ABOUT THIS YEAR’S TOPIC
Inside the sphere of intimacy and community, we’re interested in the myriad ways kinship is formed in families both biological and chosen. From open relationships to throuples, how has the relationship unit changed and what kind of dilemmas does it open? Is there a future for the conventional nuclear family and why are tradwives becoming a lifestyle brand? Despite the effort toward body positivity, how difficult is it to feel comfortable in one’s own skin? And how does our own relationship with the body translate into sex and kink? What kind of togetherness is formed in the digital sphere and does it open new possibilities of coexisting or hinder old ones? When homes are lost in conflicts and disasters, entire communities displaced, how can a zone of comfort be made anew? In parallel to the sphere of human relationships, comfort is packaged and sold, commodified to push products and promised to us in the forms of period pads, streaming platforms and comfort foods. Is materialism an acceptable refuge or is it paralysing us into Wall-E’s post-apocalyptic space humans? Are we not comfortable enough or too much so for our own good? In this issue, we seek to explore comfort and care as struggles for physical, sexual and emotional liberation, as well as the often dangerous consequences of retreating into our comfort zones.
ABOUT LJUBLJANA ART WEEKEND
Ljubljana Art Weekend was founded by RAVNIKAR Projects in 2021. The connecting platform, much like its international counterparts, is designed to foster interconnectedness between local and regional public institutions, galleries, independent project spaces and other artistic initiatives. Each May since 2022, the three-day programme is packed with exhibition openings, workshops, performances, talks and guided tours, where visitors have the opportunity to meet artists, curators, collectors and other art professionals.
ABOUT ETC.
The international magazine ETC. is designed to bring together artists, curators, writers and publishers who work in the field of contemporary art. As the magazine is focused on a different social / environmental / political issue in each publication, it is designed to be a platform for diverse voices and opinions from all over Europe, contributing to a wider understanding of a certain issue and the recontextualisation of a border-defined narrative. Today more than ever, there is a need to start a dialogue and begin open conversations. By building a network of young critical minds from completely different backgrounds, the magazine aims to do just that.
Their team consists of Slovenian curators and gallerists from different creative fields: Galerija Fotografija gallery, RAVNIKAR Projects, DobraVaga and Look Back and Laugh publishing house. The core editorial and curatorial team consist of Hana Čeferin, Ajda Ana Kocutar and Lara Mejač. Each year we are joined by a guest curator from the region.
The magazine, published once a year, presents young emerging artists from Slovenia and abroad through a different relevant topic chosen each time. The aim of the magazine is to create a medium for showcasing current international and local artistic production and contributing to a better connection between Slovenian contemporary art and the wider international art scene, with the goal of establishing a common space in the field of emerging arts in Europe.
Each year, the ETC. team also organises an exhibition cycle and a discursive programme linked to the current issue of the magazine. From 2024 the magazine is also running the art direction of Ljubljana Art Weekend, Slovenia’s biggest annual contemporary art event.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
In collaboration with galleries, public institutions, off spaces, NGO’s and the Art Academy we are preparing a diverse programme of exhibitions, art walks, round table discussions, performances and screenings. This year LJUBAW is collaborating with more than 30 partners and 50 art professionals.
Their curated programme includes established formats such as Artwalks, Meet Cute, Off the map, ETC. discussions, main exhibition and LJUBAW party.
Artwalks are guided curated walks conceptualised by different curators and artists, which give the audience completely new insights into the artistic production in Ljubljana through the eyes of different art professionals.
The artwalks for LJUBAW 2025 will be carried out by Chus Martinez (Artistic director of 36th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts); Mara Ambrožič (Director of The Piran Coastal Galleries) and Manca G. Renko (historian, author, editor and founder of the independent publishing house No!Press).
Meet Cute is a networking event connecting artists & curators. That kind of format creates new connections between the local art scene and the international professional community, as well as valuable new opportunities for prospective emerging young artists.
Participants in LJUBAW 2025 Meet Cute are: Eva Kovač (Artistic director, Das Weisse Haus, Vienna), Andreja Hribernik (Director, Kunsthaus Graz), Judit Szalipszki (curator, Trafo Gallery, Budapest), Barbara Gregov (curator, Organ Vida, Zagreb), Miha Colner (curator, GBJ – Božidar Jakac Art Museum, Kostanjevica na Krki, Slovenia)
Off the map programme takes guests to a more remote part of Ljubljana and, through a curated walking tour, introduces the artistic initiatives and organisations in this area, offering an insight into how a particular community in the city operates. For this edition, we’re going to visit the neighborhood Šiška, set a short distance from the city centre.
The curatorial team of the magazine is also preparing a main group exhibition that will take place during Ljubljana Art Weekend. The main location of the exhibition will take place in Mala galerija BS in the center of Ljubljana, and will also serve as the info point of Ljubljana Art Weekend.
One of the main events this year will be the official LJUBAW party, preceded by a discursive programme, which will take place in a central location in the inner courtyard of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts on Saturday, 24 May. The party will feature well-known local DJs.
ETC. Magazine – www.etcmagazine.art
Ljubljana Art Weekend – www.ljubljanaartweekend.com
