International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana

Established in 1986 at Tivoli Mansion, the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC)is housed in Tivoli Mansion, The idea of establishing MGLC dates back to the mid 1970s and was advanced by the secretary of the International Graphics Biennials, Dr Zoran Kržišnik, then Director of the Museum of Modern Art Ljubljana. It was in fact a direct consequence of the development of International Graphic Art Biennials and the enormous growth of contemporary graphic art production in Slovenia during that period, especially represented by the so-called Ljubljana Graphic Art School. In 1981 the MGLC Foundation commenced its first activities and began to adapt the Tivoli Mansion to meet its needs. Then in 1987 MGLC moved from the Moderna galerija Ljubljana to the renovated Tivoli Mansion.carries out five interwoven and complementary activities: the organisation of the graphic art biennials; the organisation of other contemporary art exhibitions; the preservation of Slovene and international collections of prints, artists’ books, art projects in magazines and on billboards, and other printed art materials; the editing of print editions in the techniques of lithography, silkscreen and intaglio; and the education of the public about printing techniques.

The Centre has run the Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art since 1955; from the very beginning this was an important international exhibition covering graphic art from all over the world - in 1963 Robert Rauschenberg received the Grand Prix for Accident, a year before he received a prize at the Venice Biennale. The Biennial subsequently became the model for other graphic art biennials in the world, especially in Eastern Europe.

The Centre's collection consists of extensive museum material (which expands along with the Biennials and through donations by the artists and acquisitions) and new art works produced in print workshops. It comprises art prints dating from 1955 and the work of a considerable number by representatives of the Ecole de Paris (including Zadkine, Picasso, Severini, Prassinos, Mansourof, Menassier, Atlan, Zao Wou-ki, Hartung, Hayter), along with the works of Yozo Hamaguchi, Pierre Soulages, Robert Rauschenberg, Victor Vasarely, Emilio Vedova, Arthur Luiz Piza, Maria Bonomi and representatives of Ljubljana Graphics School. The collection also includes an artist’s book of international and Slovene artists, including OHO, West East Publications edited by Franci Zagoričnik, Damien Hirst, Ben, Voiter, Boltansky, Lewitt, Opalka, Alberolla, Buren, Long, Roth, Reiner and Yves Klein.

In addition to the organisation of the Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art, the Centre organises regular art shows, including surveys of national artistic creativity and exhibitions by individual artists, often in collaboration with international institutions such as the British Council Slovenia and the French Cultural Institute Charles Nodier, Ljubljana. The Centre also participates in exhibitions abroad, eg the Contemporary Poster from Central and Eastern Europe exhibition in Vienna.

The Centre organises various community activities, including workshops in various graphic techniques (linocut, lithography or silkscreen workshop), fine arts workshops for children and adults in front of Tivoli Mansion, a traditional Graphic Art Flea, SOCREA: SOCialising and CREAtivity at Valentine's and a graffiti art workshop.

It also occasionally organises symposia, lectures and public discussions with invited artists, publishers, curators and experts from abroad and guided visits to accompany exhibitions.

International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana

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