International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana

The International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana carries out five interwoven and complementary activities out of which is world wide the most known the production of the graphic art biennials - in 2009 they organized already the 28th edition of Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art. Further the Centre is frequenlty organizing other contemporary art exhibitions, is taking care about the preservation of Slovene and international collections of prints, artists’ books, art projects in magazines and on billboards, and other printed art materials - its collection from the 20th century to the present day. As fourth activity, it is housing the pritnig studios (the editing of print editions in the techniques of lithography, silkscreen and intaglio) and has in charge the education of the public about printing techniques.

History

Established in 1986, the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) is housed in Tivoli Mansion, at the end of the Plečnik »promenade« in the Tivoli park. 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.

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.

Collection

It has a collection of MGLC is housing a collection of fine art prints from the 20th century to the present day. It comprise over 3.600 fine art prints, 800 artists' books and numerous other art publications. 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 2008 Mednarodni grafični likovni center acquired works of James Lee Byars (White Cube Book, 1983), Vesna Črnivec (Čevelj na kolesnicah, 1975), Gyorgi Galantay (My Transformation LXV/77, 1977), Janez Knez (Strojna tovarna Trbovlje, 1986), Tanja Lažetić ( Krompirjev list, 2008), Raul Meel (Singing Tree (Laulev Puu), 1970), Petra Varl (Spitfire, 1987) and work of Bernard Villers, Publishing house Remorqueur and Nouveau Remorqueur Archives (54 publications).

The collection (not exhibitions!) is open for viewing and study - by appointment only - on workdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Programme

In addition to the organisation of the Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art the MGLC 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, French Cultural Institute Charles Nodier, Ljubljana or privat collection such as Rene Block Edition from Berlin, who curated Quartet–Four Biennials Reflected in Prints, the exhibition of print portfolios from four biennials (Hamburg 1985, Sydney 1990, Istanbul 1995, and Cetinje 2005) that contains more than 80 graphic works by 60 well-known and established artists as Joseph Beuys, John Cage, Nam June Paik, Lawrence Weiner, Emmett Williams, Tony Cragg, Richard Hamilton, Ilya Kabakov, Allan Kaprow, Julian Schnabel, Rosemarie Trockel, Ayşe Erkmen, Rebecca Horn, Alfredo Jaar, Per Kirkeby, Komar & Melamid, Olaf Metzel, Marina Abramović, Nevin Aladağ, Maja Bajević, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Danica Dakić, Braco Dimitrijević, Mona Hatoum, Edi Hila, Irwin, Sanja Iveković, Šejla Kamerić, Vlado Martek, Dan Perjovschi, Marjetica Potrč, Anri Sala, etc.

In 2009 MGLC featured May ’68 in Paris and the Student Movement in Ljubljana, 1968–1972 Posters, Film, and Photographs - the exhibition presenting around eighty posters, loaned by the Centre de la Gravure et de l’Image imprimée in La Louvière (Belgium). They were created for the events in Paris, and their image has become synonymous with the urban struggle. The student movement in Ljubljana, from 1968 to 1972 was documented by a film by Majda Širca, as well as the student newspapers Tribuna and SP (standing for slovensko podzemlje – “the Slovene underground”), leaflets and announcements, and photographs by Tone Stojko, Edi Šelhaus, and Žare Veselič, from the Museum and Galleries of the City of Ljubljana and Slovenia’s National Museum of Contemporary History.

In non-biennial years MGLC prepares approximatelly 4 up to 8 exhibitions. In 2009 MGLC featured for the very first time in Slovenia the exhibition presenting a selection of images from various kinds of computer games entitled Screenshots: I Was Disappointed by Lara Croft prepared by external group of curators (Milan Kleč, dr. Lev Menaše, Helena Pivec, Barbara Novakovič and Boštjan Borič). In 2008 the exhibition conveying the tumultuous times of the 1980s in Slovenia, shedding light on the important social and artistic events of a period in which significant shifts were happening on the margins of the socialist society, making possible the appearance of the first gay and lesbian clubs, independent publishing houses, multimedia groups, and other forms of countercultural creativity was on the view under the title FV, Alternative scene of the Eighties. Also in 2008 the MGLC featured the exhibition Why, Miss, You’re as Pretty as a Poster! The Ljubljana Poster Between the Wars. Exhibition of more than 150 posters that appeared in public locations throughout Ljubljana in the period between World War I and World War II informed people about current political happenings, called on them to vote, announced the sinking of the railroad, warned them of the evils of drink, invited them to the circus, the theater, and the cinema, advertised such brands as Zlatorog, Ilirija, and Peko and such products as cigarettes, bicycles, motorcycles, and even cars.

MGLC gives as well the podium to solo presentations of Slovene and foreign artists. Recently were on the view projacts by Štefan Galič, Regina Pessoa, Gabrijel Stupica, Zora Stančič and Petra Varl, Herman Gvardjančič and others.

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.

External Links

International Centre of Graphic Arts Website

International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana

Contents

History

Collection

Programme

See also

External Links

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