MARIA BARTUSZOVÁ: BEING NATURE
JUNE 2026: BRATISLAVA CITY GALLERY
18 June 2026 – 24 January 2027
Maria Bartuszová, Untitled, 1982. © The Archive of Maria Bartuszová, Košice.
Opening at Bratislava City Gallery, Maria Bartuszová – Being Nature explores the artist’s enduring engagement with natural forms, tactile experience and the psychological resonance of shape.
Staged at Mirbach Palace, the exhibition considers Bartuszová’s relationship to nature through abstract, geometric and biomorphic forms, tracing the significance of natural phenomena and cycles within her practice. From early works shaped by rain, wind, grains and eggs to later explorations of melting snow, Bartuszová translated movement, temporality and organic transformation into sculptural form.
The presentation foregrounds Bartuszová’s tactile plaster, aluminium and bronze puzzles, conceived to be touched and assembled, alongside works made for public spaces in eastern Slovakia. These haptic works are contextualised through the pioneering workshops organised by Gabriel Kladek in 1976 and 1983 for visually impaired children at the Primary School for the Visually Impaired in Levoča, reflecting Bartuszová’s belief in art as an embodied, participatory and everyday experience.
Curated by Gabriela Garlatyová, with professional collaboration by Katarína Trnovská, Maria Bartuszová – Being Nature is produced in cooperation with the Maria Bartuszová Archive in Košice, Anna Bartuszová, Veronika Bartuszová and Soňa Bartuszová.