The Slovak authorities have presented new passports, the issuance of which has just begun. The new documents were supposed to arouse “national pride in Slovaks”, but they quickly sparked controversy. Folklorists noticed that the ornament used in the document was not a Slovak work, but the work of a Polish artist.
The Slovak Ministry of the Interior announced the start of issuing the new passports on Friday. “The graphic design and state and national symbols reflect the national pride of the Slovaks and indicate the connection of the Slovak nation with individual regions,” the ministry's website said in a press release. Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok described the new passport as “a document for the 21st century,” emphasizing its “attractive visual design” and “high level of technical security.”
The Slovak Ministry of Internal Affairs presented new passportswww.minv.sk
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Passports “under fire from folklorists”
The passport project quickly sparked controversy, however. “New passports under fire from folklorists,” wrote the Slovak television TA3 portal on Sunday, citing a Facebook post published on the “Slovenský folklór bez fajku” page. As it was noted, the document used graphics by Polish artist Agnieszka Murphy, available in one of the image banks. This was later confirmed by Slovak media, including the “SME” daily's portal.
Agnieszka Murphy admitted in a conversation with a Slovak newspaper that she was not aware that her graphic had apparently been used in a Slovak passport. “It's very good that the Slovak government used my graphic in passports,” she told “SME.” However, she was unable to confirm whether the Slovak Ministry of Internal Affairs or the passport manufacturer had purchased a license from her. The artist noted that she sells her works indirectly through image bank websites, which is why she does not receive information about who bought the graphics.
Controversial passport ornament
Meanwhile, experts indicate that the graphics used are not typically Slovak. Folklorist Zuzana Tajek Piešová, quoted by “SME”, assessed that the graphics used in the passport are not authentic ornaments known in Slovakia as “čičmiansky vzor”, but its “imitation”.
In turn, Zora Puškáčová, a graphic designer and photographer and administrator of the website “Slovenský folklór bez fajku” pointed out that what we can see in the new documents is the result of the invention of the Polish author, “who herself says that she was only inspired” by the traditional pattern. On Sunday, another entry was posted on the website dedicated to folklore for comparison – this time with photos of buildings decorated with a real, traditional Slovak pattern.
Main image source: www.minv.sk