International Partnerships: Bridges Scotland 2013

In 2013, SSA welcomes the arrival of our long awaited Slovak guests to present the Scottish contribution to what has been our wonderful International Exchange Programme Bridges Mosty.

Bridges Scotland marks the climax of what started out as an exciting SSA opportunity and has grown into friendships and collaborative partnerships between Scotland and Slovakia. These two countries with similar drives for individual identity and creative recognition have much in common despite our differing artistic traditions and expertise.

I and my fellow Council Members were very keen to make sure that we in Scotland and specifically the SSA would honour the hospitality given to us during our visits in 2011 for Bridges Mosty 1X and in 2012 for Bridges Mosty X by working hard to secure funding, creating a cultural programme and introducing the unique expertise of some of Slovakia’s most eminent master printmakers to SSA members and partners. Edinburgh Printmakers has recently exhibited the work of Igor Benca, Karol Felix, Robert Jančovič and Marián Komáček curated by SSA Council member Nan Mulder and we are now very proud to be able to include the work of 13 Slovak artists in our Annul Exhibition. The work of these artists is largely on paper although not exclusively and explores many aspects of printmaking from velvety mezzo tints to contemporary digital processes and scratch lithography. We are also honoured to be exhibiting the work of the late Slovak printmaker Prof Albín Brunovský under whom so many prominent Slovak printmakers, including our guests, studied. Brunovský lectured at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava from 1966 to 1990 and was a highly influential and most important artist of his generation.

This International Exchange was created by Zora Petrasova, without whom none of this would have been possible. Zora works tirelessly to build ‘bridges’ with other creative communities round the world and to present the work of her artists to a wider audience and we are delighted that she will be accompanying Igor, Karol and Robert to Edinburgh this year.

SSA is proud to have received the Creative Scotland International Partnerships and Networks Award to aid this project and in addition we are lucky to be supported by Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Scottish Arts Club, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Cupar Arts, who will also be kindly entertaining our artists in Fife during their stay.

This is a really very special opportunity to see this calibre of artwork on a remarkable level and we hope you enjoy both exploring each piece as much as we have, and meeting and getting to know these talented individuals during their stay.

Louise Ritchie President

Please click on an image below to enlarge:

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