FOR MAAT Brussels - Kristína Seidlová

YOUNG NATURALISTS’ STATION, 2025, photograph

Kristína Seidlová (b. 1996, Prešov) works with architectural and urban photography. Her projects explore the memory of place and the influence of architecture, education, and upbringing on individuals. She is a graduate of the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. She currently works as a teacher at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Trenčín.

The photograph from the series Young Naturalists’ Station documents an architectural complex built in the style of Socialist Realism, originally intended for educating socialist youth in the natural sciences. Although the complex has been declared a National Cultural Monument, it is undergoing gradual deterioration, raising questions about the protection and value of such monuments in Slovakia. At the same time, it opens a broader discussion about how society comes to terms with the architectural heritage of socialism. In 2025, the series received the Slovak Press Photo award in the Art and Culture category.

The Street Gallery FOR MAAT Brussels is realized in cooperation with the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Brussels, the Trenčín-based platform FOR MAAT, and Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture.

The project partner is BRIGHT.