24th ART STAYS Festival | Thank you for the flowers | 2026

PUNTO SULL’ARTE is pleased to announce that Annalù, Mario Branca, Paolo Campa, Ottorino De Lucchi, and Silvio Porzionato have been invited to participate in the 24th Edition of ART STAYS, the renowned Contemporary Art Festival taking place in Ptuj, Slovenia, from July 9 to September 6, 2026.

The theme of this edition, titled “Thank you for the flowers,” explores the deeper meaningbehind a phrase often spoken with a smile that conceals more complex emotions. Beneathan apparently kind gesture may lie unexpressed doubts and reflections. This ambivalence isat the heart of the 24th edition of Art Stays, which investigates the subtle line between ironyand cynicism, between the appearance and reality of our emotions.

The floral-themed works selected by the curatorial committee compellingly embody the conceptual vision developed for the 2026 edition of Artstays. Among the sculptural works, the selection includes Talea, Annalù’s striking fibreglass sculpture, alongside two works by Mario Branca, Blue Sunflowers and Natura papaveri, in which the delicate beauty of flowers engages in a powerful dialogue with the expressive strength of copper. In painting, the committee selected Paolo Campa’s I Colori dell’Aurora and La Danza della Vita, complemented by four works by Ottorino De Lucchi—Autunno nell’Aria, Primi di Maggio, Quasi Sfioriti, and Verso aprile. Together, these paintings offer an outstandingcontemporary interpretation of the still life tradition. Completing the selection is Flowery Creature – Flowerseries 09, Silvio Porzionato’s monumental oil on canvas, whichfurther explores the symbolic relationship between the flower and the female figure.Annalù’s Talea is exhibited at the historic Dominican Monastery in Ptuj, while Mario Branca’ssculptures are on view at Borl Castle and the Mihelič Gallery, alongside works by Silvio Porzionato and Ottorino De Lucchi. Paolo Campa’s paintings are exhibited at the Ptuj City Gallery.

In this context of dialogue and reflection, questions carry more weight than answers. Sometimes, these inquiries manifest without words, relying on subtle gestures or meaningfulglances. Flowers, universal symbols of beauty and attention, become metaphors for more complex issues: late apologies, elegant excuses, and ornaments that hide inner and social fractures. These signs of kindness, while retaining their grace, reveal the fragility of a time when gestures often risk replacing substance.

Art Stays aims to explore this tension between appearance and truth, between the symbolicand the concrete, between sincerity and representation. Through paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, performances, and videos, artists create a space of inquiry whereflowers symbolize not just beauty, but also silence, suspension, discomfort, and hiddentruths.

The simple phrase “thank you for the flowers” transforms into an invitation for reflection. Whatdo we truly accept when receiving a gift? What meanings remain implicit behind a courteous“thank you”? And what truths emerge in the cracks between what is said and what remainsunsaid?

The festival invites the audience to look beyond the surface, to recognize in the subtle irony of everyday life a potential spark of truth. It promises to be a journeythrough art and life that is both provocative and poetic, revealing the complexities of ourexistence.

Thank you for the flowers | 24th ART STAYS Contemporary Art Festival, 2026
Opening reception: 9-12 Luglio 2026
Dates: 9 Luglio – 6 Settembre 2026
Organiser:  KUD Art Stays, Prešernova ulica 1, 2250 Ptuj, festival.artstays@gmail.com
Galerija ArtStays, Slovenski trg 1, 2250 Ptuj, Slovenija
Galerija FO.VI, Strnišče 6. 2325 Kidričevo, Slovenija
Festival info point: Art Stays Gallery, Slovenski trg 1, 2250 Ptuj, info@artstays.si