Visual Stage at Pohoda 2026: Art That Speaks to the Present
To mark Pohoda Festival's 30th anniversary, longtime Visual Stage curator Ilona Németh has prepared a powerful selection of contemporary visual art, complemented by two special projects personally chosen by Michal Kaščák. Together, they present works that respond to today's reality, encourage critical dialogue, and reflect the values Pohoda has stood for and protected over the past three decades.
04. July 2026
What can you look forward to?
A tilted cart, frozen in the moment before collapse, becomes a metaphor for the distorted relationship between the majority society and the Roma minority. Through this monumental installation, Emília Rigová reflects on the mechanisms that manufacture fear.
Sam Heet Drevenák – Repropaganda
Winner of the 2026 Visual Art Contest, Sam Heet Drevenák combines a public-space installation with direct humanitarian support. The work responds to the misuse of the letters "V" and "Z" as symbols of Russian military aggression and propaganda. By purchasing the artist's flag, visitors will directly support humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
The monumental tent peg, the winning artwork of 2024, returns to Pohoda for the third time. At a time when the festival's future at Trenčín Airport remains uncertain, this symbol of seeking temporary shelter and putting down roots takes on an even deeper meaning of home.
The continuation of the activist project originally presented in the garages of the Slovak National Gallery moves to Pohoda's Garage. This year, the Garage will serve not only as a late-night stage but also as a space dedicated to free culture and civic engagement. Visitors will discover an exhibition accessible only through door peepholes, now featuring international artists as well (Jana Želibská, Gideon Horváth, Zuzana Hertzberg, Anton Shebetko). The exterior of the garage will be completed by the "Umenie nebude ticho" collective with two references, one of which is derived from the title of Jana Želibská’s work, with the author’s permission.
Lucia Tkáčová – od><op / non><con
A fascinating exploration of a resistance movement from a dystopian future. The artist creates the material culture of a movement resisting the power of technology and its masters. The project offers a thought-provoking reflection on the need to resist humanity's complete submission to the Network.
Photo: Ján Kekeli
transparadiso (Barbara Holub / Paul Rajakovics) – BambooKaza
A mobile bamboo pavilion providing a safe space for community gatherings and meaningful discussions. The project is supported by the Austrian Cultural Forum and the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026.
András Cséfalvay – Kamiokande – Queen of the Night
This project connects deep geological time, quantum physics and artificial intelligence. Its title refers to the Japanese neutrino detector that, in 1987, captured the first particles emitted by a dying star—making darkness visible for a brief moment.
Rudolf Sikora – The Constellation of VÁclav HAvel (Special Project)
A monumental 12 × 12 metre banner will dominate the Main Stage. This updated version of Sikora's 2011 work, featuring the iconic neon heart, recalls Václav Havel's signature, the idea of living in truth, and the power of civil disobedience.
Stano Masár – Emerging Memory (Special Project)
A nostalgic newspaper kiosk becomes a place of memories, where visitors can send original postcards featuring artworks from the past ten editions of the Visual Stage and wish Pohoda a happy 30th birthday.
Andrej Dúbravský – I Want to Be a Rooster in a Painting by Andrej Dúbravský
Let us create a new national myth. Instead of monumentalised peasants and maidens trapped among idealised hills, living in sacred harmony with nature. I want to be a rooster in a painting by Andrej Dúbravský. A rooster caught in a cry, wings spread wide, neck stretched out, chest proudly raised, full of life and strength in the face of transience. 
Once again, Pohoda and Ilona Németh bring outstanding contemporary visual art to the festival—art that opens important conversations, inspires reflection and creates space for dialogue.
We look forward to seeing you at Pohoda 2026!