MAGDALÉNA ROBINSONOVÁ (1949 – 1961)

… I first became aware of Magdaléna Robinsonová’s photographs in the peculiar atmosphere of being “at the threshold between two eras,” in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The “golden” sixties were just around the corner, heralding truly significant shifts and transformations in Slovak visual art. A turning point came in the mid-1950s, and by the second half of the decade we had returned to the avant-garde. But what mattered was from which side of a truly significant artistic expression we managed to approach it. The renewed turn towards Surrealism was particularly important. That was where I became aware of her work. That is where her Scarecrows belong. They resonated with it… … Magdaléna Robinsonová was a socially conscious person. In her “travel” series (Israel, Italian Notebook), we can sense a connection with Neorealism (whose left-wing perspective and depiction of poverty can be quite harsh), yet she seemed to “glide into” these subjects with admiration for their atmosphere and traditions. Her photographs reveal a sensitivity and an ability to capture the essence, to create universal images, and to portray issues that remain relevant and alive. She brings together civilism and everyday life, overlaid with poetry, into a universally resonant metaphysical dimension… (from an interview with Juraj Mojžiš, August 2026)