# How to Change a City with Art | Zuzana Pacáková | TEDxHumenné Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIetdTaA_IM Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/oIetdTaA_IM Generated: 2026-03-05T17:35:00.587+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The speaker, Zuzana Pacáková, discusses the challenges and successes of revitalizing public spaces in Košice and Bratislava through large-scale art installations, highlighting the powerful, often emotionally charged, community responses to these interventions, especially during difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. **Key Points:** - The speaker moved to Paris 20 years ago and returned to Slovakia, where she encountered a cultural shock and struggled with the functioning of the city and the rhythm of life compared to Paris. - A major project involved illuminating the Slovak National Bank building in Bratislava, which required overcoming significant financial and technical hurdles. - During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team adapted by creating an outdoor installation in a Košice park—a cloud made of white balloons—to bring culture to the public. - The team also created an installation in a Bratislava square featuring two giant, colorful, inflatable sculptures, which generated significant public engagement. - The speaker emphasizes that the success of these public art projects lies in their ability to create powerful, shared emotional experiences and dialogue, sometimes sparking difficult conversations. - The speaker mentions collaborating with digital artist Marek Hvorecký and a choreographer for synchronized, large-scale art performances, such as illuminating a bridge with lasers. - The final image shown is a scoreboard from a primary school test asking students to name three Slovak public holidays, where the student incorrectly listed holidays like 'Easter' and 'Easter' again, illustrating a disconnect from local cultural knowledge. ![Screenshot at 04:09: A large, illuminated, prone inflatable figure draws a large crowd in a public square at night, illustrating the massive public engagement generated by one of the speaker's installations.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oIetdTaA_IM/00-04-09.jpg) **Context:** Zuzana Pacáková presents her work in bringing large-scale, often technologically complex, art installations to public spaces in Slovak cities like Košice and Bratislava. Her presentation focuses on how these interventions—ranging from light installations on buildings to massive inflatable sculptures in squares—impact the community, especially when executed during challenging geopolitical or social contexts such as the pandemic or the war in Ukraine. She reflects on the process, the challenges faced with funding and logistics, and the profound, sometimes unsettling, emotional reactions these public artworks elicit. ## Detailed Analysis Zuzana Pacáková recounts her journey back to Slovakia after living in Paris, noting the initial cultural shock. She details her work in public art and revitalization projects, focusing on overcoming logistical and financial challenges to realize ambitious visions. A key project involved lighting up the Slovak National Bank building in Bratislava with lasers, which was technically and financially complex. During the pandemic, her team pivoted to outdoor, accessible art, like the balloon cloud installation in Košice, to keep culture alive for people who couldn't attend indoor events. She also showcased the installation of two giant, colorful inflatable sculptures in a Bratislava square, which fostered strong community interaction. Pacáková stresses that the value of these projects lies not just in their aesthetic appeal but in their power to create shared, emotional experiences, even if those experiences spark difficult conversations about politics or identity. She contrasts the highly visible, large-scale projects with smaller, more intimate 'underground' works, like the performance art piece by Marek Hvorecký and Zuzana Husárová featuring a digitally enhanced dance performance on a football field. The presentation concludes by showing a primary school test asking for three Slovak public holidays, where the student's incorrect answers suggest a possible disconnect from deeply rooted national cultural knowledge, contrasting with the success of her inclusive, large-scale public art initiatives. ### Early Experiences and Challenges - Moved back from Paris after 20 years, experienced cultural shock - Faced significant financial and technical hurdles for projects like illuminating the Slovak National Bank building in Bratislava. ### COVID-19 Adaptations - Created the 'balloon cloud' installation in a Košice park to bring culture outdoors during lockdowns - Executed a major outdoor installation in a Bratislava square with large inflatable sculptures. ### Impact of Public Art - Installations spark powerful, often contradictory, public dialogue and emotion - The art must be relevant to current social and political issues (e.g., the war, LGBTQ+ issues). ### Specific Projects Showcased - Laser light show on a high-rise construction site in Bratislava - The 'Aqua Bell' synchronized performance involving 20 dancers, which was both technically demanding and politically charged. ### The Role of the Artist - Discusses the responsibility to engage with difficult topics and create art that sparks necessary dialogue, even if it provokes negativity or criticism. ### Concluding Reflection - Shows a primary school test asking for three Slovak holidays, noting that the student's answers (incorrectly listing Easter multiple times) suggest a potential cultural knowledge gap, contrasting with the success of their public art in fostering community engagement. ![Screenshot at 00:04: Introduction slide for TEDxHumenne event featuring abstract graphic elements and the word "Humenne".](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oIetdTaA_IM/00-00-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:19: A close-up shot of a hand reaching up towards numerous white, translucent balloons hanging overhead, illustrating an art installation described by the speaker.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oIetdTaA_IM/00-00-19.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:34: A wide shot of the audience gathered under a large, cloud-like installation made of white balloons, representing a public art intervention.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oIetdTaA_IM/00-01-34.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:37: A night-time shot of a tall building under construction illuminated by multiple colored laser beams emanating from the top.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oIetdTaA_IM/00-03-37.jpg) ![Screenshot at 17:49: A dark, atmospheric shot of a crowd gathered around a large, brightly colored, dome-shaped installation with abstract art, illustrating an outdoor festival event.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/oIetdTaA_IM/00-17-49.jpg)