Since 1978 the National Park Malá Fatra Administration organises an international competitive poster exhibition on the theme of nature conservation called EKOPLAGÁT. The mission of the exhibition is to present poster art focused on environmental issues in order to raise public awareness of this topic. The value of the exhibition is cultural, societal as well as educational, raising human interest in safeguarding diversity of life on Earth.
In mid-seventies, nature conservationists Ing. Ján Pagáč, then an employee of the PLA Malá Fatra in Gbeľany and RNDr. Ján Čeřovský, CSc., employee of the Slovak Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage in Prague, made a decision to organise international exhibition of posters focused on nature conservation and environmental protection. Their intention was to bring attention to environmental issues, point out their urgency and stir people up to re-assess their values ladder.
The exhibition is organised on a three – yearly basis. EKOPLAGÁT Triennial is the first regular international event of this kind in the world. Entrances from all over the globe have been registered since its beginning, regardless of any cultural, political or religious background, thus supporting rich cultural and artistic diversity of the exhibition.
The first exhibition was opened in 1978. Organised by the Administration of the Protected Landscape Area Malá Fatra with residence in Gbeľany in cooperation with the Považská Gallery of Arts in Žilina, it was held under the auspices of the Slovak Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage in Prague. 150 posters from 25 countries were registered. The exhibition and its touring selection were viewed by more than 200 000 visitors during the two-year period.
EKOPLAGÁT has its own website since 2011.