Graphic Biennial to Commemorate 50 Yrs of Tradition

Ljubljana, 22 June

The 26th Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Arts (MGB) entitled "Thrust" is to kick off on Thursday. Its curator Jure Mikuz invited 18 institutions from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas to each put up a show to address the dilemmas of what the graphic arts are today.

The biennial, which boasts more than a 50-year tradition, is organised by the Ljubljana-based International Centre of Graphic Art (MGLC), and will be open until 2 October. This year's main venue is Tobacna Ljubljana, the defunct tobacco company.
As one of the few Slovenian international cultural events with a long-lasting tradition, the biennial has become a trademark on the cultural scene, the 26th biennial's chief curator Jure Mikuz said. He added this year's event will thus pay tribute to its 50-year history, which it celebrated two years ago.
Among the invited institutions are museums, traditional graphic arts workshops, digital production centres, national libraries and producers of the biennial and triennial graphic art exhibitions, most of which have already cooperated with the Ljubljana biennial.
Mikuz also explained that he chose to invite the institutions that could answer some of the burning questions of the last two decades, one of them being graphic art techniques.
The traditional, demanding graphic techniques are dying out, Mikuz explained. "The younger generation is of course using the modern, digital, computer-generated medium to express their ideas, since these techniques are spreading irrepressibly and open undreamed-of possibilities," said Mikuz.
Slovenia is to be represented by the MGLC with the duo Son:Da (Metka Golec and Miha Horvat) as well as by Marija Staric Jenko and Almira Sadar. The MGLC will also feature foreign artists Annu Vertanen, Federico Pietrella and Ingrid Ledent.
Three accompanying exhibitions will be put on at the MGLC: an exhibition by US artist Raymond Pettibon, the recipient of the Grand Prix of Honour of the 2003 Ljubljana biennial; a selection of best Slovenian prints; and a review of avant-garde and alternative Slovenian prints.
Pettibon was conferred the award for his book on lithographic prints and texts "Plots on Loan". His art unites texts with images, forming a unique mixture of quotations from diverse contexts. The exhibition is to feature vinyl record sleeves.
The show of the best and most characteristic Slovenian prints, entitled "The Most Beautiful Prints" will feature works by around forty artists, created between 1955 and 2005.
Meanwhile, the selection of avant-garde and alternative Slovenian prints since the conceptualist period will showcase books, posters, flyers, invitations and other reproduced material, including advertisements, internet projects and other artifacts under the title "First Line".

Graphic Biennial to Commemorate 50 Yrs of Tradition

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