Alexandria National Museum
The well set out Alexandria Museum, housed in a beautiful Italianate villa, portrays the Pharaonic, the the Greco-Roman, the Islamic and modern periods on three main floors. more...
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel, 20 km from Sudanese border is one of the best known temples sites, the great temple dedicated to Rameses II and the one dedicated to his beloved queen Nefertari. The temple was moved block by block and rebuilt 65 metres higher to save it from inundation in Nasser Dam project. more...
Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo
Al-Azhar Mosque is one of Cairo's oldest mosques. Its university was established in AD 988, and was at one time one of the world's pre-eminent centres of learning. The mosque is a harmonious blend of architectural styles, built over a thousand years. more...
Alpine Slovenia
Slovenia in its location south of the Alps is largely known for the stunning alpine features of its north-west, with picturesque high mountains, high pastures, lakes and rivers. Particularly the lake Bled and Bohinj have always attracted a large international public. more...
ANZAC Parade
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps have commemorated their participation and their fallen since World War 1 with the ANZAC Day ceremony and march. more...
Ljubljansko Barje
Sasha Ceferin invites you to visit the unique Ljubljansko Barje/Marshes to the south of Ljubljana and enjoy the serene beauty and mystery of the area, with its unique flowering plants, birds and insects, and the ancient history of the lake dwellers and the 5000 year old wooden wheel. You are invited to share your own visual experiences of Slovenia by contributing an album for publication in the Slovenian Photolog. more...
Cerkniško jezero - Autumn
The lake of Cerknica has perplexed people since ancient times. The Greek historian Strabo (63BC-23AD) called it Lucus Lugeus -the Mourning Lake. It was not until Valvasor explained how the water system worked in the 17th century that this periodic or intermittent lake was fully understood. For his efforts Valvasor was made a member of the Royal Society in London in 1697. - Cerknica is a polje above a collapsed Karst cavern full of sinkholes, potholes, syphons and underground tunnels, that can stay dry for much of the year and then flood. The surface area of the lake can reach almost 40sq km. It is a popular recreational area for fishing, windsurfing, swimming and ice skating in winter. more...
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Chadstone is the great shopping centre of south east Melbourne. It claims to be the largest such centre in the southern hemisphere, and is still growing. It is stylish, spacious, pleasant to walk through and offering a wide range of services and goods, including a cinema complex, and full range of designer clothes shops. Most importantly it offers extensive parking facilities. more...
Dendara Temple
The temple of Dendara is situated 60km north of Luxor. It is also known as the Sistrum Temple, since it was conceived as an enormous musical instrument in which the harmonies of the cosmos were brought together. It is dedicated to the Hathor, who is the mother goddess and also the goddess. more...
Edfu - The Temple of Horus
Edfu, know to ancients as Hebau is situated around 100 km south of Luxor, on the west bank of the Nile. It was at one time the capital of Upper Egypt and the house to Horus, the god represented by the falcon whose wings symbolize the extension of the cosmos. more...
Gates and Lanes of Old Ljubljana
Old Ljubljana is a fascinating blend of old and new. The medieval foundations and structures were changed and renovated in subsequent centuries. A walk through "stara Ljubljana" on both sides of the river is a panoramic walk through past centuries and a most rewarding experience. more...
Geelong Festival
Slovenian organizations in Victoria celebrate a biannual common festival to which they all contribute. The series of photos is a record of the 8th Slovenian Festival celebrated in Geelong, Victoria on 6th April 2002. more...
Goričko Castle
Grad, near the town Grad in Goricko - the region of 511 sq km north of river Mura - is one of the largest castles in Slovenia. It was first mentioned in 1214. In recent past it served as the administrative centre of the region, and at present functions also as regional museum. more...
Grape picking in Pomurje
Grape picking time is a time of festivals in Slovenia's wine regions.The vine is grown intensively in Pomurje. These days people are invited from all over Slovenia to join in grape-picking, refreshments and entertainment offered. more...
Green spaces of Ljubljana
Ljubljana is a green city. Beside the tree plantations on the banks of Ljubljanica, tree-lined streets and the magnificent central park Tivoli, it abounds in smaller parks between tall apartment houses, and luscious gardens. more...
Hrastovlje
The fortified church of Hrastovlje in Slovenian Istria is a unique monument of Gothic art and a historical document. It has retained its high walls, and vivid frescoes, particularly the Dance of Death, the only complete fresco of this charateristic image of European religious baroque painting. more...
