KUD ART STAYS je na področju sodobne umetnosti ena najaktivnejših organizacij v Sloveniji. Že od leta 2003 poskušamo z Mednarodnim festivalom sodobne umetnosti Art Stays v najstarejšem slovenskem mestu ustvariti živahno mednarodno umetniško okolje in platformo za izmenjavo izkušenj, idej in mnenj o sodobni umetnosti. V okviru Art Stays so se v Sloveniji prvič predstavili umetniki, kot so Fernando Prats, Ivan Navarro, Yoko Ono, Leo Ferdinand Demetz, Regina Jose Galindo, Ilona Nemeth Elisa Rossi, Kensuke Koike, Angelo Volpe, Igor Molin, Raphael Di Luzio, Florian Langemaack, Tim Roeloffs, Marek Schovanek, Sissa Micheli, Peter Wehinger in mnogi drugi.

ART STAYS promovira, podpira in prikazuje dela tako mladih kot že uveljavljenih sodobnih umetnikov in pri tem zajema različne medije od slikarstva in kiparstva do videa, instalacije, fotografije in performansa. Zaradi močne podpore in uspešnega sodelovanja z mednarodno ekipo kustosov in mrežo evropskih zasebnih in javnih organizacij ima ART STAYS priložnost ponuditi širok spekter možnosti za predstavitev in osebno prisotnost številnih sodobnih umetnikov, hkrati pa deluje kot svojevrsten „laboratorij“ mlade sodobne umetnosti.
Naša strateška geografska pozicija v srcu Evrope, na stičišču Vzhoda in Zahoda, Severa in Juga, nam ponuja čudovito možnost, da vzpodbujamo in omogočamo kroženje umetniških del, umetnikov in raznolikih strokovnjakov za sodobno umetnost ter zbirateljev in predstavnikov različnih organizacij. S podobnim poslanstvom je v okviru naše organizacije leta 2006 nastal tudi razstavni prostor Galerija FO.VI, ki ima od 2010 nove prostore na Kidričevem v bližini Ptuja ter od letos tudi Razstavišče FO.VI2 v Mestnem gledališču na Ptuju.

ART STAYS ponuja program rezidenčne udeležbe in organizira vsakoletni Mednarodni festival sodobne umetnosti Art Stays, ki že od leta 2003 Ptuj vsako poletje za nekaj tednov spremeni v inkubator sodobne umetniške produkcije. Vsako leto se v okviru festivala predstavi široka panorama umetnikov, razstav in dogodkov, rodijo se novi projekti ter razvijajo mednarodna sodelovanja.

Do danes je na Mednarodnem festivalu sodobne umetnosti Art Stays sodelovalo preko 400 umetnikov iz 58 držav. Festival, ki sestoji iz dvotedenske mednarodne rezidenčne udeležbe za umetnike, strnjene vrste najrazličnejših dogodkov in predavanj ter mesec dni trajajočih razstav, je v lanskem letu obiskalo preko 25.000 ljudi – umetnikov, kustosov, zbirateljev, strokovnjakov in ljubiteljev umetnosti.

Festival Art Stays na Ptuju pomaga ustvarjati odprto in gostoljubno okolje za sodobno umetnost, kar je bilo v času, ko je Ptuj prevzel vlogo partnerskega mesta v projektu Evropska prestolnica kulture 2012, še posebej pomembno.


ART STAYS is one of the most active contemporary art institutions in Slovenia today. Since 2003, ART STAYS and its International Festival of Contemporary Art has played a leading role in bringing an international vibrancy to the city’s art scene, showing for the first time in Slovenia the works of artists such as Fernando Prats, Ivan Navarro, Yoko Ono, Leo Ferdinand Demetz, Regina Jose Galindo, Ilona Nemeth, Elisa Rossi, Kensuke Koike, Angelo Volpe, Igor Molin, Raphael Di Luzio, Florian Langemaack, Tim Roeloffs, Marek Schovanek, Sissa Micheli, Peter Wehinger and many others.

ART STAYS focuses on promoting, supporting and showcasing young and mid-career contemporary artists, covering various media such as painting, sculpture, video, installation, photography and performance. Thanks to the great support and collaboration with an international team of curators and a network of European public and private institutions, ART STAYS has the ability to offer a wide range of possibilities for exhibiting artists, functioning as a laboratory for young contemporary art.
Our strategic geographical position in the heart of Europe, between East and West, North and South, enables the circulation of international artists, artworks and emerging art positions and makes it comfortable for collectors and institutions to take part in its activities and support new projects. With the same intention, Gallery FO.VI, since 2010 with a new space in Kidričevo near Ptuj, was opened by ART STAYS in 2006 and from 2013 we run an exhibition space FO.VI2 in the City Theatre in Ptuj.

ART STAYS offers an artist in residence programme and organizes the International Festival of Contemporary Art, which has been the central visual art event in the region of Ptuj, Slovenia, since 2003. Each year a wide and representative international panorama of artists and contemporary visual art exhibitions and events paves the way for new projects and international collaborations.

More than 400 artists from 58 countries have participated in the Art Stays International Festival of Contemporary Art until today. The festival, which consists of an artist-in-residence programme for international artists, numerous events and lectures, as well as a group of month-long exhibitions, was visited by over 25.000 contemporary artists, curators, collectors, experts and art lovers in 2012

The festival's diversity guarantees a bright future for ART STAYS and the open-minded city itself, especially in a time when Ptuj iwasa partner town in the European Capital of Culture 2012 project.