Exhibitions

Ivan Cankar, a Slovenian author, playwright and essayist born in 1876 in Vrhnika, spent a few years of his life in Ljubljana. Having returned from Vienna to Ljubljana, he established himself on Rožnik Hill which today forms part of the Tivoli, Rožnik and Šišenski hrib landscape park.

The exhibition, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, presents the key events that took place in Ljubljana during the occupation. It highlights the everyday lives of residents during the war, their personal choices, the violence of the occupiers, and the organized resistance. Through individual stories, it reveals the difficult dilemmas people faced in the most challenging times and encourages visitors to reflect on peace, war, and the culture of nonviolence – themes that remain relevant to this day.

The exhibition is part of the major inter-institutional project Baroque in Slovenia and presents frescoes by the painter Josef Mayr, which were taken down from the ruins of the Križ Manor near Komenda in 1947. The installation takes the visitor into a recreated image of the salon, known in later literature as the billiard room, which was decorated with Mayr's frescoes.

EXHIBITION EXTENDED || Zora Stančič is an established visual artist who, through her extensive body of work, actively shapes contemporary Slovenian fine art. She explores the boundaries of printmaking and its role in modern visual language. Her first such comprehensive presentation at the City Art Gallery Ljubljana offers a thorough selection of graphic artworks, focusing on the diversity of narrative motifs and in-depth exploration of technical and formal execution. The exhibition is curated by Sarival Sosič, PhD, who places the exhibition within the broader context of contemporary artistic practices.

An exhibition of archaeological findings discovered during the construction of the multifunctional Emonika complex not only unveils the past but also establishes an important connection between the city's history and its future. Just as ancient Emona was a significant urban centre, Emonika in modern Ljubljana will represent a new crossroad of life, culture and innovation.  

Full of symbolism, vibrant colours and bold patterns, the photographs of contemporary Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh (1974) aim to reflect and raise awareness. Through her exceptional visual language, the photographer's work highlights pressing global issues such as inequalities in access to water, food or education, and the abuse of power, while advocating for the empowerment of women. We present her work at the exhibition On the Edge of Past Future, produced by Fotografie Forum Frankfurt (FFF).

Listen to the story of Ljubljana Mayor Ivan Hribar in Villa Zlatica.

How well do you know the rich history of Slovenian capital? Pile-dwellers, Emona, Middle and New Ages, the 20th and 21st centuries… what is the history of Ljubljana? Get to know Ljubljana's past - see the chronological presentation of Ljubljana’s millennia of heritage with precious authentic artefacts, like the world's oldest wooden wheel with an axle!