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Disclosed horizons, Slovenian painters from Trieste 1945–1960
Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana
opening: Monday, 26 March 2012 at 20:00

The greater part of the most prominent painters from the Slovenian Littoral was, or still is, based in Trieste, a city that after the WWII became a true political and cultural centre of Slovenian community in Italy. The artistic lexicon of the Trieste artists was grounded in the tradition of Slovenian modernism and avant-garde and influenced by the Italian artists and the western culture. The life in the coastal town, its surrounding Karst and Istrian landscape, often inspired the artists’ themes and subjects. Such a stimulative environment prompted the Trieste artists to abandon the figurative realism and encourage the younger generations of Slovenian fine artists to open up to the impulses of modernism, which was then gaining ground in the world.

The wider Slovenian public became familiar with the “painters of the Slovenian Littoral” during the Free Territory of Trieste (1947–1953). In compliance with the contemporary fine art principles, Milko Bambič (1905–1991), Jože Cesar (1907–1980), Avgust Černigoj (1898–1985), Bogdan Grom (1918), Robert Hlavaty (1897–1982), Avrelij Lukežič (1912–1980), Lojze Spacal (1907–2000) and Rudolf Saksida (1913–1985) pursued a rigorously outlined vision: they aspired towards perfection of form, manifested in superbly captured subjects and transparent artistic structure, as well as simple, unconstrained expression that often verged on pure painting.

Exhibition curated by: Vid Lenard, MA; Expert advisor: Prof. Dr. Peter Krečič, University of Primorska
UGM borrowed 11 works from the gallery collection: works by Lojze Spacal, Albert Sirk, Avgust Černigoj and Rudolf Saksida.