The Temple of Karnak
The Temple of Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to Theban gods and the greater glory of the pharaohs. Everything is on a gigantic scale. The Amun Temple enclosure alone measures some 260,000sq metres. Built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated over 1500 years, Karnak was the important place of worship in Egypt during the height of Theban power. more...
Kom Ombo Temple
Kom Ombo or the city of gold is situated on the right banbk of Nile, around 50 km from Aswan. It became a military stronghold due to its strategic position. The temple is dedicated to two deities - Sobek the crocodile god and Haroreris the falcon god. Only parts of the temple remain, but these are exceptionally rich in well preserved images and texts and for the medical knowledge displayed. more...
Ljubljana Bridges
Ljubljana's bridges are a special and attractive part of the river Ljubljanica and the life of the city that takes place along its banks. Particularly Tromostovje/ Three Bridges is regarded as the focus and heart of the city, linking the modern Ljubljana with the old medieval core. more...
Ljubljana Castle
The castle on its hill overlooking the oldest parts of the city Ljubljana is a remarkable feature of the cityscape. It was first mentioned in 1144 . A Habsburg seat, it received its present form in 15 century. From it ruled the Habsburg family. Today it is a favourite spot for walks and relaxation, but also for receptions, concerts, weddings and exhibitions. more...
Ljubljana Castle - Vistas
Ljubljana castle is a brooding ancient presence over Ljubljana, a memorial to a turbulent past reaching far into pre-history. High on its hill it dominates the view of the visitor and provides a magnificent backdrop to the cityscape. more...
Ljubljana Courtyards
Old Ljubljana at the foot of the Castle Hill and across the river has retained some beautiful and grand buildings reaching as far as the Middle Ages and steadily growing through the following centuries. The courtyards are an interesting feature, which has been used to great effect in renovating and modernizing, offering a wonderful blend of old and new in city architecture. more...
Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia
The recorded history of Ljubljana reaches to the period of Roman Empire between 1st and 5th century of our era. Strategically located on the river Ljubljanica with a great fortified castle above, it has been prosperous throughout its history. Rebuilt several times due to earthquakes, the most recent image of the city centre is a creation of the urbanist architect Joze Plecnik, whose expressed intention it was, to make Ljubljana a worthy capital of Slovenia. more...
Ljubljana Snowbound
The enchantment of Ljubljana is greatest, when it lies white and dreamy in the early morning, under a blanket of brilliantly white, freshly fallen snow. more...
Ljubljanica River
The river Ljubljanica is rightly named for the city Ljubljana to which it has given its character, its charm and its heart. Known as the river of seven names, changing its name every time it surfaces, it starts underground in the Pivka valley and emerges finally as Ljubljanica near Vrhnika. It flows into the river Sava after it has taken its course through Ljubljana. more...
Luxor - Sunset on the Nile River
Felucca is the ancient Egyptian broadsail boat. To sail on it on the gentle breezes and waters of the Nile is an experience not to be missed, especially at sunset. more...
Luxor Temple
The temple is located on the site of an older sanctuary. It was built by Hatshepsut and dedicated to the triad of Amun, Mut and Khons. Amenhotep III enlarged the shrine. The structure was further enlarged by Tutankhamun, Rameses II and Alexander the Great. Arabs later called it Al-Uqsur (The Palaces), giving the place its modern name. more...
Melbourne - city centre
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, is the second largest city of Australia. Its central district - CBD - is the business, culture and entertainment centre of the well-planned and thriving city, which has been named among the most liveable cities of the world. more...
Melbourne's Bayside
Melbourne is a major port located at the mouth of the river Yarra in the Phillip Bay. The port is less used now, but its beaches are well tended and much visited for summer swimming and sunbathing, walking and cycling. Cafes and restaurants facing the sea add to the attraction of the bayside area of Melbourne. more...
Melbourne Botanic Garden
Royal Botanic Gardens are regarded among the finest in the world and are one of the best places in Melbourne to visit. The extensive gardens are within the walking distance of the Yarra River and the city centre. They are full of wild life, including fruitbats, which have taken residence high in the tree tops. more...
Mount Nanos Country
The distinctive, towering shape of the Nanos mountain dominates and shelters the south western Slovenian landscape, interspersed with villages, green valleys, vineyards, and Karst limestone buildings and walls, which give it character . Nanos is a mostly forrested plateau which stretches for 10km along the fertile Vipava valley. more...
