In 2026, SKICA Berlin celebrates its first decade. What have been SKICA Berlin’s greatest achievements during this period?
Over the past five and a half years, we have taken significant steps to increase the visibility and recognition of Slovenian arts and culture in Germany. Among other achievements, we have established numerous new partnerships and opened many German institutions to Slovenian artists and cultural professionals. We have worked collaboratively and across disciplines, guided by the principles of partnership and cooperation, while developing new project formats. During this period, we have delivered more than 250 diverse projects. Perhaps our greatest achievement, however, is the trust we have built over the years with a wide range of partners in both Slovenia and Germany, as well as with artists and cultural professionals working across all areas of the arts. This trust provides a strong foundation for our future work. We have successfully organised bilateral meetings, contributed to major initiatives such as Slovenia’s appearance as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair and delivered numerous projects linked to significant events, including Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Capitals of Culture in Nova Gorica/Gorizia which happened parallel to the German city of Chemnitz.
How do you build partnerships with German organisations?
First, it is important to emphasise that in general cultural centres and institutes, whether operating independently or as part of diplomatic missions, play a vital role in public and cultural diplomacy. Their role in most cases extends beyond presenting and promoting national culture. Equally important are establishing long-term partnerships, creating conditions for international cultural cooperation, and supporting broader foreign policy objectives.
Building relationships with local partners, as well as with the cultural institutes of other countries, is therefore one of the key elements of successful work. Culture is an exceptionally important form of so-called soft power, often opening doors where traditional political mechanisms are less effective. Through culture, we build trust, encourage dialogue, and create lasting connections between institutions, artists, cultural practitioners, and audiences.
I would also like to emphasise that no international project comes into being without outstanding partners in Slovenia. Slovenian cultural institutions, both national agencies – the Slovenian Book Agency and the Slovenian Film Centre – public institutions, non-governmental organisations, and numerous individual artists and cultural practitioners are all indispensable to these success stories.
From my experience, long-term partnerships are not created simply by offering local institutions a single project. They emerge from first listening to their interests and then jointly developing a project in which every partner sees genuine value. Collaboration, coproduction and co-creation of something new – an approach that is fundamental to cultural cooperation at EU level – is the principle I strive to embed in SKICA’s work.
One of SKICA Berlin’s core aims is to promote Slovenian culture and the arts in Germany while strengthening Slovenia’s international profile. Close cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Berlin, of which SKICA is a part, is therefore particularly important. Together with ambassador dr. Ana Polak Petrič and colleagues at the Embassy, we develop new ideas, exchange information and design event formats that go beyond conventional cultural presentations. This is an excellent example of cross-sector collaboration, bringing together culture, diplomacy, economy, tourism, sport and science. We also work closely with the Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Munich and the Slovenian Tourist Board Representative Office in Munich.
In 2024, we used the UEFA European Football Championship as an opportunity to present Slovenia and Slovenian culture. Together with the Embassy, among other events SKICA Berlin organised a cultural and sporting event at Die Stachelschweine, Berlin’s political cabaret theatre, to coincide with the live broadcast of the Slovenia–Denmark match. The event combined theatre, panel discussions, live match commentary and a showcase of Slovenian cuisine and wine. It demonstrated how culture can successfully connect different sectors and engage audiences that might otherwise not be reached.
A major turning point came when Slovenia was Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. We were determined to make the most of this unique opportunity. At the time, many German cultural institutions were particularly open to forming new partnerships and collaborations. I approached a number of museum and cultural directors personally, and they responded with genuine interest. One outcome was an exhibition on France Prešeren and Slovenian Romanticism at the German Romanticism Museum, developed in partnership with the National and University Library of Slovenia, dr.dr. Igor Grdina and dr. Urška Perenič.
We also had a big collaboration with the MEK - Museum of European Cultures in Berlin, which each year presents a programme focused on a particular country. Following a study visit to Slovenia, the museum decided to showcase Slovenia’s beekeeping heritage – an important part of our national identity that is also inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Together with the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum and the Slovenian Museum of Apiculture, MEK developed the exhibition Buzzing Slovenia, which was fully funded by this museum which is part of the Preussische Stiftung Kulturbesitz (PSK), one of the biggest cultural foundations in Europe. The exhibition was accompanied by Slovenian Cultural Days, a month-long festival featuring literary evenings, concerts, presentations of Slovenian apiculture, cuisine and wine, and other events highlighting Slovenia’s culture. What I find particularly significant is that we were able to realise such an ambitious festival through close partnership between the Museum of European Cultures, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Berlin, SKICA Berlin and the Representative Office of the Slovenian Tourist Board. This synergy between institutions gave the project exceptional visibility, generated extensive media coverage and professional interest and attracted large audiences. Projects like this show that cultural diplomacy is most effective when partners work in a coordinated way and share a clear, common vision.
