We’re excited to introduce the artist for the Slovakia strand of Transitioning Landscapes: Rara Woulib will work with SYTEV in the Rajec Valley on the brief Paradoxes of water. The choice follows months of conversations on the ground and a September working meeting in Brussels. The brief centres on a stark, recent reality here: in the heat of 2022, stretches of the Rajčianka river ran dry, sharpening debate about extraction, responsibility and future planning.
Rara Woulib’s practice is rooted in meeting people where they are. The collective describes art as a pretext for encounter — a way to create links rather than an end in itself — and they’re known for site-responsive works that move between the festive and the politically attentive. Over time their focus has turned towards social questions and working with people who are often left out of cultural life. That attitude, and their ability to adapt commissions to local contexts, makes a strong match for a landscape where water is both lifeline and flashpoint.
The Rajec Valley brief asks for art that opens dialogue across viewpoints, connects scientific work to everyday experience, and handles corporate influence with nuance rather than slogans. It grows out of meetings with local groups and experts — from hydrologists and forest advocates to producers and park rangers — and reflects how quickly environmental issues here become political.
SYTEV will deliver the residency with long-time local partner Aktívny Park Rajec, a collaboration formalised for this project so activity runs with community knowledge at its core. It’s a grounding that will help the work stay practical, human and rooted in place.
What’s next. The residency steps unfold through 2025: a joint artistic lab in Dorset (UK) with the LAND artists in spring; on-site work in the valley leading to a public presentation in autumn 2025; and participation in the European Seminar in Slovakia later that season.