On the Nile - Aswan to Luxor
The River Nile is the lifeline of a country that had a well developed stable civilization at the time of the temples we see today, dated as far back as 5000 years ago. Today the Nile valley provides livelihood to a large population who still live in mudbrick houses and seem to eat the same food as they did in ancient times. more...
Oz Christmas 2002
The annual multicultural Christmas celebration for the senior citizens has become a feature of Melbourne life. Slovenian community was represented for a number of years at Oz Christmas Festival - with a song and dance performance and a handicrafts exhibiton. Slovenian National Council of Victoria twice received an award for the high quality of their contribution to the celebration. more...
Planinsko Polje
Planinsko polje is a typical karstic polje, a natural grassland, on which forest growth has been prevented due to the intermittent flooding.It is 6km long and up to 3.5km wide, with river Unica meandering over its length. Pastureland in summer, the plain becomes a lake in the wet season. There is nothing to compare the beauty and magic of a landscape that becomes a lake overnight. more...
Slovenia
Slovenia is a central European country located between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. About 20,000 sq km in size, It is a land of great variety and natural beauty, featuring mountains, hills, plains, rivers and lakes, including extensive underground systems. Its capital Ljubljana is a modern city with a history reaching back to the Romans, when it was an important trade and military centre on the route between north and south of Europe. more...
Slovenian Adriatic Coast
Slovenian coastline, squeezed between the territory of Triest and Croatian Istria encompasses the port city Koper, and the recreation and tourist centres of Izola, Piran and Portorož. It includes the townships Lucija and Sečovlje with its unique Nature Museum-Sečovlje salt pans. more...
Slovenian Kras
It is a term that has entered international usage as "karst". It denotes an area of permeable karstic limestone. In geological terms it denotes a dry surface area, underground rivers, caves and intermittent lakes. Slovenian Kras has been defined by geologists as classical or primary karst. A beautiful picturesque environment, it is characterized by diverse geological formations, periodically vanishing and reappearing rivers and lakes, chasms and amazing cave systems. Stone is the main building material, lending the countryside its distinctive character. more...
Slovenia in Winter
In winter snow covers most of Slovenia, with the exception of the coastal regions, where there are only brief periods of below freezing temperature. Winter is not a comfortable season. You need protection of warm home and winter clothing. Then you can truly enjoy the beauty of snow flakes dancing in the air, the soft white festive cover of the fresh snow, the soft white shapes. For the adults there is the joy of skiing in the mountains, for the children, any hillock provides fun and training for sleighing and skiing, as practice for later serious snow sports. more...
Soča Valley
The Soča Valley extends on the western border of Slovenia from the Alps towards the sea, and is regarded as one of the most picturesques and beautiful places in Slovenia. The Soča river is 96km long,flowing from high mountains down the valley. Since ancient times it has been trade route and the site of Hallstatt culture. It has become popular for recreational activities such as rafting, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and fishing. The river is renowned for its beautiful aquamarine colour. more...
Ljubljana Castle Hill - Šance
Šance were the additional fortifications on the castle hill, housing the fighting force of the feudal lord. In 1932 Plečnik was commissioned to design and upgrade the area. The result is most pleasing, a relaxing green place of great vistas. more...
The Red Centre of Australia
Central Australian landscapes with the focus on the most famous landmarks, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Watarrka National Park with Kings Canyon, West Mac Donnell Ranges with Standley Chasm, and Finke River in flood on Stuart Highway - Alice Springs to Adelaide more...
Ljubljana of Jože Plečnik
Joze Plecnik has left his mark on three European cities, Vienna, Prague and Ljubljana. Ljubljana became for him a life's work in urban planning. He built magnificent public buildings and parks, and regulated the flow of Ljubljanica river so that it no longer flooded and became a focus for city life. more...
Jože Plečnik - Sluice Gates
The architect urbanist Joze Plecnik envisaged the sluicegates as a monumental farewell of the river Ljubljanica on its exit from the Ljubljana city centre. more...
400 Years Old Vine Festival in Victoria
A cutting of the 400 years old vine of Maribor was brought to Victoria by Vinko Rizmal. It was auctioned and bought by McWilliams Vinery. It was agreed that Slovenes hold an annual vine festival at McWilliams Vinery in Dandenongs. It has become a popular event for Slovenian community. more...
