YOUNG DESIGN IN THE COMENIUS UNIVERSITY BOTANICAL GARDEN CONNECTS ART AND NATURE
Bratislava, 8 July 2025: The Botanical Garden of Comenius University Bratislava is hosting the exhibition Presahy ('Overlaps'), which presents student works inspired by botany. During the summer, visitors will discover new perspectives on the garden’s visual identity.
Students from the School of Design – Bohumil Bača Private School of Applied Arts began the process of creating a logo by thoroughly getting to know CU's Botanical Garden and its values. They first gathered visual stimuli and created 'moodboards' reflecting the atmosphere of the garden and its connection with the university. This was followed by realistic drawing and stylisation of plants, gradually leading to logo proposals. These were further developed in digital apps, focusing on typography, colours, and composition to ensure that the final logotype looked fresh and organic. After consultations with teachers and garden staff, the final designs were produced and are now part of the exhibition, together with posters, a design manual, and other visual elements.
“Being here now, among you, and exhibiting our work is a great honour for us, and we see it as recognition of the quality and maturity of our students’ work,” said Branislav Gajdoš, teacher at the School of Design.
Visitors to the Presahy exhibition can admire the final logos, but also the entire creative process: from the first drafts through sketches to digital visualisations. The exhibition shows how young designers perceive the botanical world and translate it into contemporary visual language.
“During the creative process, we learned to understand typography, graphic abbreviation, poster composition, and how to interconnect graphic apps. We hope our work will bring you joy and inspiration,” said student Lilly Pecha, whose design was judged the best, at the opening.
The Comenius University Botanical Garden is not only a scientific, research and educational facility, but also a venue for cultural and artistic activities. The Presahy exhibition proves that the university garden can be a living gallery and a place where science, education, and art meet.
“We are proud that the Comenius University Botanical Garden can be a platform where young art meets nature and scientific knowledge. The Presahy exhibition is proof that inspiration grows all around us - you just have to look carefully,” said Jaroslav Bella, Director of the CU Botanical Garden.
The Presahy exhibition, running until 30 August 2025, presents works by students in the fields of Graphic Design (tutor: Braňo Gajdoš), Graphic and Spatial Design (Denisa Slavkovská), Interior Design (Filip Horník and Gabriela Halás), and Photographic Design (Jakub Čajka), who have created original works inspired by botany.