The First Museum of Intermedia is a long-term exposition of artworks selected from the collection of intermedia of the Museum of Art Žilina (particularly objects, installations and media art including videoinstallations and autonomus videos). Furthermore, it is also the first long-term exposition specializing in intermedia in Slovakia, presenting fine art after 1989. The word “museum” in the title is more or less paradoxical since the traditional type of exposition in our context still evokes a certain process of conservation and a model of stopping. This can be contrary to the nature of intermedia art, which is non-static in terms of its hybrid nature, and its integrity extends into other media (compared to traditional media, particularly painting, sculpture, drawing, and graphics) or bears basic attributes of media art, which is generative, but also of video art defined by the passing time. That is one of the reasons the content of the exhibition varies in specified intervals. The collection of the Museum of Art Žilina mostly comprises static intermedia (objects and installations), and media art including videoinstallations and autonomous videos. The smallest part consists of conceptual artworks. Due to the methodology exercised in the nineties, this segment of the collections was labelled as intermedia art in the beginning of its building (in 1992). This term is used in the acquisition practice of the Musem of Art Žilina to this day.

The Museum of Art Žilina, the first of the museums of art operating in the region (also in Slovakia in 90´s), established the collection of intermedia, following a primary effort to preserve the artworks created in the nineties, documenting and depositing them through a specific methodology that was quite challenging for a regional museum of art and its possibilities. The birth and existence of the intermedia collection of the museum are strongly related to the work of Katarína Rusnáková (director of the Museum of Art Žilina between 1992 and 1997) and Radislav Matuštík (chief curator of the museum between 1992 and 1996). Even today – the decision to create the collection is seen as a great leap.

During the first five years of its operation (1992 – 1997) – the core period in terms of the volume of collected works – The Museum of art was able to build a collection of intermedia art of an exceptional extent. Since 2006 it is continuously updated with the works of other authors to include pieces that represent the different forms and peculiarities of intermedia and media art in the new millenium. Today, this acquisition strategy allows for creating not only collections of such forms of art but also their arrangement in different thematic wholes.

A thematic construct appears to be an ideal model for The First Museum of Intermedia. The form of the exhibited artworks is predetermined (intermedia including objects, installations, ready-mades, and various types of media art), and generally represent the model of neo-conceptual art and its variations after 1989. Thus, it reflects the lines and discourses of contemporary art with the aim to highlight their interconnectedness through the works of the nineties and the new millennium, as well as to (at least briefly) outline the development and different transformations of their perception by the authors. The intent to present the works from the intermedia collections is thematically supported by the area of the exposition, which, given the nature of the exhibited works (often larger pieces), is substantially limiting.

The works in the exposition are the part from art collection administrated by Museum of Art in Žilina (founder Žilina self – governing region)

Supported using public founding by Slovak Arts Council