City Art Gallery Ljubljana

This Municipal Gallery is a fine art exhibition space in the old centre of Ljubljana that operates continuously for almost 50 years. It has a broad exhibition programme and organises presentations of Slovene artists abroad. The City Art Museum Ljubljana – known also as the City Gallery Ljubljana or in Slovene language as Mestna galerija (used in this article) – consists of two spaces: Mestna galerija 1 and Mestna galerija 2. It is the space being years directed by Aleksander Bassin, who retired in 2008. The recent director is Blaž Peršin, the artistic director is Alenka Gregorič, before the artistic director of the Škuc Gallery.

History and locations

The Mestna galerija is the ancestor of the old building of the Jakopič Pavilion (the first Ljubljana exhibition space built in 1908 by the painter Rihard Jakopič). After its demolishing in 1961 the house at Mestni trg 5 was chosen for the new venue for exhibition activities and the management of such. In November 1962, the Jakopič Pavilion was re-named into the Mestna galerija . In 1990 and 1991, the Ljubljana Cultural Community financed a thorough renovation of the building. In addition to modernized exhibition rooms and offices in the converted loft, the gallery also now featured a cafe on the ground floor.

In 1996 the Mestna galerija opened the new premise the Mestna galerija 2 to feature its collection. Soon this venue become the programme addition to the Mestna galerija 1 featuring the newest production of Slovene and international artists. Since 1996 the Mestna galerija administrated also the Bežigrajska galerija (established already in 1976) and since 2002 the new venue of its unit: the Bežigrajska galerija 2.

Since the City Museum of Ljubljana and the City Art Museum Ljubljana merged into a new public institute City Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana in 2009, the Mestna galerija 1 and 2 administratively operates under the umbrella institute as two of eight autonomous unites specialised or having connections with the contemporary art and culture. There are plans to close the premise of Mestna galerija 2 at the end of 2010 after the new space in the complex of Tobacco factory will open for the presentation the Tobacco Museum Collection including for presentations of actual contemporary art projects of national and international dimensions. Additionally this is going to be the first space for the residency for international artists and curators in Ljubljana.

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The Mestna galerija Ljubljana provides a public service with exhibitions of modern and contemporary visual art in Slovenia and abroad. The gallery stages its own permanent exhibitions as well as temporary incoming exhibitions featuring Slovene and foreign artists from all over the world. A special exhibition programme is dedicated to occasional overseas tours, organised for the most part on a reciprocal basis or upon invitation from foreign museums and galleries. The Mestna galerija Ljubljana also promotes the visual arts by producing publications and prints and organising seminars, lectures, art workshops, fairs, shows and cultural events compatible with its main activities.

City Art Gallery Ljubljana

History and locations

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See also

Operated by

Financed by