Our Claim
Photography remains the key tool for documenting important social movements because, despite the challenges of the digital era, it maintains the position of a witness and the ability to tell stories. The exhibition Our Claim: Slovenian Protest Photography 2020-2022 presents the period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrations across Slovenia and highlights the role and meaning of photography in recording social events and valuing of our common heritage. The exhibition features more than 250 photographs by 38 photographers and will be also expanded with photographs by visitors until mid-January.
At a time when the social landscape across the world was radically marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, social movements in Slovenia adopted a distinctly engaged oppositional attitude to the systems of power in response to the consequences of the governmental measures and as a sign of dissatisfaction with the political situation in the country. This attitude was underpinned by numerous rallies, protests, acts of civil disobedience and other forms of activism. Since the beginning, the demonstrations were accompanied by several photographers who, despite working in demanding conditions, consistently documented over 170 events in the capital city and across the country.
Based on in-depth research work for the 2021 exhibition on Slovenian reportage photography, and according to the Jakopič Gallery’s mission to present and value photographic records of moments of our past and present time, 38 authors are featured at the exhibition entitled Our Claim: Slovenian Protest Photography 2020–2022.
Selected photographs are arranged in thematic sections representing different elements of the protests. New Reality reveals the dichotomy of the public space during the anti-coronavirus measures, ranging from empty streets during the curfew to squares packed with people during rallies. The Words appearing on the banners, manifests, in slogans and poetry express the protesters’ ideals and demands, strengthen solidarity and co-shape the public discourse, while the Symbols – spanning from established motifs, such as flags and flowers, to current ones including bicycles and face masks – are building the visual image of the demonstrations and, in turn, our collective imagination. The photographic portraits give emphasis to the faces of the protests, strengthening their individual voices and at the same time pointing to the inclusive nature of social activism engaging public personalities as well as random individuals.
Each protest is a performance in which with their planned and co-ordinated actions the participants communicate their beliefs to the public. Choreographed motions, chanting, and the use of costumes, masks and props serve as the means to express either disagreement or support and with their colourfulness add to the recognisability of a protest. Amongst other things, photography is a tool for documenting responses to demonstrations, and its task is to record interactions between the protesters, the public, and the representatives of authorities, including conflicts and repression. The last section of the exhibition is thus devoted to portraits of the photographers, shedding light on their joint efforts and the challenges they encountered in their fieldwork.
The idea to collect these photographs to form their combined archive took shape during the very first public actions in 2020, and was growing stronger up until the last wave of demonstrations prior to the parliamentary elections in April 2022. During the process of designing the exhibition, a community of 19 professional and amateur photographers from different generations was established. This community regularly photographed the protests and co-shaped the exhibition in the Jakopič Gallery together with the curators Julija Hoda and Metod Blejec.
The selection of photographs presented at the exhibition is the outcome of lively collaboration further enriched by the works of 19 photographers selected following an open call. Moreover, in aiming to unveil the widest range of perspectives on our collective experience the exhibition also gives space to visitors who wish to share their own photographic impressions of that period.
The exhibition of Slovenian protest photography shows the role and meaning of the photographer in recording social events and valuing our common heritage, striving to assemble individual photographic fragments to create a document of the period that will become our claim.
Watch the video for the exhibition by the renowed Slovenian photographer Tone Stojko. And a big thank you to the group Borghesia for the music!
Colophon
Production: Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana
Curators: Metod Blejec, Julija Hoda
Photographers: Robert Balen, Metod Blejec, Luka Dakskobler, Jaka Gasar (Dnevnik), Andi Koglot, Borut Krajnc (Mladina), Gašper Lešnik (Mladina), Nik Erik Neubauer, Andrej Pezdir, Črt Piksi, Blaž Samec (Delo), Željko Stevanić (IFP), Tone Stojko, Jože Suhadolnik (Delo), Marko Vrbič, Janez Zalaznik, Peter Žiberna, Borut Živulović (F. A. Bobo), Žiga Živulović jr. (F. A. Bobo)
Open call: Simon Chang, Urša Culiberg, Igor Debevec, Božidar Flajšman, Iva Suhadolnik Gregorin, Blaž Gutman, Goran Jakovac, Ana Kovač, Aljoša Kravanja, Noemi Krese, Gregor Kuhar, Matjaž Markič, Filip Mašera Lisjak, Damian Može, Žarko Petrovič, Ivo Pogorelčnik, Matej Povše, Una Rebić, Matjaž Rušt
Expert help: dr. Marija Skočir
Graphic design: Bojan Lazarevič (Agora Proars)
Printing of photographs: O.K.vir
Realisation of the exhibition: O.K.vir, Technical Service MGML
Web application: Specto
English translations: Polona Mesec
Slovenian language editing: Katja Paladin
English language editing: Murray Bales
Public relations: Maja Čehovin Korsika
Accompanying programs: Julija Hoda, Metod Blejec, Matevž Paternoster, Janja Rebolj
This project was made possible by: City of Ljubljana, Ministry of culture RS
Media sponsors: Europlakat, TAM-TAM
Location
Slovenska cesta 9
1000 Ljubljana
T +386 1 42 54 096
T +386 1 24 12 500
E galerija.jakopic@mgml.si
Opening hours
Tuesday–Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday: Closed
1 January, 1 November, 25 December: Closed
24 and 31 December: 10. a.m.-2 p.m.
Tickets
Adults: 5 €
Students, people over the age of 60, unemployed, people with disabilities: 3 €
Family ticket: 12 €
ICOM, PRESS, SMD, students of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, VIST – Higher School of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering – OTGO, Faculty of Design: Admission free
Guided tours of the exhibition: every Saturday at 4.30 p.m. (included in the admission fee)
Join the Friends of the Jakopič Gallery. The € 12 annual membership fee includes numerous benefits and exclusive events. Click here for more information.
News
After presenting women architects and photographers working in the period 1850-1950, the Jakopič Gallery will be hosting a mid-career retrospective of the French-born Slovenian photographer Klavdij Sluban entitled Elsewhere Here from the end of March, and from the end of September we are presenting a group photography exhibition with the title Our Claim: Slovenian Protest Photography 2020-2022, which aims to compile and present a photographic record of the period from March 2020 to April 2022, marked by the covid-19 pandemic and protests across Slovenia.