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Ukraine’s National Museum of Decorative Arts Reflects on Memory, Community, and War

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For their first Slow Art Day, the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine hosted a deeply reflective session centered on memory, community and war via the series “Meals” by Ukrainian artist Olena Pryduvalova.

The featured works, “Beginning of the Buffet” and “Festive Dinner” (2019, acrylic on canvas), explore the emotional significance of gathering around food and shared meals. Pryduvalova originally created the Meals series while reading the book “Yes, but…” by Ukrainian writer Taras Prokhasko. Rather than illustrating the text directly, the artist used the reading experience as a catalyst for reflection, allowing the works to emerge from months of personal memories and contemplation.

Olena Pryduvalova. Festive Dinner, Series Meals. 2019. Canvas, acrylic.
Olena Pryduvalova. Beginning of the Buffet, Series Meals. 2019. Canvas, acrylic.

According to Pryduvalova, the series explores what unites people and what remains in memory over time: moments of gathering, conversation, and shared meals that mark both joyful and difficult experiences. The ten paintings in the series depict a range of occasions, including weddings, buffets, festive dinners, memorial meals, and quiet conversations between two people.

The diptych shown for Slow Art Day captures two distinct moments within this theme. “Beginning of the Buffet” depicts a quiet scene before guests arrive, when the table is prepared and anticipation fills the air. In contrast, “Festive Dinner” celebrates the joy of coming together.

During the Slow Art Day session on April 5, museum visitors were invited to spend time carefully observing the works and then share their reflections. The discussion soon moved beyond the paintings themselves and into the personal experiences of participants.

Visitors spoke openly about how life in Ukraine has changed in recent years following the Russian invasion. The conversation turned to the meaning of family gatherings and how precious shared meals have become during the war. Participants reflected on how moments around a table—sometimes joyful, sometimes sorrowful—continue to bring people together and strengthen community.

Through these conversations, the artworks became a catalyst for dialogue about memory, resilience, and human connection.

We at Slow Art Day HQ are deeply grateful to the team at the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Ukraine for sharing this moving program and for demonstrating the power of art and slow looking even — and especially — during wartime.

We look forward to what they come up with for this year’s Slow Art Day, which is coming up on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. – Follow them on Facebook and Instagram

P.P.S. If you have not yet registered your museum of gallery for Slow Art Day 2026, please do.

Meditation, Tea, and Slow Looking at Frederiksbergmuseerne in Denmark

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For Slow Art Day 2025, Frederiksbergmuseerne in Frederiksberg, Denmark invited participants to step into a slower rhythm of being through a sensory-rich morning program at Bakkehuset (one of four museums) centered on art, presence, and reflection. The program gently guided visitors toward deeper awareness, encouraging attentiveness to both inner experience and artistic detail.

One key artwork from the day: The Como Lake with Villa Plinia in the Background by artist H. Hess, 1795; photo taken by Siw Aldershvile Nielsen of the Frederiksbergmuseerne.

The day began with a softly guided morning meditation, held in the atmospheric rooms of Bakkehuset, where light and shadow played across historic interiors. This session opened the senses and prepared participants for a mindful encounter with art and environment.

Slow Art Day participants beginning the day with meditation; photo taken by Siw Aldershvile Nielsen of the Frederiksbergmuseerne.

Next, guests took part in a tea experience that activated taste, smell, and touch — deepening sensory awareness and setting a calm, attentive tone. While briefly introduced to the cultural background of Matcha, the focus remained on being fully present with the experience.

Tea experience; photo taken by Siw Aldershvile Nielsen of the Frederiksbergmuseerne.

The morning culminated in a session of Slow Looking and creative reflection, where participants engaged deeply with the museum’s art and design elements. In a quiet, unhurried atmosphere, they explored visual details and textures, allowing time for intuitive insights and personal resonance. The experience was extended through writing exercises that captured impressions, emotions, and thoughts stirred by the art.

Each element of the program supported the others, with sensory openness cultivated in the meditation and tea experience enriching the final artistic encounter. The day as a whole emphasized slowness as a method for connecting more profoundly with both art and oneself.

Frederiksbergmuseerne’s contribution to Slow Art Day was also part of a national phenomenological slow looking research project, “From Challenge to Opportunity.” This initiative explores how Slow Looking can promote well-being and deeper cultural engagement.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we especially appreciate Frederiksbergmuseerne’s thoughtful integration of meditation, tea, and reflection. Programs like this show how slow looking can engage multiple senses and deepen the experience of art.

We look forward to seeing what Frederiksbergmuseerne comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

Eighth Slow Art Day at Habitat for the Arts, Jasper, Alberta, Canada

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On April 5, 2025, Habitat for the Arts in Jasper, Alberta, Canada hosted another meaningful Slow Art Day at the Jasper Museum, continuing a tradition they have explored over eight years. Each year is different, and this year’s gathering centered on heritage photography and the way art captures and stills time.

