121. Modern Art in Ljubljana

With only one day in Ljubljana to site-see, and with several galleries and museums to chose from, I opted for The Moderna Galerija and its sister gallery - The Museum of Contemporary Art.

The MG has been the Slovene national institution for modern and contemporary art since 1948 - focusing on the art of the 20th-century modernism and contemporary works disseminating modernistic ideas. Along with temporary exhibitions and projects, the MG presents 20th Century / Continuities and Ruptures, the permanent collection of Slovene 20th-century art.

Here there are several rooms exhibiting fine examples of 20th century artworks - these are just a few that caught my eye ...  

Morning in the Forest - Matej Sternen - 1905

At the Piano - Rihard Jakopic - 1907 

Man with Carriage - Ivan Grohar - 1910

Hill with a Church - Nande Vidmar - 1922

Eve - Lojze Dolinar - 1922

Read Haired Girl - Fran Tratnik - 1925

Family Portrait - France Kralj - 1926

Portrait of Stefka Batic - Veno Pilon - 1927

Still Life with Pear and Decanter - Veno Pilon - 1929

Street Scene - Gojmir Anton Kos - 1932

Man with Parrot - Gojmir Anton Kos - 1934

Peasant Wedding - Tone Kralj - 1936

After the Harvest - Stane Kregar - 1950

Execution Wall - Stane Kregar - 1955

Relief XIX - Rudolf Kotnik - 1966

detail ...

Painting No 4 - Tanja Spenko - 1980 

Also on exhibition at the Gallery was a retrospective show celebrating the 100th annisersary of the birth of one of Slovenia's greatest artists - Gabrijel Stupica.

I found his early works very interesting but I have to say his later works left me rather wanting - so I haven't included them - my apologies to the gallery.

 

 Portrait of a Sculptor - 1938

Still Life with Black Radishes - 1939

Man with Pipe - 1942

Self-Portrait - 1945

Boy with Watermelon - 1946

Old Men - !947

Lucija in Period Dress - 1953

 

Portrait of Malenka Stupica - 1953

 

 Girl with a Bouquet - 1957

 

Self-Portrait in the Studio - 1963

 

Portrait of Metka Krasovec - 1973

Mikado and Cards - 1977

Pomegranates in a Basket - 1979

Self-Portrait - 1986

Studio - 1987

Peasant with Watermelon - 1989

Also in the grounds around the Gallery were several unnamed sculptures ...

After my visit to the The Moderna Galerija I shot across town to The Museum of Contemporary Art. 

This is a stunning museum building making brilliant use of a new structure cleverly coupled with a  renovated 19th century building ... however the exhibition of installations making use of abstract space left me scratching my head with puzzled wonder and angry that I had paid good money to view the exhibition ... those are the only kind words I can think of ...

I don't think chucking a few bits of old timber on the floor and calling it art shows any clever imagination from either the artist nor the curator - sorry folks.

But right next door was the wonderful Metelkova Centre ( see blog 120 ... ) 

and the artists there sure knew a thing or two about creativity 

- and entry to their art space is free ... !!! ...