400 Years Old Vine Festival in Maribor
The grape vine on the Lent in Maribor has been officially recorded as the oldest vine in Europe and entered into the Guiness Book of Records. The annual 400 year old vine festival in October is attended by the representatives of European countries, from all over Slovenia and the local population. The grape picking is a great event, and the wine pressed from the grapes is presented to important visitors, such as Bill Clinton. more...
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The museum is located in the centre of Cairo, a red neo-classical building and outstanding in its wealth of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the golden mummy case of Tutenkahmun and part of his treasures. more...
The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road - built after the 1st World War - is one of the greatest tourist attractions of Victoria. With its beautiful ocean beaches, and its scenic forested hinterland - streams, valleys and native plant and birdlife - it is a unique experience for the nature lover. more...
The Great Ocean Road Hinterland
The Hinterland of the Great Ocean Road - named Lorne State Park - is a picturesque forested area of valleys, rivers and waterfalls. There are hotels, camping grounds, rest areas, well marked walks, and great views of the ocean. more...
The Pyramids of Egypt
The Pyramids were regarded by the ancients as one of the seven wonders of the world. The great pyramid of Giza was the world's tallest building till the construction of the Eifel Tower in 1889. It was 146.59 m high, and the world's first stone monument. Built during the period 2650 BC and 1069, they are generally regarded as pharaohs tombs. However this is not the most recent academic opinion. It is clear,that they exhibit scientific and technical knowledge in some respects superior to ours and demonstrate a deep religious and symbolic significance. It is still a puzzle how the pyramids were built on such a scale and precision. more...
Rameses II at Memphis
Memphis, near Cairo, was the capital of the Old Kingdom. Little remains of its ancient glory but a colossal 10.metre limestone statue of Rameses prostrate, sculpted from a single block of calcareous stone originally 14 m high and an alabaster Sphinx with the features of Amenhotep II, opposite the temple of Ptah. more...
The Temple of Abydos
The construction of the Temple at Abydos was begun by Seti I and completed by his son Rameses II with the addition of a pylon and two courtyards now ruined. Today it is distinguished for the beauty of wall paintings which have retained much of the original colour and life. more...
The Temple of Isis at Philae
The Philae complex is a group of temples, the largest of which is dedicated to Isis, and characterised by apparent disorder in the elements of which it is composed. The temple was moved stone by stone to its present position to save it from submersion in the waters of Nasser Dam and reopened in 1980. more...
The Temple of Hatshepsut
The charisma of the queen Hatshepsut has endured over millenia and earned her a place among great Egyptian sovereigns. Her temple is highly unusual, the work of architect Senmut. It had been destroyed and then rebuilt stone by stone in 1891, but it can never again match the magnificence of the past. more...
The Valley of the Kings
The Royal Necropolis was used for burial for a time, from the 18th until the end of 20th dynasty. The pillaging of the treasures could not be controlled, and the place was abandoned. Today the tombs offer a wealth of knowledge about the lives and beliefs of these ancient people and their civilization. more...
Slovenian art in Australia
The exhibition opened on 6th July 2002, at the Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre SS Cyril and Methodius in Melbourne, on the occasion of the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The works displayed are by a group of well-known Victorian artists of Slovenian background. Among them are painters who exhibit work in Australia and overseas. The curator was Ivo Leber, who had already taken an exhibition of Australian Slovenian artists to Slovenia, Italy and Austria a few years ago. Thematically, the exhibition reflects the Slovenian background of the painters. Dominant are Slovenian and Australian landscapes and Slovenian cultural and religious themes. There are also beautifully crafted still-lifes painted in oil or acrylic. Prominent among the exhibited works are three striking canvases of Zorka Cernjak, on the theme of childhood experience of Slovenian fairy-tale motifs, painted in a sophisticated naïve style. Noteworthy are also the beautiful mosaics of Lojze Jeric, executed in glass mosaics and natural stone. The Galeria Sloveniana's first online exhibition is a significant art event. It is the beginning of an exciting new venture. With the creation of the online gallery, the artist and his work can reach out to all the corners of the globe. more...
Medinat Habu
This is a magnificent temple, second in size only to the temple complex at Karnak. It is closely associated with the god Amun. The dominant feature is the enormous funerary temple of Ramses III. more...