The focus of the day was a photography exhibition featuring the work of Harry Rowed — images of people and places in Jasper National Park from the 1940s through the 1960s. The black-and-white still images offered participants a window into earlier generations, inviting them to consider memory, place, and continuity.

The morning program began with a dedicated half hour of slow viewing inside the exhibition. Participants were given a small piece of paper to carry with them as they moved through the gallery. They were invited to reflect on a simple but powerful question: Which image captured you? Which image made you stop and truly spend time with it?

After the quiet viewing period, guests gathered for tea and cookies — and even chocolate — creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for conversation. The structure of the hour allowed for both solitude and shared reflection. The museum space, with comfortable seating placed among the historic images, encouraged visitors to linger.

Photography proved to be an especially fitting medium for Slow Art Day. As Habitat for the Arts shared, still images are perfect for capturing a piece of time. The photographs of Harry Rowed moved beyond documentation into storytelling. They carried gestures, landscapes, family groupings, and expressions that bridged generations.

Two reflections stood out from the discussion.

One participant shared, “It struck me witnessing the ties of family and how the love of nature and exploration crossed generations.”

Another reflected, “There is something so exact and familiar in spending time with the person in the photo. You feel almost as if you might know them, or have met them somewhere before despite the division of time.”

According to the Habitat for the Arts team, these responses captured the essence of the day.

We are grateful to Habitat for the Arts for continuing to celebrate Slow Art Day in Jasper and look forward to what they come up with for 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

African Art and Haiku in South Africa

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For their eighth Slow Art Day, Artichoke Gallery at MelonRouge in Magaliesburg, South Africa invited visitors to slow down with art and poetry at an interactive morning titled “Afriku: Slow Visions & Whispered Words.” The event paired slow looking at a curated selection of African artworks with a hands-on Japanese haiku writing workshop led by gallery owner Hannelie Sanders.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, participants gathered in the gallery’s contemplative space to begin their slow looking experience. The exhibition offered a rich range of African art — from textured mixed-media works and figurative compositions to abstract pieces that emphasize line, pattern, and gesture. The diversity of the artworks created varied visual rhythms: some pieces invited attention to bold color and dynamic shapes; others unfolded quietly, revealing depth and nuance through closer observation.

As participants slowed down with individual works, they were encouraged to engage with formal elements such as surface texture, mark making, and spatial relationships, and with the emotional presence each piece carried. These visual qualities provided fertile ground for deep attention, allowing slow lookers to connect more intimately with what they saw.

After an initial period of quiet observation, Hannelie Sanders introduced the basics of Japanese haiku. Participants were then invited to translate what they noticed in the art into their own three-line poems, using mood, imagery, and sensory detail as inspiration. The morning’s workshop emphasized presence, patience, and creative response, encouraging people to let what they saw inform what they wrote.

Following the haiku writing, the group shared reflections over a light lunch. Many spoke of how slowing down shifted their perception, helping them notice details and relationships within the artworks that might otherwise go unseen. In a further celebration of creative engagement, the haiku poems crafted during the session were displayed alongside the exhibition for the remainder of its run through May 4, allowing poetry and visual art to exist side by side.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we appreciate how Afriku wove visual art with poetry (and lunch!) into the slow looking experience. We love that participants’ poems became part of the exhibition itself.

We look forward to seeing what Artichoke Gallery at MelonRouge comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Follow them on Facebook

Mindfulness, Music, and Morning Stillness at Caloundra Regional Gallery in Australia

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For their fourth Slow Art Day, Caloundra Regional Gallery in Australia thoughtfully expanded their event format by introducing guided mindfulness activities to help participants truly slow down before engaging with the art.

Held from 8 – 10am (before regular gallery opening hours), 34 attendees gathered for a guided breathing exercise to help get settled into the experience, soften their gaze, and prepare to look deeply and intentionally.

Using a specially designed worksheet (you can find it below), attendees then spent 8–10 minutes with four selected artworks, plus one artwork of their own choosing.

Featured works included:

  • Peter Harris | Jar | c.1992–3
  • Johanna DeMaine | Bottle | c.1980s
  • Peter Hudson | Girraween After Dark | 2022–23
  • Amanda Western | Country Lane | 2023
  • Miranda Skoczek | Untitled (impala) | 2012
Peter Harris Jar c.1992-3.
Johanna de Maine Bottle c.1980s.
Peter Hudson | Girraween After Dark | 2022-23.
Amanda Western | Country Lane | 2023.
Miranda Skoczek | Untitled (impala) | 2012

The worksheet prompted participants to observe carefully, reflect on emotions, imagine stepping into the scenes, and even sketch details they noticed. As outlined in the worksheet, there was “no right or wrong way to look at art”, just an invitation to notice, feel, and reflect.

