On Thursday, the center of the second edition of Ljubljana Art Weekend initiative will be in Cukrarna Gallery, where two round tables will take place: Space for Work: The (In)accessibility of Studios and Art Magazines for the 21st Century: Amid Challenge and Perspective.
17.00
Space for Work: The (In)accessibility of Studios
To speak of the studio is to speak of the space where all artistic production begins. It is the space where the artist's idea first materialises. The ambition of the artist's idea, the dimensions of the piece and the physical manifestation of the work all depend on the right working space. But in times when property prices are skyrocketing, a (suitable) working space is only accessible to a few. Artists are forced to organise and network themselves; some give up their art practice altogether, or – at best – limit production in one way or another.
The City of Ljubljana rents out space units of just over 17,000 m² free of charge for artistic creation and the work of non-government organisations within the cultural sphere. How and to whom are the studios accessible? To what extent are they used and how are the calls for applications determined? What about the availability of spaces for the needs of artistic production elsewhere? What examples of good practice are there and where is there room for (much-needed) improvement?
Participants: Mateja Demšič, Head of the Department for Culture of the City of Ljubljana; Saša Nabergoj, Director of Škofja Loka Museum; Tanja Lažetić, visual artist; Stojan Pelko, GO! 2025 Programme Director; Andrej Škufca, visual artist
Moderated by: Maja Kač, cultural editor at MMC RTV Slovenia
19.00
Art Magazines for the 21st Century: Amid Challenge and Perspective
At least three things have been in crisis since modern times: media, art and criticism. Despite the constant gloomy prophecies of an end, none of this has disappeared, but we are witnessing new initiatives. One of them is art publications.
What does it mean in 2023 to create a medium dedicated to contemporary art practice? How important is the platform (print, web, text, podcast) and how does it change depending on the content and the target audience? Are art publications meant to promote and question art, or are they an art form in their own right? Is art too much about PR and not enough about polemics? Are they niche projects by people who hermetically seal themselves off in artistic heights, or are they intended for a wider readership? What are the pitfalls of the former and what of the latter? How important is the local focus in a global world, or rather in a local setting with a global perspective? Manca G. Renko, editor of Cukr magazine, will discuss what and how we read, write, speak, hear and edit with the editors from ETC., Šum, Blok, Kajet and Artforum.
Participants: Kate Sutton, Artforum; Kathryn Zazenski, Blok; Petrică Mogoș & Laura Naum, Kajet; Hana Čeferin, ETC.; Tjaša Pogačar, Šum
Moderated by: Manca G. Renko, Cukr
Organization: Cukrarna Gallery in cooperation with Ljubljana Art Weekend initiative