Andrew Potocnik
As artist, I continually find inspiration to explore new directions in creating from wood, as a material that gives expression to our view of the world. I continue to explore all those wonderful qualities every piece of wood conceals, just needing a sympathetic cut to expose it to those who see it as nothing more than a renewable resource, ready to be exploited, rather than appreciated.
As teacher, I endeavour to pass on knowledge to my students, hoping that they too will be inspired to explore wood celebrating it as a living material growing around us that can lend shape to the ideas conjured in our minds. I gain enormous enjoyment from seeing people of other cultures explore their wood, how they expose and celebrate its beauty, and how it is integrated into their culture and general existence.
Andrew Potocnik is a prominent Australian artist, renown for exceptionally beautiful wood sculptures. In the words of Kaye Phillips-Webb, he is “a wood turner and sculptor of distinction”, and today “one of Australia’s most talented artists”.
His work is well-recognised in Australia and abroad. Pieces are held in collections of several museums in the U.S.A., including the prestigious Los Angeles County Museum of Art.Works, and are owned by private and corporate collections, such as the Texas State Bank Corporate Collection, U.S.A. He has exhibited extensively in Australia - including the Melbourne Museum, in Munich, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Andrew was born in Melbourne, in 1963. of Slovenian parents. Andrew’s passion for wood began in the Arts and Crafts classes, when he discovered wood as a medium of artistic expression.
Winner of numerous prestigious state and national awards, Andrew has participated in Arts and Crafts exhibitions and competitions both as exhibitor and judge. He is a regular contributor of articles and reviews and editorials for books and magazines, and has travelled widely, collecting rare pieces of wood and drawing inspiration from a diversity of cultures.In the course of his professional life, Andrew has achieved, as he says, a satisfying balance between teaching and developing his own work.
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Dekleva - Gregorič Arhitekti
What might be characteristic for the work of Aljoša Dekleva (1972) and Tina Gregorič (1974) aka Dekleva Gregorič architects is their eagerness to probe the boundaries of each of their project, to explore the various possibilities, to question and challenge the obvious. more...
Ofis Arhitekti
Ofis Arhitekti, was established in 1996 by Rok Oman and Špela Videčnik, both graduates from the Ljubljana School of Architecture. Before completing their postgraduate studies at London's AA Design Research Laboratory in 2000, they had already won several prominent competitions. Since then their impressive portfolio places them at the highest echelon of the Slovene and international architectural scene. more...
Aboriginal Garden
Australian Aboriginal Garden is a project of Monash University,in Melbourne, to be launched in late 2010. It represents a significant part of Monash University parkland development and upgrade. more...
The Library of Grosuplje
The City Library of Grosuplje/Mestna knjžnica Grosuplje was opened to the public in February 2007. It had been planned as a regional centre for culture, information, education, and a social centre for the community. It wast to incorporate the old town house gifted to the town council for the purpose and a new modern building. Two architects collaborated on the challenging concept, Miloš Florjančič and Matej Blenkoš. who received the Plečnik Award for the new addition. The interiors design was the work of Kaja Lipuh Vehovar, Arnej Vehovar and Nena Gabrovec. The library space of 2,000 sq metres is visited daily by about 700 visitors, and possesses about 80,000 units. It is regularly visited by architects, many from Czech Republic and Germany. The Library is outstanding for open spaces, but also for availability of personal and intimate spots, offering a newspaper cafe, literary evenings and smaller galleries. Dutch organization Naple included it in their selection of the best and and most original libraries of Europe. Six Slovenian libraries were included. more...
Toman Garden in Spring
The full beauty of the hillside garden is revealed in spring, when its construction of pathways, stairways and terraces is revealed, while the first blossoms of spring begin to fill the spaces with their colours and shapes. This is the early spring,and garden is already full of promise of blossoming and fruiting to come as greadually spring turns into summer and autumn. more...
Kostel: Mirtoviški potok
The Mirtoviški potok is one of the many streams winding their ways amnog the hills and valleys towards the mighty river Kolpa which now marks the divide between the Slovenian and Croatian territory- One can walk to the source of the lively stream along a narrow path, always accompanied by the sound of running water, bird song and an abundance of field flowers,many of them herbs sought for their beneficial properties.The walk, with many stops for taking photos of breathtaking scenery, takes about an hour, and is wonderfully refreshing- It is only one of the many such walks along streams in the Kostel region. more...