Slow Art Day 2025 – WorksheetDownload

After the viewing sessions, guests enjoyed home-baked refreshments and fresh fruit platters generously provided by the Friends of the Gallery. A mindful tea-drinking exercise encouraged participants to extend the slow experience beyond the artwork and into everyday sensory awareness.

Adding to the atmosphere, local musicians Graham and Rowena provided harp and guitar music throughout the morning.

Musicians Graham and Rowena.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing appreciation for the quiet early-morning setting and the structured yet personal format of the experience.

A heartfelt thank you to Senior Learning and Engagement Officer Jenny Jones, the Caloundra Regional Gallery team, the Friends of the Gallery, and the talented musicians for creating such a thoughtful Slow Art Day.

We look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. View them on Instagram and Facebook.

Slow Art Club Visits De Iorio Collection in Verona

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To celebrate Slow Art Day 2025, the Slow Art Club in Italy organized a special visit to the De Iorio Collection in Verona — one of the largest private contemporary art collections in Italy, with more than 700 works by artists from around the world.

The collection is displayed across several exhibition venues, including a striking former sawmill in Verona that has been thoughtfully renovated by the collector, Mauro De Iorio. The visit was reserved exclusively for the Slow Art Club.

The event began with a presentation by De Iorio, who spoke passionately about his motivations for collecting. He shared that his primary criterion when selecting artworks is their emotional impact, along with a shared interest with artists in social and psychological themes — an approach that closely aligns with the ethos of Slow Art Day, which centers on deep, intentional engagement with art.

Mauro De Iorio talks with Slow Art Day participants

Following the introduction, the experience unfolded in two parts: first, individual slow observation of selected artworks; then small-group discussions where attendees shared reflections and insights. The works chosen for the Slow Art experience were all created by female artists and reflected the collector’s personal interests.

Here are some of the artworks they slowly viewed:

Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Full Fathom Thy Father Lies nothing of him that doth fade, but doth suffer
a seachange, into something rich and strange, 2023, oil on linen and mixed media.
Miriam Cahn, o.t. 17.8.13, 2013, oil on canvas
Danica Lundy, I like the boys and the boys like me, 2023, oil on canvas
Xinyi Cheng, Incroyable (Monroe), 2019, oil on canvas

As is tradition, the group concluded the Slow Art event with a lovely lunch shared by all.

The Slow Art Club in Rovereto, Italy, founded by Piero Consolati, promotes slow-looking with events at different museums and collections across Italy.

Piero tells us that news about the Slow Art Club continues to spread far and wide across Italy and that, for example, one new member traveled 500 kilometers to participate in the 2025 event.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we celebrate the Slow Art Club of Italy, hope more Slow Art Clubs spring up around the world, and look forward to seeing what Piero Consolati and the club comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

— Jessica Jane, Ashley and Phyl

Art, Performance, and Community in Alkiza, Spain

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For their 10th Slow Art Day, Ur mara Museoa in Alkiza, Spain, hosted a gathering that combined exhibition, performance, and a shared meal in a single, community-centered experience.

The event featured an exhibition by artists Ruth Anne Lopez, Amaia Conde, and Ainhoa Apezteguia, alongside a live performance by Leire Ugalde.

They put together a terrific video summary of the full day, which you can watch below.

Highlights included:

– A poetic reflection on touch and memory (0:59-2:08), using the metaphor of raindrops to explore how we interact with and preserve moments.

– An artistic piece focusing on skies and images (2:18-2:38), highlighting how images can capture what life cannot.

– An interview with artist Amaya Condechirt (2:51-3:36), who discusses her passion for wood carving and how her sculptures (3:03-3:18) explore the human form and complex life themes to bridge communication gaps in society.

– A sculptural work featuring older individuals and children (3:37-3:47), with one child breaking the fourth wall to question what they are being told, adding a touch of adolescent humor (3:48-3:56).

– A brief moment of reflection on new ideas and connections (4:41-4:50).

In addition, here are some still photos of the event.

As always with Ur Mara Museo, slow food was a part of the full day experience.

Thus, following the exhibition opening and performance, the museum organized a community lunch that brought together artists and visitors. The day as a whole reflected Ur mara Museoa’s mission, which we love, to connect contemporary artistic practice with local community life.

Below is their flyer for the event.

https://28kanala.tok-md.com/argazkiak/Gwx/cache/urmara_aprilak_5_tokikom_700x700.jpg

The museum shared documentation of the day through its social media channels, capturing both the exhibition and the collective atmosphere of the event.

We thank the team at Ur mara Museoa for their dedicated 10 years of leadership in the Slow Art Day movement. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Follow Ur mara Museoa on Instagram

Meditations on A.I. in Vänersborg, Sweden

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For Slow Art Day 2025, Vänersborgs konsthall in Vänersborg, Sweden, hosted a guided slow-looking event centered on the exhibition A.I. vs Själen (A.I. vs the Soul). The program combined meditation, independent observation, and group dialogue in a focused gallery setting.

