Pre koho je umenie? Súčasná kultúra v čase polarizácie

Who is art for? Contemporary culture in the time of polarization
Panel discussion in transit sk

18. 06. 2026, 18:00

Panel discussion: András Cséfalvay, Katarína Trnovská, Dominik Želinský

Moderated by: Zuzana Révészová

As contemporary art and culture are gradually limited by cuts and political restrictions, the question of culture as a public value appears again: who is culture and for whom, who decides, what creates value for "the people" and how do cultural institutions help society in times of increasing polarization?

Artists and cultural institutions are increasingly portrayed as detached from ordinary people. Publicly funded culture has become the target of political attacks, resentment and mistrust. At the same time, debates about national identity, the urban-rural divide, and cultural belonging are increasingly polarized.

This discussion will explore the relationship between cultural institutions and their audiences, the narrative of "elite versus ordinary people" in cultural debates, and the role of culture in shaping collective ideas about the nation. We will also ask why publicly funded culture has become a space of dispute and what current conflicts reveal about the position of culture in contemporary society.

The Resist and Care project is a two-year platform about cultural resistance in illiberal times, conceived by Zuzana Révészová (Spolka). Vzika in collaboration with Judit Angel (transit sk).

András Cséfalvay is a visual artist, mythopoet and docent at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. Through digital animation, installations and world-building, he explores non-
human perspectives - from extinct species to AI and deals with the relationship between culture, technology and fiction. He is the holder of the Oskar Čepan Award and the Main Award of the
Tatra Bank Foundation. His works have been exhibited internationally, among others at KW Berlin, Trafo Budapest and Art-in-General New York.

Zuzana Révészová is a researcher specializing in cultural participation, cultural policy and urban development. It examines how public ideas, narratives and expectations shape
place-making and strategic decision-making. She has experience in implementing participatory strategic planning and creating models of economic sustainability for cultural and community projects.

Katarína Trnovská is an art historian, curator and author who graduated from the University of Trnava and the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava. She worked at Design Factory as a curator and program coordinator and later led publishing projects at Kunsthalle Bratislava. She is the co-author and editor of several publications on contemporary architecture, design and visual art. Since 2020, she has been the director of the Bratislava City Gallery, one of the leading public art institutions in Slovakia.

Dominik Želinský is an independent researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on power, authority, charismatic leadership and contemporary Czech-Slovak relations. He is a research associate at the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale University. His work has been published in leading international sociological journals.

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The Resist and Care project was conceived by Zuzana Révészová (Spolka), it is organized together with Judit Angel (tranzit.sk).

Resist and Care is a project of the tranzit.org network of organizations. tranzit.org.

Media partners: Artalk.info, Flash Art CZ & SK, Kapitál, GoOut.net



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EN: Who Is Culture For? Contemporary Culture in Polarized Times
Panel discussion at tranzit sk

18 June 2026, 6 PM

Panel Discussion: András Cséfalvay, Katarína Trnovská, Dominik Želinský

Moderated by Zuzana Révészová

As public funding of art and culture is gradually threatened by austerity measures and political restrictions, we are once again confronted with questions about culture as a public value: who is culture for, who decides what constitutes value for "the public," and how do cultural institutions relate to broader society in times of growing polarization?

Artists and cultural institutions are increasingly portrayed as disconnected from ordinary people, while publicly funded culture has become a target of political attacks, resentment, and distrust. At the same time, debates about national identity, the urban–rural divide, and cultural belonging have become more polarized.

This discussion will explore the relationship between cultural institutions and their audiences, the narrative of "elites versus ordinary people" in cultural debates, and the role of culture in shaping collective imaginaries of the nation. We will also ask why publicly funded culture has become a site of contestation and what current conflicts reveal about the place of culture in contemporary society.

Project Revolting with Care is a two-year platform (2026–2027) exploring cultural resistance in times of democratic backsliding and economic austerity, conceived by Zuzana Révészová(Spolka). Project is organized in collaboration with Judit Angel (transit sk).

András Cséfalvay is a visual artist, mythopoet, and Associate Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. After studying painting and mathematics, he focused his research on the reality and usefulness of fiction. Through digital animation, installations and world-building he investigates "non-human" perspectives—from extinct species to subatomic particles and AI. His work interrogates the relationship between culture and technology, and the political and ethical aspects of listening to non-dominant voices in world interpretation. He is the recipient of the Oscar Cepan Prize and Tatra Banka Grand Prize for visual artists. His recent exhibitions include KW Berlin, Trafo Budapest, Muzeum Sztuki Lodz, Art-in-General New York, Karlin Studios Prague and National Gallery Budapest. He is co-founder of the Digital Arts Platform.

Zuzana Révészová is a researcher specializing in cultural participation, cultural policy, and urban development. She examines how ideas, narratives, and public expectations shape city-making and strategic decision-making. She has experience facilitating participatory strategic planning and developing economic sustainability models for cultural and community-based projects.

Katarína Trnovská is an art historian, curator, and writer who studied at Trnava University and the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. She worked at design factory as a curator and program coordinator, and later managed publishing projects at Kunsthalle
Bratislava. She is the co-author and editor of several publications on contemporary architecture, design, and visual art. Since 2020, she has served as Director of the Bratislava City Gallery, one of Slovakia's leading public art institutions.

Dominik Želinský is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on power, authority, charismatic leadership, and contemporary Czech–Slovak relations. He is a Faculty Fellow at Yale University's Center for Cultural Sociology and an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Cultural Sociology. His work has appeared in leading international sociology journals.
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Revolting with Care is a project conceived by Zuzana Révészová (Spolka) and organized together with Judit Angel (tranzit.sk).

Revolting with Care is a project of the tranzit.org network.
sk.tranzit.org is a member of the network.

ERSTE Foundation is the main partner of tranzit.org.

Media partners:
Artalk.info, Flash Art CZ & SK, Kapitál, GoOut.net