Easter in Slovenia - Kamna gorica
Traditional Easter celebrations are still alive in contemporary Slovenia, particularly in the villages, where interest in these traditions, which combine the pre-Christian and Christian elements, is on the increase. The snapshots have been taken over Easter Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday on 2nd to 4th April 2010, in the prosperous village of Kamna gorica (rocky hill) in Gorenjska, Slovenija. They follow the Friday evening service, Saturday morning blessing of fire, with which the home fires are lit, and the preparation of the Easter meal started. This is followed later by preparation of pirhi/Easter eggs according to local custom. Easter foods are taken to the church to be blessed in the afternoon. Easter service and procession take place on Sunday, when the bells begin to ring again, after being silent for the Easter period. All this is followed by general joyfulness, visiting with friends and tasting the various dishes and the traditional cake - potica. more...
Ljubljana Book Capital 2010
Ljubljana is to hold the title of UNESCO 'World Book Capital' 2010 from 23 April 2010 to 23 April 2011.It put its name forward for the first time and won the award against stiff competition from Vienna, Lisbon, St.Petersburg. “The programme with which Ljubljana made its bid is very diverse, from the promotion of literature and authors, books and reading, to promoting access to books and addresses all sections of society. The basic starting point was to include and connect all the links in the book chain, which the committee also emphasised”. It is the 10th city to hold the title. Ljubljana will host around 300 events aimed to encourage reading, develop the culture of reading, increase the accessibility of books, and present various literary genres and literatures of the world to the public. more...
Kostel, a special corner of Slovenia
Kostel is the smallest municipality of the Republic of Slovenia, tucked inside the U turn of the river Kolpa in the south-west of the country, on the border with Croatia.Its size is 57 sq km, it has 54 villages, with 700 permanent mostly aged inhabitants. At the end of the 19th century there were 3000 inhabitants. It is a karst landscape with high rocky mountain ridges, and running waters. It had not supported its inhabitants in the past, so they sought other sources of income elsewhere. Many earned their living as peddlars. The magnificent 13th century castle Kostel is the second largest in Slovenia, playing a vital role during the period of Turkish incursions to Slovenian lands. Today the land is beautiful, full of forests, running waters, caves, narrow river valleys, with walks. There is rafting and fishing on the river Kolpa, and a high quality cheese made of sheep milk is produced in the area. more...
Botanical Garden of Ljubljana
The Botanical Garden of Ljubljana celebrates its 200th Anniversary in 2010. Governor of the Illyrian Provinces, Marshal Auguste Marmont honoured the occasion by planting the linden tree which is today still the centrepiece of the garden. It is a historical memorial of the first official recognition by the French Government in the Napoleonic era, of the separate identity of Slovenian people. more...
Nande Korpnik
Architect Nande Korpnik (1962) was born in Velenje, a city which is a unique example of Slovenian urban planning. The specifics of his environment in his formative years mixed with his dynamic and analytical personality clearly contributed to his production of some most exciting architectural works in Slovenia. more...
France Gorše, Slovenian sculptor
France Gorše was born in Dolenjska/Lower Carniola in the village Sodražica, in 1897. He studied in Ljubljana, fought on the Italian Front in World War I, and after the war went to Zagreb where where he studied sculpture with Ivan Meštrović. Back in Ljubljana he soon became known for a growing opus of work. He migrated to USA in 1952, by 1970 returned to Europe, constantly developed new ways of expression in his work. He finally settled in Slovenian Koroška/Carynthia, in the village Sveče, where he worked till his death in 1986. He built a studio and gallery, and so created a monument to his creative genius. Just before he passed away, a retrospective of his works was organized in Ljubljana. Its success confirmed his standing as a Slovenian sculptor of note. more...
Slovenian Children's Literature
Slovenian children's literature reading tour - the series Forget-Me-Nots/Spominčice took place in September 2009. The organizers were Aleksandra and Sandi Ceferin of The Institute for Slovenian Studies of Victoria. Evald Flisar, Jana Bauer, Slavko Pregl, Tatjana Kokalj and Cvetka Bevc presented their children's tales at the State Library of Victoria and at the Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre in Melbourne. more...
Lipizzaner of Lipica
Lipizzaners are the world famous horse breed of the Lipica Stud Farm. Named after the Slovenian village Lipica, their history began 400 years ago, when stallions of the Andalusian, Barb and Berber breeds from the Riding School in Spain were brought to Lipica. It was in the 19th century that the six stud lines, among them the Arabian line were founded with the six stallions, which established the best qualities for which the Lipizzaner became known and are valued to present time: stamina, grace, good looks, intelligence, longevity, good nature and a talent for dancing. more...
