Andy Warhol Museum, Slovakia

Medzilaborce. It just trips off the tongue, doesn’t it? And, of course, you’ve all heard of it, right?

Well, just on the off-chance that you haven’t, Medzilaborce is home to the Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art. Fair dues to him, it was His Lordship who stumbled upon mention of this little-known town with its museum dedicated to this well-known artist. It was frankly the last thing he expected to find in this neck of the woods.

So what on earth is this museum doing in the middle of nowhere? And, believe me, if you’re looking for the middle of nowhere, Medzilaborce fits the bill nicely. A town of fewer than 7,000 inhabitants, it is located in the north-eastern corner of Slovakia, close to the Polish and Ukrainian borders and almost 500 kilometres from Bratislava. The link to the world-famous pop artist is the fact that his parents came from the area, emigrating in 1913 to Pittsburgh. It was there that their youngest son, Andrej Warhola (he later dropped the last ‘a’), was born. Andy Warhol never visited Slovakia, but his brother came here several times, lending his support to the foundation of the museum which finally opened in 1991, four years after Andy’s death.

I’ve said it before. I’m no culture vulture, but I found this museum both impressive and fascinating. For a start, outside of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, it holds the largest collection of his works worldwide. In the main exhibition hall of over 160 original pieces, it is soon obvious that there is a lot more to Andy Warhol’s works than his iconic Campbell’s soup cans, Marilyn Monroe screen prints and Brillo Pad cartons. There are also permanent exhibits of the works of other famous pop artists, including Roy Lichtenstein. A real treat for fans of the genre. I can’t say I understand it, but it certainly is colourful!

I’m a curious old bird, so I was also fascinated by the exhibits and videos covering the life of the artist and the influence of his family’s origins on him and his work. Andy was inspired by his mother’s drawings and handwriting, for example. I was also surprised to learn that the famous man was actually very shy and self-conscious. So much so, that he deliberately set about creating a persona for himself which he marketed as strongly as he did his work. Perhaps I should take a leaf from his book. I quite fancy the idea of turning myself into ‘famous Seamus’.

Even if it’s only for 15 minutes.

After our museum visit, the Oldies naturally took the opportunity to have a poke around Medzilaborce itself. Alongside the typical features of an eastern Slovakian town – its Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches, apartment blocks and administrative buildings – the Andy Warhol theme pops up again and again. The Campbell’s soup can bus stop outside the museum, an Andy Warhol mural down a side street (off Andy Warhola Street), the guesthouse, Penzion Andy. This small country town has reinvented itself as Warhol City. And, sure, why not? It’s quite an Andy Warhol thing to do.

One thing I’ve noticed about this country: the Slovaks don’t seem to be afraid of a bit of colour. Medzilaborce is no exception. In fact, it is a riot of colour. It’s a pity that Andy Warhol never made it here himself. I think he would have approved.