Keď sa aktivizmus stáva umením. Page 8 – Michaela Guillaume: When Activism Becomes Art (exhibition, Banská Bystrica, Stredoslovenská galéria / Central Slovakian Gallery, 25.9. – 8.11.2015., curated by Roman Gajdoš)

Curator Roman Gajdoš opened the exhibition that presents Blažej Baláž and his activistic expressions in the land of engaged art. Blažej Baláž (1958) is known for his engagements in relations social, artistic or environmental. The crux of the exhibition lies in presenting the eco-environmental project MY WAY and other WART activities. The project was initiated by winning the dispute about the planned building of new commercial centre. Instead, Baláž started to activate and engage his neighborhood and planted 216 wood species on the ground of the city since 1984. Documentary photographs show the condition of the housing estate then and now. The changes couldn´t happen without the community (or Baláž ) remaining engaged and active, mainly in discussion and communication with the administrative authority. The project MY WAY is complemented by various WART activities: performances, petitions, appeals and open letters, by which the painter tries to preserve academic and artistic values in our state. One of the most crucial charecteristic of  Baláž ´s work is certainly his intense social engagement, ethical and ecological aspect. He creates an active relationship with his environment, that he tries to improve and wants to reasonably decide about it as well. The result of such a dialogue and consensus is the creation of new environment, that directly affects living organisms around.