XXIX. International Arts Colony

In recent years I have noticed that the term “multiculturalism” is used less and less, if it is mentioned at all. And yet not so long ago it was on everyone’s lips, from politicians and journalists to those who genuinely live multiculturalism. What, then, has led us to avoid and distance ourselves from this concept and from this way of living together? In 2010 Angela Merkel stated resignedly that attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany had “failed, completely failed”. She said that the “multikulti” concept, in which people of different cultures live happily side by side, does not work, and called for greater integration of immigrants. Her statement marked a significant shift in German and, more broadly, European policy.

Today, unfortunately, the world is turning towards sovereigntism, or closing in on itself. For art, however, this is something utterly unimaginable. Throughout history, the visible and inner message of art has been enriched and elevated above all through the interweaving of different cultures, since without them the body of art as a whole would be far less vibrant. It is hard to imagine what the world’s museums and galleries would look like if all works of art reflecting cultural diversity were removed from them. In art, multiculturality is a sine qua non, and without it there is no depth or true meaning. Anyone can point to abundant evidence of this.

When I hear people speak, for example, about the Polynesian islands, I see Gauguin’s paintings of Tahiti – in other words I see them through the eyes of a Frenchman, not a Polynesian. I love Venice above all when the sun breaks through the mists rising from the lagoon. Yet in my view no one – neither an Italian nor a Venetian – has conveyed such a scene with the same intensity as J. M. W. Turner, an Englishman. When I look at his Venetian paintings, which are almost abstract, to me at least they convey a definite sapore di sale.

What does multiculturalism represent and what does it really mean? Those of us who live in a bilingual border area may know a little more about this. The often-heard phrase that people who live by a border carry borderlessness in their souls sounds very poetic. It sounds appealing, but in reality coexistence is simply a process that must be constantly nurtured and, above all, accepted. This process is, of course, somewhat closer to you if you use the languages of two different cultures on a daily basis and have had friends from both or several cultures since childhood. Yet it is art which, through its exclusively aesthetic language, continually confronts us with countless stories we should all reflect on. We are living in a time of rising racism, which poisons everything from social networks to educational and public spaces and brings violence. I am convinced that only coexistence and culture in all its forms can prevent this civilisational collapse. It is art, in particular, that is a kind of humus from which the culture of multiculturalism springs. It is enough, for example, simply to observe the behaviour of people viewing works of art in a museum or gallery. As one, they respond profoundly to the impulses that art evokes. Among them there is no trace of intolerance, racism or chauvinism, even though they come from different races, cultures and nationalities.

For painters, multicultural encounters have always been very important. And this is exactly what is provided by the International Fine Arts Colony at Križanke in Ljubljana, which this year arrives at its twenty-ninth edition. Just as in all the previous editions, this summer’s Ljubljana Festival offers visual artists the opportunity to work within an intensive creative world in which all genres of art mix and mingle, in an atmosphere of synergy and the exchange of intercultural and interpersonal experiences. Ljubljana is not just a green capital, it is a city that has for some time been intensively building up its cultural content and image through significant investments in culture. Organised by the Ljubljana Festival, the colony offers eight painters – from Slovenia and various other countries – the opportunity to spend a week as our guests, blending the world of musical impulses provided by the evening concerts with their own world of visual creation.

This year’s participants will include artists from Japan, Belgium, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and China, as well as artists from Slovenia. Once again this year, we will be joined by the well-known multimedia artist Lado Jakša, who will be with us for the entire week. The colony concludes with the opening of an exhibition in the Knights’ Hall of the works produced over the course of the week. On this occasion Lado Jakša will offer a musical and visual presentation of his own vision of the participating artists’ work and creative process.

I wish the participants an enjoyable stay in Ljubljana and, above all, successful work. 

Tomo Vran
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