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In the frames of the closing of the exhibition Buzzing Slovenia which remained on display for almost a year, we joined forces with the museum and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Berlin to organise the international symposium Bees for Peace. While rooted in Slovenia’s beekeeping heritage, the symposium placed it within a broader discussion of biodiversity, sustainable development, cultural heritage, the arts, food security and the importance of international cooperation. I was particularly pleased that Tomaž Lovrenčič (ITF Enhancing Human Security) also took part in the project. His participation symbolically brought together the fields of culture, sustainable development, security questions and diplomacy. Once again, the symposium showed that cultural initiatives can evolve into platforms for discussing major global challenges while bringing together institutions and experts from a wide range of disciplines.
An important example of successful collaboration between Slovenian and German cultural institutions was the exhibition Beyond Impressionism: Slovenian Modernist Painting and Dachau, held at the Dachau Art Gallery from November 2025 to April 2026. Initiated by SKICA Berlin in partnership with the National Gallery of Slovenia and the Dachau Art Gallery, the exhibition offered Bavarian audiences the first comprehensive presentation of Slovenian realist, impressionist and modernist painters, even though they had studied, lived and worked in Munich. By placing Slovenian art in dialogue with the artistic milieu of the Dachau artists’ colony, the exhibition opened up new art-historical and research perspectives. During its four-month run it attracted around 6,000 visitors.
One particularly rewarding aspect of the project was the opportunity to work with dr. Barbara Jaki, the director of the National Gallery in Ljubljana. Even before I left for Berlin, she had expressed the wish to present the Slovenian Impressionists in the very environment in which they had developed as artists. Finding the right partner took several years, but the result was an outstanding project that established a new scholarly dialogue between the two institutions and between the art-historical contexts of Slovenia and Germany. The opening was organised in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Berlin, the Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Munich and the Munich Representative Office of the Slovenian Tourist Board. The musical programme was performed by the Dissonance Ensemble, while the keynote addresses were delivered by the spouse of the president of the Republic of Slovenia dr. Aleš Musar and dr. Ana Polak Petrič. The exhibition was also accompanied by an international scholarly colloquium on Slovenian Impressionism, held in January 2026. It was organised jointly by the Central Institute for Art History in Munich, SKICA Berlin, Consulate General in Munich and the National Gallery of Slovenia and the Dachau Art Gallery.
Once you become a part of the programmes of the local institutions or festivals, you reach local audiences. These collaborations have several aims: to raise the profile of Slovenian culture and the arts, increase the international mobility of Slovenian artists and cultural professionals, foster partnerships between institutions and develop long-term cooperation.
Some partnerships develop over many years, while others emerge more spontaneously. Networking, a thorough understanding of the cultural landscapes, knowledge about the history and current cultural/artistic production in both Slovenia and Germany and personal relationships with local partners remain indispensable for successful collaboration.
We also maintain several long-standing partnerships. For example, for a number of years we have worked closely with Haus für Poesie and the International Poetry Festival in Berlin. This partnership is particularly valuable because Slovenian poets present their work in Slovenian, contributing to greater visibility and appreciation of the Slovenian language.
Let me mention a few more examples of good practice. Since 2023, I have worked systematically to secure the inclusion of Slovenian photographers in EMOP Berlin – European Month of Photography, one of Europe’s leading photography festivals. Each time we have submitted a project responding to the festival’s annual theme, it has been selected for the official programme. So far, we have presented the works of Vanja Bućan and Ana Zibelnik. Being selected for the festival represents far more than staging a standalone exhibition – it means becoming part of an international festival network, gaining greater visibility and engaging with both local and international audiences.
SKICA’s involvement in the EUNIC Berlin network (European Union National Institutes for Culture ) – which brings together European cultural institutes and other cultural institutes, embassies, Goethe Institute, and ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, operating in Berlin – is also of particular importance. EUNIC Berlin currently encompasses 36 members. In 2025, I served as Chair of the network, which was both a significant personal achievement and an important recognition of SKICA Berlin’s work and growing profile. As early as 2023, within the framework of EUNIC Berlin, I initiated and began coordinating the international project NEXT – Young European Design, which explores sustainable approaches to designing for the future. This year, I led the three-day programme for the fourth time, under the theme “Imperfect Wood”. The event brought together 15 designers from 11 countries. Curator was Simona Binko from Czech Republic. When selecting designers and designing the programme, we work closely with our German partners, while Slovenian participants are nominated in close cooperation with the Museum of Architecture and Design and its director, Maja Vardjan.
I should also mention that this year we have established partnerships with several summer festivals in the state of Brandenburg. Among the participating Slovenian artists are Domen Marinčič with Ensemble Musica Cubicularis and a flute trio featuring Brina Žust and accordionist Neža Torkar.
