History of gallery
Ján Koniarek Gallery was founded in 1976 under the name of the District Gallery with the seat in Trnava. It was the only centre of cultural and educational activities in the sphere of visual culture in the district. On the the occasion of the100th anniversary of birth of the sculptor Ján Koniarek, the founder of the modern Slovak sculpture, the gallery was renamed to Ján Koniarek District Gallery. Since 1984 it has been known as Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava, hereinafter referred to as the GJK). The gallery has undergone several changes and since 1 April 2002 its administrator has been the Trnava Self-Governing Region. The GJK was left without its own exhibition rooms for some time and it had to be opening exhibitions in different places in the region (often in cultural or community centres, cinemas, theatres or even factories located in Trnava, Piešťany, Hlohovec, Hrnčiarovce, Brestovany). Its exhibitions were often held in rented exhibition rooms at the West Slovak Museum in Trnava (1983 – 1991) and at the Small Gallery for Employees of the Atomic Power Plant in Jaslovské Bohunice (1981 – 1991). The Gallery acquired its own exhibition and administration building only after the change of social conditions. Today, the gallery owns three objects:
Koppel Villa, a new wing of the villa and the former Jewish Synagogue.
Koppel Villa in Zelený kríček 3 (street), is the gallery’s administration and exhibition centre. It is the late-Classicist building that underwent substantial reconstruction in 1910 – 1911 (its exhibition space is 678.7 m2). After the reconstruction (1990 – 93), the first exhibition opened there was the one titled 1+1+1=1 by Blažej Baláž. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Ján Koniarek’s passing away, the gallery opened the new wing of Koppel Villa (14th October 2002) which presents the Permanent Exhibition of Ján Koniarek´s Sculptural Works in the area of 312.3 m2. After the reconstruction of the new wing, two new permanent exhibitions were opened: The Treasure of Slovakia - Classic Slovak Art of the 20th century and Ján Koniarek – the founder of the Slovak Modern Sculpture.
The Synagogue – Centre of the Contemporary Art was renewed and adapted for exhibition purposes. On25 June 1994, the gallery started its exhibition activities in the former Jewish Synagogue, acquired in 1981. It is a unique space with two side aisles flanking the nave and a rectangular ending; the façade is dominated by two towers designed in the oriental – historicial way built in 1891 – 1897. The first exhibition shown there was A Journey by the Untitled artistic group (P. Meluzin, V. Oravec, M. Pagáč, J. Želibská).
Gallery history in dates:
1976 – setting up the District Gallery in Trnava
1978 – change of the gallery name to the District Jan Koniarek Gallery in Trnava on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the sculptor´s birthday (since 1984 – Jan Koniarek Gallery - GJK)
1983 – 1991 – periodic exhibitions in rented exhibition rooms in the West Slovakian Museum in Trnava
1992 – “Kopplova villa” (in Zelený kríček 3 Street) in Trnava was opened as the gallery seat
1994 – Synagogue – the Centre of Contemporary Art (in Halenárska 2 Street) was opened
2002 – opening of the permanent exposition of Jan Koniarek´s sculptural work in the new wing of the GJK “Kopplova villa”
2007 – publishing of the monograph of “Jan Koniarek – the Sculptor”
2007 – opening of the permanent exposition of “Klenoty domova” (Treasure of Slovakia) and gene-ral reinstallation of the exposition of Jan Koniarek´s work in the new wing of the “Kopplova villa”
2007 – first SKUTER - biennale of contemporary art
2008 – first Central European Art Festival
Directors of the Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava:
Vladimír Siváček 1. 6. 1976 – 30. 3. 1990 director
Priska Štubňová 1. 4. 1990 – 15. 6. 1990 responsible for managing
Jaroslav Formanko 15. 6. 1990 – 14. 9. 1992 director
Priska Štubňová 15. 9.1992 – 15. 7. 1993 responsible for managing
Priska Štubňová 15. 7. 1993 – 31. 3. 2002 director
Viera Jančeková 1. 4. 2002 – 6. 11. 2002 responsible for managing
Viera (Jančeková) Levitt 7. 11. 2002 – 30. 11. 2005 director
Vladimír Beskid 1. 12. 2005 – 28. 2. 2006 responsible for managing
Vladimír Beskid 1. 3. 2006 director