When the East Slovak Gallery opened its doors to the public for the first time, it represented an important milestone for Slovak culture. Two years after the opening of the Slovak National Gallery, the first regional gallery was established in 1951 in the second largest city in Slovakia. Since its establishment, the gallery has undergone many changes and numerous high-quality artworks have been added to its collection. Our task is to continually collect, showcase and preserve Slovak and foreign fine art, and raise awareness of its complexity and diversity.
The establishment of our gallery, and the building of the former county hall in which the gallery is located, is closely linked to the city of Košice and the rich history of the region of Eastern Slovakia, which has cultural and national significance. Our commitment is not only to work with visual art, but also to highlight relevant contemporary issues such as the climate crisis, social inequality, segregation and intolerance. We take care of the environment and follow the Green Code. We have set ourselves the objective of becoming an inclusive institution that reflects the world in which we live. In addition to collecting, researching, documenting and presenting fine art, we have re-opened our library with a specialized library fund for our visitors and researchers. We have re-designed the entrance courthouse into a modern point of first contact. In addition, we have set up an independent space called The Extinction of the Planet, where we hold various events focused on the city, urbanism, ecology, climate, and other current topics.
We build on the hard work of our predecessors with the energy of a new generation of curators, gallery educators, and professional staff thinking about art as a catalyst for present and future ideas. Our exhibition projects are diverse and range from old to contemporary art. Outside of exhibitions, the gallery also prepares a rich programme for the professional and general public from the youngest visitors to the elderly. Our team is working to create a professional documentation centre, and we are gradually improving the conditions in the depository for the storing of artworks. We strive to bring quality solutions and new approaches, working in cooperation with renowned architects, artists and scientists.