Gnoj je zlato regional exhibition
The aim of the National Thematic Exhibitions of the Public Fund for Cultural Activities, which have been held since 2008, is to encourage amateur artists to think about the possibilities of creative expression, to improve their knowledge and skills, and to find new artistic solutions. This year, the 10th National Thematic Exhibition was held under the theme "Manure is gold". It is a thought that Srečko Kosovel copied from the cover of an agricultural manual and gave it a completely new dimension by translating it into the constructivist poem Kons. 5. As 2026 will mark the centenary of Kosovel's death, we have chosen his verse as the starting point for the 10th anniversary national thematic exhibition.
The theme is based on the exploration of used, discarded, waste, "non-artistic" materials and found objects, which take on a completely new look and meaning in the artistic compositions. The artists used different artistic approaches to explore the visual, narrative and aesthetic side of "rubbish". The focus was on the study of waste materials and everyday objects related to environmental issues and sustainable development.
The first part of the project is to hold eight regional thematic exhibitions in 2025, and selected works from these eight exhibitions will be on display at a national exhibition next year. The regional exhibition for the South Primorska region is on show at the Pavlovec Gallery in Ilirska Bistrica right now. 28 works of art were submitted to the call for entries from the Koper, Izola, Piran, Postojna, Sežana and Ilirska Bistrica branches, i.e. in the South Primorska Region. The regional selector, Polona Škodič, chose 15 of them, including a work by the Bistrica painter Neva Macarol.
Similar exhibitions are also being organised in other Slovenian regions these days. All regional exhibitions will be visited by the national selector Nataša Kovšca, who will choose the works for the 10th national thematic exhibition Manure is Gold, which will take place next year in Sežana. The opening of the exhibition at the Pavlovec Gallery in Ilirska Bistrica was enlivened by a performance by the Kalina women's singing group with soloist Janja Konestaba and piano accompaniment by Nina Molina.
Text and photo: Igor Štemberger
