve memory – not only visual, but also emotional,” explains Carla Rebelo.
More information about the exhibition: Carla Rebelo (PT): Barbora’s Thread – Trenčín 2026
The trio of exhibitions is completed by Japanese artist Yasuaki Onishi with the work Crystalline Silence (7 February – 24 May 2026), which transforms the Knights’ Hall into a fragile, vertical landscape made of transparent materials. The ephemeral installation enters into contrast with the massive architecture of the castle and explores the passage of time as a process of constant transformation. The work is created in cooperation with the partner EU–Japan Fest and highlights the international dimension of the Trenčín 2026 project. “In silence and emptiness, we can perceive time differently – not as something that flows, but as something that is constantly changing,” says Yasuaki Onishi.
More information about the exhibition: Yasuaki Onishi (JP): Crystalline Silence – Trenčín 2026
In 2026, Trenčín Castle thus becomes not just a backdrop, but an active partner of contemporary art. A place that for centuries symbolised power and defence now offers space for sensitive, current, and international artistic expressions – confirming that even a historic monument can be a living and open site of cultural dialogue.
