Eyes of Memories

Originals of illustrations from the collections provided by JUDr. Dušan Roll, one of the founders of BIB.

At this exhibition we will introduce a part of artistic artefacts like paintings, illustrations, drawings and graphics belonging to Dr Dušan Roll´s collection made of personal presents that he has been given by different artists from all over the world since his beginning at the BIENNIAL OF ILLUSTRATIONS BRATISLAVA (BIB).  

Dr Dušan Roll is one of the founders of BIB. The idea to establish BIB was born in the 60s of the last century when we lived behind the Iron Curtain and it was not possible to travel freely into the world. The main idea was - if we cannot travel, let us invite illustrators from the whole world to us to compare the level of published illustrated books for children here in Slovakia with those from abroad. At the end of the year 1965, the International Preparation Committee approved the Memorandum organizing BIB. After elaborating the basic documents like BIB Organizational Order and BIB Statute and after organizing the preliminary year of BIB in 1965, the first year of BIB was organized in 1967, in which 319 illustrators from 25 countries took part. Step by step BIB started becoming a prestigious international competition of illustrations and it started cooperating with UNESCO, IBBY as well as with libraries in Wienna and Munich. BIB also started cooperating with the Children´s Book Fair in Bologna. Dr Dušan Roll has actively taken part in all years of BIB. At the end of the 80s of the last century he was even the president of IBBY and visited dozens of countries. He has contributed to the promotion of children´s illustration and BIB in the whole world. During organizing more than 25 years of BIB, Dr Dušan Roll has been given a lot of personal artistic presents by artists from the whole world and he has decided to dedicate the exhibited works that are related to BIB to BIBIANA, International House of Art for Children, the organizer of the prestigious international competition of illustrations. It includes especially works of awarded authors at BIB, the holders of Grand Prix, Golden Apple and Plaque. There are also works made by the members of international juries as well as by other Slovak and foreign authors. Together we are talking about 114 pieces. The exhibition is supplemented by diplomas and honours Dr Roll has been given for his work for BIB. There is also a bust of Dr Roll made by the Slovak sculptor Alexander Trizuljak. Dr Roll has also been active in organizing and placing the statue of H. CH. Andersen in the Hviezdoslav Square in Bratislava.

Marián Potrok, Exhibition Curator

BIB Secretariat