Another project worth highlighting in 2026 has grown out of our collaboration with Bogdan Benigar, director of Druga godba Festival and the Stadtgarten Köln concert venue, and supported by SIGIC – the Slovenian Music Information Centre. In June 2026, we presented Close Up Slovenia: Jazz & Beyond, a festival of contemporary Slovenian music, at this renowned venue. This collaboration marked an important step in introducing outstanding Slovenian jazz musicians (Širom, Mrk, Jure Pukl & Analog AI) and interdisciplinary music artists to German audiences.
Another area worth mentioning is the wide range of projects developed with the artists in our Berlin’s residency programme which is supported by the Slovenian Ministry of Culture. Together with the artist and researcher Robertina Šebjanič, for example, we realised a distinctive exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Berlin, curated by Claudia Banz, who is now director of the World Museum Vienna.
What gives me particular pleasure is that, as a result of the relationships we have built over the past few years, many German potential partners now approach SKICA on their own initiative to propose new collaborations. This shows that we have become a recognised and trusted partner. One example is an invitation from Staatsballett Berlin to collaborate on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, choreographed by Edward Clug with an original score by Milko Lazar and the artistic team of the Slovene National Theatre Maribor. The production has been in the company’s repertoire since February 2025. I am sincerely grateful for partnerships such as these, because it is through collaboration, mutual trust, professionalism and strong alliances that Slovenian culture continues to gain recognition in Germany. By working together, we can become stronger, more visible and more widely recognised.
How do you successfully promote Slovenian culture and the arts in Berlin, one of Europe’s leading cultural centres?
Berlin has an exceptionally competitive cultural scene. Every day, countless concerts, exhibitions, festivals and other events take place, which is precisely why working with local partners is so essential, as I mentioned in my answer to the previous question. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city has remained an extraordinarily dynamic centre of creativity. Everyone wants to stage exhibitions, concerts or literary events here, while local partners have a very clear idea of the programmes they want to present.
Successful promotion requires persistence, a sustained and visible presence and a clear vision. I have always designed SKICA’s annual programmes to go beyond traditional models of cultural diplomacy. It is essential to think more broadly, identify intersections between culture, science and contemporary social issues and develop new event formats.
SKICA Berlin organises relatively few projects independently. Most of our activities are developed in partnership with local institutions. It is precisely these collaborations with established German organisations that provide greater visibility, access to new audiences and a long-term impact extending well beyond a single event. Each year, we deliver more than 50 events across Germany, most of them in Berlin. One long-standing initiative worth highlighting is SloVision, the Slovenian Film Days, which we organise in cooperation with the Slovenian Film Centre and Bernd Buder, programme director of FilmFestival Cottbus. Another enduring partnership is our collaboration with the Slovenian Book Agency on the residency programme at the renowned Literary Colloquium Berlin.
How important is on-the-ground engagement for success?
Personal contact remains indispensable. Digital communication is important, but in the cultural sector trust is still largely built through face-to-face meetings, a physical presence at events and the long-term cultivation of relationships. In Germany, emails sent without prior contact or a clearly expressed interest often go unanswered. For this reason, being on the ground – attending festivals, conferences, openings and professional gatherings – is a key part of our work. The most successful partnerships usually grow out of personal encounters and the gradual development of mutual trust, supported by an excellent understanding of both Slovenian and German cultural production.
Together with Ambassador Ana Polak Petrič, I have frequently visited potential partners, and these visits have consistently proved to be an effective strategy. One such example is our cooperation with the Wilhelm Busch Museum – German Museum of Caricature and the Art of Drawing in Hanover. Following one of our visits and a concrete proposal, the museum organised an exhibition dedicated to the highly interesting but long-forgotten Slovenian caricaturist Ladislav Kondor, who travelled almost the entire world before the second world war and also was present in Germany. The exhibition, titled The Forgotten Cosmopolitan, was produced in cooperation with the Pomurje Museum in Murska Sobota.
Which aspects of Slovenian culture are of particular interest to German cultural institutions?
It is difficult to generalise or simplify. As I have already mentioned, local institutions have a very clear idea of what they wish to include in their programmes, which means you need a well-defined concept and strong arguments. At times, compromise is also necessary.
Slovenia and Germany have been connected through culture throughout history. Let me mention a few examples: Primož Trubar, the Slovenian Impressionists, and the Freising Manuscripts, which are preserved in the Bavarian State Library. The historical ties that unite our two countries remain of great significance and continue to provide a strong foundation for our cultural cooperation today.
Slovenia has exceptionally high-quality and diverse contemporary cultural production. There is particular interest in contemporary research-based art, which connects art, science, and technology, as well as in themes addressing the future and climate change. Artists working in this field, such as Robertina Šebjanič and Saša Spačal, have had numerous exhibitions in Germany in recent years, including outside SKICA’s programme.
