7 February – 28 August 2026, part of Trenčín 2026 European Capital of Culture
From 7 February to 28 August 2026, Trenčín Castle hosts Well of Love, a new exhibition by four Turkish artists and artist duos, curated by Ekmel Ertan. Presented within the Contemporary Castle programme of Trenčín 2026 European Capital of Culture, the exhibition is set in two of the castle’s most atmospheric spaces — the Gothic Chapel and the underground of the cannon bastion — and uses sound, light, holography, AI, and water to bring the legend of the Well of Love into the present.
The story of Omar and Fatima is already part of Trenčín Castle, carried in the stones, in the courtyard, and in the memories of those who visit. According to the legend, the Turkish nobleman Omar spent three years carving a well into the rock to free Fatima from captivity. Well of Love does not simply retell that story. Instead, it opens it up — drawing attention to the people, the labour, and the place that the romantic tale usually leaves in the shadows: the soldiers who dug the well alongside Omar, Fatima’s own voice, and the rock the castle is built on.
In the Gothic Chapel, Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar present Palimpsest and The Whispers of the Well, using holography and digital surfaces to reveal traces of older layers hidden in the chapel’s walls. Next to them, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar’s Beneath connects AI imagery with a system of flowing water, turning attention from the famous silhouette of the castle to the limestone hill beneath it. In the underground of the cannon bastion, Ekmel Ertan’s Echoes of Love fills the space with the repeating sound of pickaxes striking stone — a tribute to the workers behind the legend. Buşra Tunç’s Ooze uses light and sound to evoke Fatima’s presence, quiet and long unheard.
The exhibition was opened on 6 February 2026 at 6:00 PM at the amphitheatre. It can be visited during the castle’s regular opening hours with standard admission; no separate registration is required. The Gothic Chapel is a small space, so a short wait may be needed during busier periods.
Well of Love