Juraj Bartoš's Photographic Retrospective at Slovak National Gallery Charts Urban and Social Change

Between October 1 and November 22, 2009, the Slovak National Gallery located in Bratislava's Esterházy Palace presented a collection of photographs by Juraj Bartoš, a 66-year-old Slovak artist. His body of work, which spans from 1958 to the present and is predominantly in black and white, illustrates the changes in his surroundings. The early photographs from the 1950s depict socialist realism, while his later pieces capture countercultural movements and daily life in cities such as Bratislava, Paris (1968), Italy (1983), and New York City (1984). This exhibition juxtaposes his politically motivated early works with later images that offer new insights. Bartoš’s photography documents crowds, graffiti, and political messages, reflecting social transformations through his unique perspective. He did not become a member of the Union of Fine Artists.