Press

"Kontakt": dialog-platform of Erste Bank-Group promotes cultural infrastructure in Central- and Eastern Europe

The art collection "Kontakt" which is presented as from March 16th 2006 in the MUMOK Vienna and in Bratislava is part of "Kontakt. The Program for the Arts and Civil Society of Erste Bank-Group in Central Europe." Kontakt has the objective to bring people in Central and Eastern Europe together and enables and supports cultural and social projects in the region since 2004.

The art collection „Kontakt“ which is presented as from March 16th 2006 in the MUMOK Vienna and in Bratislava is part of „Kontakt. The Program for the Arts and Civil Society of Erste Bank-Group in Central Europe.” Kontakt has the objective to bring people in Central and Eastern Europe together and enables and supports cultural and social projects in the region since 2004.

„Today, Erste Bank-Group is one of the largest companies in Central Europe with more than 15 million customers in seven countries from the Czech Republic to Romania. This, for us, implies a feeling of responsibility, which we live up to through ´Kontakt. The Program for the Arts and Civil Society in Central Europe´“, explains Boris Marte, Head of Corporate Sponsoring at Erste Bank and Initiator of Kontakt. „We want to make a contribution to the development of an independent cultural infrastructure in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and create more public awareness for the art production and producers in this region.“

The core initiative for this objective of Kontakt is the platform „tranzit“, which was established by Erste Bank already in 2002: This program is managed by independent tranzit „offices“ in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria and generates opportunities for artists, curators and theorists to work out creative strategies for new developments in arts and society. Tranzit is the first initiative which has established structures for communication across national borders, disciplines and generations in the cultural field in Central Europe. Instead of institutions, Tranzit stands for supporting individuals, as well as small-scale undertakings with potential to significantly contribute to local and international contexts.

Tranzit (conceived by the curators Mária Hlavajová and Kathrin Rhomberg) is a flexible initiative based on our firm believes that ongoing transformations in contemporary society and art need response in a form of strong visions. The fact that many works of art from Central and Eastern Europe are shown for the first time in public as part of the art collection of Erste Bank-Group is an impressive result of the work of tranzit since its foundation.

Since ist foundation in April 2004 Kontakt has become a diverse platform for art, culture and civil society in Central Europe. Kontakt´s core communication tool is the website www.kontakt.erstebankgroup.net, an extensive research tool for the art, culture, education and social field in the region. An electronic newsletter informs regularily on the most interesting developments in these areas. Subscription under:
http://www.kontakt.erstebankgroup.net/magazines/newsletter.

In cooperation with a network of young correspondents Kontakt also produces the printed magazin “Report” three times a year, covering the topics fine arts, film, music and society in Central Europe. Among many other topics, the current issue provides a focus on art and identity in the 60ies and 70ies in – former – Czechoslovakia. Order free of charge under: kontakt@kontakt.erstebankgroup.net.