Jure Cvitan, Matej Čepin, Tomaž Črnej, Andreja Džakušič, Borut Hlupič, Maja Hodošček, Robert Hutinski, Narcis Kantardžić, Bojana Križanec, Tomaž Milač, Željko Opačak, Iza Pavlina, Mark Požlep, Franc Purg, Ana Straže, Manja Vadla, Dalibor Bori Zupančič
Guest artists: Miha Kaučič, Peter Koštrun, Simon Macuh, Iva Tratnik
The exhibition From Community to Paradise, which offers an insight into recent acquisitions in the permanent collection of the Center for Contemporary Arts Celje, also provides—with guest artists participating in the show—a partial overview of contemporary art production in Celje. The exhibited artists engage with painting, drawing, photography, performance, public space projects, installation, text, and video, touching on a wide range of themes and contexts, from memory and history, communication and perception, environment and community, activism and social movements, to the fictional and the mystical. The works on display were acquired for the permanent collection over the past five years. We plan to expand the collection in the near future with works by guest artists featured in this exhibition, continuing our commitment to collecting contemporary art by Celje-based artists.
The permanent collection of the Center for Contemporary Arts Celje began to take shape in 1963, with the establishment of the Likovni salon (Art Salon). Until 1980, the acquisition policy was mainly tied to the exhibition program (works were purchased during exhibitions) and focused on artistic production across Slovenia. Since 1980, the emphasis has shifted toward acquiring works by artists whose practice significantly shapes the Celje art scene. In the past decade, the focus has been on acquiring contemporary works—through purchases and donations, and especially in collaboration with the Municipality of Celje, which, as the owner of artist studios in the Art Quarter, has enabled the inclusion of key works by Celje-based artists in the collection.
Curator: Irena Čerčnik
Text: Irena Čerčnik
Supported by: Mestna občina Celje
