Faces of Tradition, A Slovak Cultural Journey in the Heart of Muscat

Under the soft gallery lights of the Omani Society of Arts, faces from another time and place look back at the viewer, serene, solemn, and quietly powerful. Adorned with intricate headpieces and delicate face paintings, they tell stories that stretch across centuries and borders. This is “Party in the 21st Century,” a traveling international exhibition that revives Slovakia’s traditional culture through a strikingly modern artistic lens.
The exhibition is a rare fusion of art and science, blending ethnographic research with contemporary portrait photography and face painting. At its heart are nearly extinct Slovak headbands and wreaths, historically worn by unmarried young women, symbols of identity, purity, and transition. What could have remained confined to museum archives is instead reborn here as a living, breathing visual experience.
The project, created by Slovak photographers Ľubomír Sabo and Zuzana Sénášiová in collaboration with ethnologist Katarína Sabová, features 40 high resolution photographic portraits of young women wearing traditional headpieces, accompanied by original samples of the accessories themselves. Each portrait is set against a hand painted acrylic background, echoing motifs from the specific village or region in Slovakia where the headpiece originates. The result is both intimate and expansive, a visual map of Slovak heritage rendered through faces and color.
As viewers move from one portrait to the next, history and modernity intertwine. The women’s expressions mirror the emotions traditionally associated with brides in Slovak culture, anticipation, pride, vulnerability, while the contemporary photographic style grounds the images firmly in the present. It is a quiet reminder that traditions do not disappear, they wait to be reinterpreted.
The exhibition’s opening in Muscat marks another stop in an impressive international journey. Previously shown in dozens of countries, including the United States, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, and South Korea, the exhibition arrives in Oman as part of a broader cultural dialogue between nations.
Speaking at the opening, H.E. Mr. Marek Eštok, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, emphasized the exhibition’s role in cultural diplomacy. Prepared by the Slovak Embassy in Cairo, accredited also to the Sultanate of Oman, in cooperation with the Omani Society of Arts, and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Oman, the exhibition coincides with political consultations between Slovakia and Oman at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers.

“This project aims to revive and promote Slovakia’s traditional culture and customs,” Eštok noted, highlighting how art can become a bridge between nations. By presenting cultural heritage in a contemporary form, the exhibition fosters mutual understanding and celebrates shared values, particularly the deep respect for tradition found in both Slovak and Omani societies.
For visitors, the experience is both educational and emotional. Walking through the gallery, Hanna Mustafa, one of the attendees, paused frequently before the portraits, drawn in by their quiet intensity. “I loved walking around the beautiful art pieces,” she said. “They were fascinating, and it was lovely to witness different cultures and a new international trend in art. The portraits were straightforward yet deeply moving.”
Her reaction echoes the exhibition’s broader impact. Without relying on spectacle, “Party in the 21st Century” invites viewers to slow down, to look closely, and to reflect on how identity is carried, on the head, on the face, and across generations.
Open to the public until 9 February 2026, the exhibition stands as a testament to the power of cultural exchange. In these faces from Slovakia, presented in the heart of Muscat, tradition finds new life, and art quietly fulfills its most enduring role, connecting people, across time, and across borders