Mit - Index

Mit - UVK_Sinfo_2008_04April_1 - Index

s o C i e t y
spring (Pomlad) by grohar
grohar’s paintings are among the most expensive works on the slovenian art market.
Photo: National gallery Archive
MEETINg ThE ICONS OF ThE SLOvENIAN
ART OF PAINTINg
From mid-April, the National Gallery in Ljubljana, the guardian
of Slovenian fine art since its beginnings to the first decades of
the 20th century, hosts an exhibition of more than 150 of the
most famous canvases painted by four Slovenian im pressionists
who are considered to be the founders of Slovenian national
painting: Ivan Grohar, Rihard JakopiË, Matija Jama, and Matej
Sternen. In addition, works of other renowned sculptors and
fellow painters who are also very popular, but belong to other
fine art styles, are also exhibited. The large-scale exhibition ‘The
Slovenian Impressionists and their Time 1890−1920’ comprises a
total of 400 exhibits and looks at other creative achievements in
the field of photography, as well as illustration, book design, the
first film frames and, especially, architecture. In 1895, Ljubljana
was hard hit by a destructive earthquake, and after that year the
city flourished due to the first urban solutions and construction
of many important halls, institutions, hotels and private houses.
A touch of Art Nouveau is most obvious if you take a walk
from Prešeren Square down MiklošiË Street to the Court House
Palace near MiklošiË Park. The exhibition, which is definitely the
exhibition of the decade if we consider its extent and importance,
was opened in honour of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU
and will last till February 2009. Interesting information about the
exhibition can be acquired at the central information point in the
city − the summer house on the edge of Zvezda Park.
bEAuTIFuL ANIMAL PICTuRES IN TIvOLI
PARk
On the central promenade in Tivoli Park in Ljubljana, 92
powerful animal photos contributed by 39 world-known nature
photographers will be exhibited by the end of May. The ‘Alive’
exhibition is organised by the Slovenian Institute of Ecology,
21
Text: JOŽE OSTERMAN, Photo: STA
which is connected to the world ecological organization
Goodplanet.org established in Paris. Its founder and the main
driving force is the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, who has
become renowned in Ljubljana and other cities throughout the
world with his photos of “The Earth from Above”. Besides mostly
endangered animal species whose very human features we get to
see at the exhibition, there are also boards with worrying truths
about how humans treat their planet that attract the attention.
Beside the shocking information, there is a more optimistic good
practice, explaining how somewhere in the world a wise solution
has been found for this or that environmental threat. Thanks
to the ecologist and director of the Institute, Dr Andrej LukšiË,
who sees the connection of Slovenia with environmental traps,
especially in the field of water and air, Slovenia is the third country
after France and Switzerland to host this magnificent exhibition.
After Slovenia, the exhibition travels to Canada.
Photo: Željko kozinc
april 08 sinfo