Participants engaging in slow looking and discussion during Slow Art Day at Vänersborgs konsthall. Photo courtesy of Vänersborgs konsthall.

Selected artworks were chosen by participants from two designated walls within the exhibition A.I. vs Själen (A.I vs the Soul)

Eleven participants took part in the free event. The session began with a short introduction to slow looking as a practice, followed by a guided meditation designed to help participants settle into the experience. From there, facilitators offered simple, structured prompts to support a 10-minute slow looking exercise. Participants then gathered to share reflections and discuss their thoughts. Conversations focused on perception, attention, and how the themes of technology, AI, and the human soul emerged through extended looking.

Following the discussion, the gallery invited participants to continue the conversation over a traditional Swedish fika, offering coffee and biscuits in a relaxed social setting.

Poster for the event.

We thank Hanna Tobiasson, Cultural Coordinator at Vänersborgs konsthall, for creating a Slow Art Day experience that thoughtfully engaged questions around technology and its growing influence on how art is created, perceived, and discussed today. We look forward to seeing what the team at Vänersborgs konsthall comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Follow Vänersborgs konsthall on Facebook.

From Canvas to Table: Slow Art and Slow Food at The Mart

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For their 5th Slow Art Day, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (The Mart), Italy, organized an event in collaboration with a local Slow Food collective, an association committed to restoring value to food – respecting those who produce it in harmony with the environment and ecosystems – while enhancing the knowledge preserved by local territories and traditions.

This is the second collaboration between The Mart and Slow Food, with the first occurring during their 2023 Slow Art Day. For this event, five local producers focused on cheese, chili, preserves, wine and baked goods.

For the 2025 event planning, the Slow Food producers were invited a week earlier to look slowly at the two works of art selected for Slow Art Day. Afterwards, they were asked to associate one of their food products with each work they had just observed – so cool.

Two of the local producers observing and discussing “Gianfilippo Usellini, Il Carnevale dei poveri, 1941”

On the day of the event, twenty “Amici del Mart” (Friends of The Mart who are enrolled in The Mart’s Membership program) repeated the slow looking experience with the same art works, taking time to observe them on their own before group discussions.

They were then divided into five groups, each with some “veteran slow lookers” as well as first-time participants. The groups discussed the works and assigned scores from 0 to 5 against emotions and aesthetics connected to the pieces (prompted by the question “Would you put this work in your home?”).

Friends of The Mart (Amici del Mart) sharing their opinions on “Piero Dorazio, Senza titolo, 1974”

Afterwards, participants enjoyed a tasting with the five local producers, who paired food with the artworks based on color, atmosphere and emotions evoked. During that tasting, the producers shared the story behind their pairing choices, offering a personal and creative look at the link between the artworks and food. What a great design.

All the Amici and the producers (almost) ready to start the tasting experience

The event proved to be a wonderful way to bring food and art together, while giving visibility to local food producers.

We at Slow Art Day HQ have always believed that Slow Food and Slow Art belong together and love what The Mart is doing to lead the way. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Jessica Jane, Ashley, Johanna, and Phyl

P.S. Explore The Mart on their Facebook and Instagram.

Slow Art Day 2025 at Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach

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The Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach, California, celebrated Slow Art Day on April 5, 2025, as part of their three-day Spring Fling pop-up show. The event was organized by host and artist Hedy Buzan, a founding host of Slow Art Day – and a longtime artist-presenter at the Sawdust.

Featured Works:

  • Sager-fired ceramic vessel
  • Stoneware cylinder
  • Two photographs
  • Bronze and enameled dragonfly sculpture
  • Watercolor painting of a neon sign and building
  • Two acrylic paintings
  • Two blown glass artworks

Participants gathered around the counter in Studio One, enjoying coffee during the morning session and wine during the afternoon gathering. Each session began with Hedy Buzan introducing five artworks by different artist, briefly discussing how each was made. Participants chose objects to closely observe in silence for five minutes, guided by the below prompts encouraging reflection on elements such as line, shape, texture, and personal emotional responses.

Slow art Day 2025 PromptsDownload

After individual reflection, attendees exchanged their objects, shifting between two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, allowing everyone to engage with a diverse range of artistic forms. This exchange was followed by a lively group discussion, facilitated by Hedy, who guided conversations by offering positive feedback and insights.

Participants engaging in lively discussion at Studio One. Photo courtesy of Hedy Buzan.

We express heartfelt thanks to Hedy Buzan and the entire Sawdust Art Festival team for their thoughtful planning and enthusiastic facilitation of Slow Art Day 2025. We look forward to what Hedy comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Stay connected with Sawdust Art Festival via their Facebook page and Instagram.