Stano Filko (1937–2015) belongs to a strong generation of Slovak conceptualists whose work is held in high regard on the international art scene. Beginning with the 1960s, Filko gradually became a respected authority and both his solo and group projects attracted significant attention among the public. His works are characterised by a fresh and diverse artistic expression. His emigration to West Germany in 1981 became an important turning point in both his life and his art. In the following year at Documenta 7 in Kassel he was approached by several gallerists; however, he did not accept their offers and left for New York later that year.
The exhibited works from the late 1970s and early 1980s were purchased from an American gallery owner whose interest in Filko’s work considerably helped the émigré artist. As a language of gestures began to resonate on the international visual arts scene (as exemplified by the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat), it also significantly influenced Filko’s art. The exhibited artworks all feature common elements of identity subversion and melancholy retrospection while also frequently focusing on themes of family and homeland. Furthermore, compositions expanding on Filko’s famous White Space in a White Space project are likewise of considerable interest.