In the entrance hall of the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana, a second exhibition of the project "National Gallery on a Visit" will run from 27th May to the end of June. Spring served as an inspiration for the choice of the common thread that turns to the overabundance of flowers we see in the paintings of the National Gallery of Slovenia, while the title is taken from the first verse of the playful and affectionate poem by Ivan Minatti "I gave her a flower of poppy …"
Again, like in the December exhibition "You look at me, I look at you", ten selected works of art from the National Gallery of Slovenia or their close-ups, together with verses, mostly from Slovene poets, are fanned out to show diverse meanings. The flowers have gained several connotations that in customs, literary and other works play on differently tuned chords. The meanings are neither one-sided nor simple.
For a short walk to the thought in the heart of the paintings, details have been chosen that draw from the literary motif (thus the enamoured Rinaldo and witch Armida from Torquato Tasso's poem), the flower vanitas speaks of the sensitive passing of life with short-lived butterflies, and melancholy is evoked by the cover of the memorial book in the hands of trader Hohn depicted by Matevž Langus, whereas the painting is complemented by a couple of lines from France Prešeren's sonnet. Not only the flowers but also the people and the mood preserved by the masterly brush of Kremser Schmidt, Mihael Stroy, Marija, Countess of Auersperg, Matej Sternen and other excellent painters, deserve that we stop, think and establish a dialogue. The exhibition is an invitation addressed to the Faculty of Arts and it talks of the fact that the National Gallery of Slovenia is not far and that a stroll among its works of art is a gift that we can give to ourselves.
As in December, this exhibition was set up in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana and the National Gallery of Slovenia, and with their wholehearted support.
Author of the Exhibition
Nataša Golob, PhD, Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana
Project Leaders
Tina Buh
Ivan Pirnovar
Alenka Simončič
Poster Design
Matic Svažič
27 May–28 June 2013
University of Ljubljana
Faculty of Arts, Entrance Hall
Aškerčeva 2
1000 Ljubljana