In the field of music, Slovenian artists have achieved considerable success in Germany. Among them are composers Vito Žuraj and Petra Strahovnik, pianist Kaja Draksler, and Berlin-based jazz singer Mirna Bogdanović. The band Laibach continues to occupy a particularly prominent position in Germany. Another highly regarded Slovenian artist is choreographer Edward Clug, who, at the invitation of the Staatsballett Berlin, created the ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Maribor Ballet ensemble and composer Milko Lazar as mentioned before. It is also worth mentioning theatre director Mateja Koležnik, who is based in Germany and creates highly successful productions for leading German theatres. This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many more Slovenian artists based in Germany with whom we actively collaborate and whose work is of exceptionally high quality.
In recent years, Slovenian film has developed significantly and is now regularly included in many local, but important international festivals in Germany. In this context, cooperation with the Slovenian Film Centre has been crucial, as together we have made important progress in presenting Slovenian cinema in Germany and integrating it into international festival programmes. This year, we were one of the main international partners of the Berlin documentary film festival Doxumentale, presenting four films, welcoming guests from Slovenia, and holding a total of nine screenings.
German audiences and festivals have shown a long-standing and strong interest in Slovenian poetry, which is often recognised as one of the most high-quality fields of Slovenian literature.
How have SKICA Berlin’s promotional channels developed over the past decade?
In recent years, SKICA Berlin has significantly expanded its promotional and communication activities. In addition to Facebook, we run an Instagram profile, produce a monthly newsletter and regularly publish content on our website.
However, achieving broader media visibility remains challenging. Media presence often depends on strong local partners or collaboration with professional PR agencies. A good example is Slovenian Film Days: without professional public relations support, we would not have reached such a large local audience. High-quality content, strong partnerships with trusted institutions and personal recommendations are crucial, as they enable us to access a much wider range of promotional channels.
What advantages does cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs bring to SKICA’s model?
Around the world there are various models of cultural diplomacy in the form of cultural centres or institutes that promote a country’s culture and ensure the visibility and circulation of ideas and artists. Germany, for example, has the Goethe Institute, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026 and serves as the central institution for promoting the German language and international cultural cooperation, and ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, which focuses on international cultural exchange, dialogue and contemporary art.
Estonia has a highly developed network of cultural attachés around the world, while countries such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Finland operate through independent cultural centres that work closely with embassies. The Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, for instance, is one of the oldest institutions of its kind and celebrated its centenary in 2025. The Austrian Cultural Forum represents a model that is, in terms of organisational logic, closest to the Slovenian one.
Through the SKICA model, Slovenia has developed an approach to cultural diplomacy based on cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. Bringing these two areas together enables culture to play an active role in the country’s international positioning. Culture is therefore not merely a supporting element of diplomacy, but a means by which a state builds trust, develops partnerships and strengthens its international profile.
For long-term development, it would be advisable to strengthen the network of Slovenian cultural centres, invest in professionalisation in the field, reinforce staffing capacities and establish a system for transferring knowledge and good practices. The role of the head of SKICA requires, among other things, a combination of diplomatic skills, cultural management expertise and knowledge in the field of culture, strategic planning and networking skills.
What is SKICA’s vision for development in the coming decades?
The vision for SKICA’s development and strategic direction are defined by the competent ministries. In my view, however, SKICA could evolve into an even stronger hub for international cooperation – a platform for promoting Slovenian culture, the arts, language and creativity, and at the same time a space where culture meets heritage, science, innovation, the creative industries and social responsibility. In a world marked by increasing geopolitical tensions, culture is one of the most powerful forces for connection. It builds trust, opens dialogue and creates lasting partnerships between individuals, institutions and countries.
Europe increasingly recognises that culture is not merely a sphere of creativity but a strategic investment in the future. This is also reflected in the recently signed joint declaration Europe for Culture, Culture for Europe, through which the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have placed culture at the very centre of Europe’s future development. This is an important milestone, as the declaration emphasises that culture is a foundation of democracy, human rights, European cohesion and European values. Culture strengthens democratic processes, connects people and creates space for dialogue on key issues of contemporary society – from climate change and sustainable development to artificial intelligence, science, technology, education. Its capacity to connect different fields and build trust places it among the key policy areas for the future.
Gallery
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See also
- SKICA Berlin, Slovenian Cultural Centre.
- Slovenian Culture and Information Centre, Vienna (SKICA)
- Slovenian Book Agency
- Slovenian Film Centre
- Slovenian National Gallery
- Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO)
- Centre for Creativity
- SIGIC, Slovene Music Information Centre
- Druga godba Festival
- Slovene Ethnographic Museum
- Druga godba Festival
External links
About the article
The interview was prepared by Žiga Rus in June 2026 in the framework of the public procurement “Development and upgrade of information portals of the Ministry of Culture for the transition to the eKultura platform” in which Ljudmila Art and Science Laboratory collaborates with Motovila Institute.