The heads of a whole rafter of cultural institutions in Slovakia, including the veteran director of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG), have been removed from their jobs in what many claim to be a political purge.
The day before Alexandra Kusá was sacked from her role at the SNG, which she had held since 2010, the head of the Slovak National Theatre was dismissed. It follows the removal of the board at the country’s arts funding body, the Slovak Fund for the Promotion of the Arts; and the directors of the National Library and the children’s museum Bibiana. Bratislava’s House of Culture has been stripped of funding.
The purge comes as the Slovakian prime minister made his first public appearances since surviving an assassination attempt on 15 May. In a speech marking his return to health, Robert Fico rallied against progressive ideology and the West’s stance towards Russia.
The position of Kusá and her peers has looked fragile since Fico appointed far-right former TV anchor Martina Šimkovičová as culture minister in October 2023.
Before moving into politics, Šimkovičová was well known for being fired from TV channel Markíza in 2015 for mocking Syrian refugees, and has since reinforced a brand of homophobic, ultra-nationalist and pro-Russian commentary.
13 August: Over 230 museum leades, artists, academics and curators have signed an open letter addressed to Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic, urging the organisation to reconsider its removal of SNG Director, Alexandra Kusá, following the dismissal of the Director of the Slovak National Theatre, Matej Drlička.
Signatories include Candice Breitz, Anna Daučíková, Eva Koťátková, Claire Bishop, Anton Vidokle, Board of ICOM Germany and Board of Secession, Vienna, among others.
The letter writes that the decision to dismiss Kusá over ‘a conflict of interest’ between the director and the contractor ‘has undermined the independence of the cultural field in your country and damaged the trust in and reputation of Slovak culture internationally.’ It also cites that the action ‘violates the principle of innocence until proven guilty that is the basis of our European legal framework.’
‘Your decision threatens these crucial developments for art and culture in Slovakia. It also makes us very concerned about the future. We ask you to assure us publicly that we will continue to be able, as European cultural institutions, to trust collaboration with Slovak institutions in the years ahead. We ask you to respect the cultural diversity of the audience for art and the freedom of museums, theatres and cultural institutions to program independently. We ask you to reject the direct political control of cultural institutions and defend the right of art and artists to freedom of expression.’
‘We ask you to take steps to ensure that the SNG can continue to do so, starting with a clear statement that, should Alexandra Kusá be found not guilty of a conflict of interest, you will immediately reinstate her as Director General.’
6 September: Cultural workers across Slovakia has announced a nationwide strike alert. At a press conference held in Bratislava, organisers of the Kulturny Strajk! (Culture Strike!) initiative have demanded a ‘halt to ideologically motivated censorship’ as well as provision of professional and competent management and financial stabilisation of the sector.
‘The department’s leadership threatens individuals who refuse to succumb to the preferred ideological perspective.’
According to The Art Newspaper, close to 1,300 people were said to have signed up for the strike alert, representing 135 different cultural organisations said to have been involved.
The first stage of the Culture Strike is intended to be a strike alert, which could be followed by a full strike.
