Statement by the Members of the Academic Senate of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design on the Current Situation in Culture

As members of the Academic Senate of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava (AFAD / VŠVU), we are deeply dismayed by the actions of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. These actions, under the pretext of consolidation, appear to be aimed at the deliberate destruction of institutions, the intimidation and humiliation of employees, and the replacement of qualified professionals with loyal individuals willing to participate in the degradation of organizations and artistic funds. We strongly oppose actions that threaten cultural and artistic heritage as well as the existence of a free and diverse culture, which is fundamental to the functioning of a democratic state.

Interventions in transparent funding processes, manipulation of selection procedures for museum and gallery institutions, the replacement of leading statutory representatives, and termination contracts for numerous experts constitute an effort to dismantle institutions to solidify the hegemony of the Ministry of Culture. The disregard for education, scientific and professional qualifications, and the undermining of critical thinking and argumentation are tools employed by the ministry's leadership.

Given AFAD's academic profile, we are gravely concerned about the disintegration of our memory institutions, including the Slovak National Gallery, the Slovak National Museum, and the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic. Authoritarian, unprofessional, and conceptually deficient management will endanger historical and artistic works, monuments, and archival materials, along with the values they represent, which contribute to the cultural and historical identity and artistic and spiritual diversity of our country. The current cultural policy of the ministry violates the government’s own program statement, which prioritizes the protection and restoration of cultural heritage. Furthermore, the ministry has effectively dismantled a key institution dedicated to promoting and presenting contemporary visual art—Kunsthalle.

As members of the Academic Senate of AFAD, we wish to commend the professionalism of the staff at the Slovak National Gallery, the Slovak National Museum, the Monuments Board, and Kunsthalle. Despite the current challenges, they have fulfilled their responsibilities with dedication, upholding the values of professionalism and education, even at the risk of their own job security.

Unless scientific and professional matters are returned to the hands of qualified and educated individuals in the respective fields, and unless art ceases to be a tool of propaganda while cultural institutions are preserved from becoming instruments of arbitrary control, we risk the collapse not only of cultural structures but also of the state itself. It is evident that this process has already begun in various spheres.

In the context of AFAD's mission as an educational institution founded on the principles of freedom, ethics, and democracy, we find the absence of any dialogue on the part of the Ministry of Culture unacceptable. Culture must be led in an expert and competent manner, ensuring the conditions necessary to preserve its richness and diversity.