UNIZA has the ambition to present itself as a modern educational and internationally recognized science and research institution. To be the heart for people and students, to support their creative potential and education. Through better use of innovation potential for the development of the city, region, Slovakia and the European Union. UNIZA is a central point for students of all faculties. It has a unique geolocation, it is on a hill with panoramic views, immersed in the greenery near the forest park.

The work of art is a symbol of the dynamics of university life in changing time and space. The dynamics and movement of a person is represented by his heart, in the case of our university this liveliness in the figurative meaning of the word is represented by the work of art The Vibrant Heart of the University. It is the result of the intersection of a combination of infinite curves and shapes, which we name according to which side we look at it. Be it a turbine, sometimes a shell, sometimes a dolphin, or a heart as a whole.

The oversized sculptural work of the Vibrant Heart of the University is made of mirror-polished stainless steel and was ceremoniously unveiled last spring. It weighs 4,000 kg, measures 4 m and is the centre of University Square surrounded by a perfectly maintained green lawn. The work is made of the same material as the famous Cloud Gate of the world-famous artist Anisha Kapoor, which he placed in the Millennium Park in Chicago in 2006.

In Slovakia, it is not easy to present a work of art of international level in a public space. The University of Žilina succeeded, spending 200,000 Euros on it as part of the solution of the entire square in front of the University. The Vibrant Heart of the University expresses the dynamics and energy of the university environment. If this work of art and the space around it become a meeting place, it will fulfil its meaning and become "immortal".

The work of art is part of the UNIZA communication concept and brings a new visual identity to the University. The author of the work The Vibrant Heart of the University Bohuš Kubinský together with the graphic designer Matej Lacko also created a new UNIZA logo , which has been used since September 1, 2021. It ideologically follows the sculptural work The Vibrant Heart of the University.

The middle-generation sculptor and visual artist has been active on the Slovak and international scene since the early 1990s. He is the recipient of the J. Pollock Foundation New York Award (1997-1998). His works are represented in Slovak and foreign collections. He has participated in several international sculpture symposia in Italy, Germany and New Zealand. As a sculptor, he often reaches for the archaic sculptural material – stone, using traditional methods, but also the latest technologies – ELESKO – Fajdal 2006-2009.

Together with his wife, painter Monika Kubinská, they create generous spatial site - specific installations . STORY – Synagogue Trnava 1997, PRVNÍ LINIE – Dox Prague 2014, TO CACHE – At Home Gallery Synagogue Šamorín 2018, Kunstverein Passau 2019, Umeleckoprůmyslové museum Prague 2019, New Synagogue Žilina 2019-2020. Since 2000 the Assoc. prof. Mgr. Bohuš Kubinský has also been working as a university teacher at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of Slovak Technical University in Bratislava.

Photo: Miro Nôta

Person responsible for the content of the current subpage: Mgr. Adriana Valentovičová / tel.: +421 41 513 5129 / e-mail: adriana.valentovicova@uniza.sk