33rd Slovenian Book Fair in the sign of new books on the work and life of Jože Plečnik
The 33rd Slovenian Book Fair, which you can visit at the Congress Centre Cankarjev Dom in Ljubljana between 22nd and 26th November, will be highlighted by the publication of two new books on architect Jože Plečnik. Both books were co-published by the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana for the Plečnik Year. You can vote for Eternal Architect as the Book of the Year, or pre-order a freshly printed edition of Plečnik's Architecture in Ljubljana!
After the June publication of Eternal Architect: The Life and Art of Jože Plečnik, Modern Mystic (the book was published alongside Totaliteta Publishing House), from the pen of Dr. Noah Charney, an American author who lives and works in Slovenia, we were happy to hear that the expert committee of the book fair nominated it for the Book of the Year.
Their explanation reads:
"As we open the Eternal Architect, it feels like entering one of Plečnik's buildings, or as if we would be walking his brilliant axis from his house in Trnovo and all the way to the city centre. Images, incredible photographs, sketches, the book's design, and, of course, the text from the pen of the American expert, bring us a contemporary view on the life and work of Jože Plečnik. The book presents his work in a wider historical context, which convinces us even more that he was one of the greatest architects of the 20th century. We finally have an intense and wonderfully readable work, full of interesting data about a genius, who above everything else loved solitude and his work."
The Book of the Year is selected by votes submitted by the book fair's visitors – we will be grateful for your vote!
The Slovenian Book Fair is also the first opportunity for a glance and a possible pre-order of Plečnik's Architecture in Ljubljana, a co-publication with DESSA Gallery. Its author Andrej Hrausky, architect and expert on Plečnik's oeuvre, condensed his thoughts on the book, "The Slovenian capital is often called Plečnik's Ljubljana. And true to this name, the numerous interventions by our greatest architect left an indelible mark on the city. How well do we really know it, though? Every day we walk past his works without even noticing them. The book attempts to reveal every Plečnik's architectural work within the city. Not just that, it also presents the circumstances of their inception, which demonstrates what the everyday city life was. The book's main purpose is to explain Plečnik's architecture, teach us how to see, observe and understand it."
The book will be published in early December. At the Book Fair you will have the possibility to browse through the Slovene and English versions of the book and take advantage of the special promotional pre-order – during the Slovenian Book Fair and until 4 December the book's price is € 29 (full price will be € 34).
Both books were made possible with generous support from our numerous partners, for which we are extremely grateful!
Eternal Architect was supported by:
City of Ljubljana, Ministry of Culture, JP Vodovod-Kanalizacija Ljubljana public company, JP Ljubljanska parkirišča in tržnice public company, and the Triglav Group.
Plečnik's Architecture in Ljubljana was supported by:
Ministry of Culture, City of Ljubljana, BTC City, JP Vodovod-Kanalizacija Ljubljana public company, Triglav Group, Grafika Gracer, GRAFO LIT, Atelje Galerija gallery, Baumit Slovenija, Lafarge, M Sora, Arcadia svetila.
