Bratje v Slavi – in Bratislava!
Art exhibition of drawings and paintings on paper from the international SYMPOSIUM TRAHENS
2012 – 2015
Bratislava Castle Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia
From December 2015 to February 2016
The union of the words Bratje (brothers) and Slava (glory) in the name of Slovakia’s capital has nowadays undoubtedly multiple meanings. Firstly, because Slovakia, just like Slovenia, is still a young country, born from the final fall of “Socialism”. If at the time the theoretical terms of “brotherhood and unity”, which were united more by coincidence than by history, were the first to fall apart, they became reunited on a symbolic level with the birth of new free countries. The exhibition in Bratislava demonstrates that the political and other mentalities, which stem from the redrawing of borders or even installing physical barriers, do not have any foundations.
40 artists have been brought together, 40 individual artworks have bonded connecting Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Italy. The artists took part in an art colony, which took place in Slovenia, in the middle of Goriška brda at the Saksida winery, together with the winemakers Uroš Klinec and Stojan Ščurek, as well as the creators and directors of the event, Etko Tutta and Klemen Brun, creating artworks which demonstrate that art knows no boundaries. The exhibited paintings were created four years in a row, in the summers between 2012 and 2015, when 10 artists took part in the Art Symposium each time. The purpose of these art colonies is to give artists a chance for networking and exchange good practices and artistic knowledge, as well as create opportunities for future cooperation.
Special thanks to the engagement of the artist and professor Stanislav Buban and the selfless support from the Slovakian and Slovenian embassies for making it possible to see all the realized artworks at the same time. The exhibition is incredibly variegated, even though all the works on paper are of the same format. The techniques and painting styles are as diverse as the artists’ characters, which gives the event a unique impact.
Hence, this group exhibition is subtitled Bratje in Slava (Brothers and Glory), which can also serve as the essential unifying concept. It all began in 1997, when in Goriška brda and the Vipava Valley, a common platform called Art Circle was founded in order to increase the region’s recognition, offer a diversity of opportunities, stimulate the artists’ creativity and encourage the inclusiveness of other participants. Art circle thus comprehends the entire region of Goriška brda and co-creates the culture and art embassies also in a broader sense. Art has always been, is and always will be present. It is the story that we leave to future generations. And if the idea of this story is articulate and substantial enough, it tells a lot more about us and in a much more beautiful manner. Art Circle is such a story. Let’s give support to such initiatives, to Goriška brda and other regions, to Art circle, to artists, to cross-border cooperation. Let’s promote the enthusiasm and dedication of those people, who prove and believe that through art we can move mountains.
Nina Jeza, curator, Artists&Poor’s
