Fools, villains and courts

Ljubljana, Slovenia, has hosted a retrospective exhibition titled Generation ALU075, bringing together artists who began their studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1975. The gathering took place last Thursday in the Gunclje Gallery, marking more than five decades since these individuals crossed the threshold of the institution. The initiative was driven by artist Igor Kregar, who organized the reunion for his former classmates. The exhibition runs until October 29 and features works from nineteen living alumni, alongside pieces by two deceased peers, Evelina Batista and Eva Heimer. The group includes prominent figures in Slovenian painting and sculpture, such as Bojan Abaza, Mirsad Begić, Mojca Černič Pretnar, Zvonko Čoh, Draga Davitkova Erič, Rajmund Kocbek, Tomaž Kolarič, Igor Kregar, Jože Marinč, Ignacij Meden, Mirna Pavlovec, Marja Prelog, Aljana Primožič, Jože Tönig, Jana Vizjak, and Franc Vozelj. These artists established their initial professional connections during their student years in 1975. Their collective presence represents a significant portion of the country’s contemporary art scene. The exhibition serves not just as a display of artwork but as a social meeting point for a generation returning to its shared origins, professors, and friendships. France Zavodnik, the gallery caretaker and representative of the Blaz Potocnik Society Reading Room, welcomed the attendees. He noted the rarity of finding nineteen exhibiting artists in a single space. Among them are three recipients of the Preseren Fund award. Most of the group were students of Professor Janez Bernik. Mirsad Begić, a prolific sculptor and Preseren Fund laureate, arrived in Slovenia after completing secondary school before graduating from the academy. Despite using ski poles to assist with walking, Begić stated he is currently preparing an exhibition in Vienna. Other Preseren Fund winners included in the group are Zvonko Čoh, a well-known illustrator and animated film maker, and Milan Eric, a painter, illustrator, and animator. Igor Kregar, who displayed his collages at the opening, emphasized that the title references the year 1975. He described the academic environment as a space for intense learning, creation, and mutual dialogue. Students worked in shared studios, debated art concepts, and learned from one another. Kregar recalled their vibrant student years as a large family unit. The reunion held emotional weight for many participants. Mojca Černič Pretnar, who completed a master’s degree in restoration and conservation after her diploma, expressed delight at being brought together by Kregar. She noted that she creates differently today, working primarily in clay, and displayed two sculptures. Draga Davitkova Erič, who came to Slovenia from Macedonia for her studies and remained there, was similarly moved. She remembered how connected the generation felt while discussing painting in shared studios and observing their professors’ work. For her, the exhibition realized a long-held memory. She expressed emotion that this had finally happened after fifty years and that they created the show collectively. Her classmate Mojca Černič Pretnar added a humorous remark, noting that Draga married her fellow student Milan. Aljana Primožich, a long-time caricaturist for local newspapers, left her studies after the second year. She was particularly pleased that colleagues decided to include her work in the exhibition as a memorial to their shared history. The gallery presented the artists with a rose as a gesture of appreciation. Photographs from the event were taken by Gordana Stojiljkovic. In a separate cultural development, the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Cultural Activities prepared its tenth national thematic exhibition, titled Manure Is Gold. This jubilee project coincides with the Kosovel Year in 2026. The exhibition opened on August 20 at the Kosovel House in Sezana and will remain open until October 9, 2026. It features forty-eight selected works out of 375 submissions. The theme derives from the poet’s thought that manure is gold, appearing in the first line of his poem Cons. 5. The concept invites reflection on waste, discarded items, and found objects that gain new meaning through artistic intervention. Regional exhibitions ran from September to November last year, showcasing 195 works. Art historian Natasa Kovska served as the national selector. She chose the final forty-eight pieces based on formal and content relevance to the theme, artistic quality, ideological originality, and cohesion within the final installation. Due to the use of waste materials, design and color harmony were also key criteria. Among the selected artists is Robert Kokol from the Nova Gorica area. His piece, Analogous Winter Sowing, is an object connecting the world of analog photography with the modern digital age. The work consists of a glass vessel filled with rolls of photographic film. The title allows multiple interpretations, suggesting the film is stored for the future as a reserve of images, memories, and time. Kovska noted that Kokol’s object relates to the digital era, where analog photography is considered past, despite recent trends reviving its practice. The work raises questions about technology, memory, and objects losing their original function due to rapid technological change. Former photographic material becomes an artistic object, gaining new life and significance.