Damanhur
Damanhur - an extraordinary and magical place near the city of Turin in Italy with underground mystical temples and mysteries for seekers and spiritual travellers. more...
The magic hillside garden of Miha Toman
Prof. dr. Mihael Toman lives in his centuries old family home, which has been beautifully renovated during the last few years. He has great interest in traditional buildings. But his particular love and occupation is his hillside garden, which he built over several years and which continues to be his chief hobby and after work-hours occupation. It has been shown on television and in a magazine on beautiful gardens of Slovenia. - The place is magic, every plant and tree in it a reflection of love for all plant life. more...
The Cow Festival 2007
The Cow Festival/Kravji bal has a long tradition, stemming from the custom of driving cows to the mountain pastures in spring and summer, where they eat the best mountain grass. They are milked by the shepherds, who send milk, butter and cheese regularly to the homestead in the valley. The return of the herd is an occasion for celebration, which has become a popular festival. more...
Yellow River, Kakadu National Park
Yellow River is the life blood of the great Kakadu National Park, about 20,000sq km in size and of the great flood plains of the world, rich in fauna and flora, and enjoying plenitude of water riches, even during the dry season. The shots were taken in December 2008, just the beginning of the wet season. more...
Nourlangie Rock
Nourlangie Rock, the Aboriginal name is Nawurlandja, and is the actual name of smaller rock outcrop at the Anbangbang billabong, is a spectacular region in Kakadu National Park in Northern Territory, Australia. The area was visited regularly as far back as 20,000 years ago. It appars to have been used more fequently after 6,000 years ago, probably because more food was available. The rock art gallery contains some outstanding representations of Aboriginal mythical figures. more...
John Kodrič, Slovenian artist in Australia
John Kodrič has pursued the love for painting for over twenty-five years in Australia. He was born in Brje, Dobravlje, Slovenia in 1941 and settled in Australia permanently in 1960. John studied art while working in New Zealand before he made the decision to stay in Australia. Since childhood John had a love for art, and came to paint prolifically for years. The formative years were spent living on a farm in the famous wine-growing Vipava Valley, in southern Slovenia.
Experience of a traditional farm life in Slovenia, had a significant impact on his life path. John gained insights into the close relationship between man and nature. He studied watercolours at VAS for three years, and found a true passion in oil painting. A natural talent, distinguished with beautiful, delicate landscapes of the Australian outback, Melbourne cityscape and seaside, he studied art and completed a diploma in visual arts at the Victorian University of Melbourne.
The exhibition shows technical advance in the study of Contemporary Realism, Surrealism, and also love for the Australian landscape. John is a member of the Victorian Artist Society and Contemporary Artist Society. He has held many solo and participated in group exhibitions in Australia, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, and Slovenia. In Slovenia his work was shown in 1996 at Grad Dobrovo - Gallery of Zoran Mušič, and in 2001 at Grad Branik. His work has been collected by: the Victorian University, Parliament House of Dublin of Ireland, German Embassy, Electricity Commission, Energy Chemical Katsuo Kojima Japan, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the Republic of Slovenia. He exhibits regularly throughout Victoria and his paintings can be viewed at Slovenian organizations throughout Australia.
In 2009 John was awarded with four first prizes in watercolour at: Exhibition of Victor Harbour, Rotary Club of Numurkah, Quenos Art Show, Altona and Ballan Vic Today.
Works can be found in private collections in: Australia, United Kingdon, New Zealand, Slovenia, USA, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, and Japan. more...
Prof. Toman's Field Garden
Prof. Miha Toman has also the traditional Slovenian field garden, set amid pastures, woods and fields of his home village. It is thriving with a variety of vegetables around the year, young fruit trees and colourful flower-rich bushes swarming with hardworking Slovenian - better known as Carniolan - bees. The garden is a joy to behold at any time of the year, even during winter when it rests beneath a thick soft blanket of snow, gathering energies for a new year of growth. more...
Slovenian Handicrafts - Sydney and Brisbane
Following the success of research into Slovenian Immigrant Handicrafts in Victoria, the Institute for Slovenian Studies of Victoria, asked for and received another grant from the Office for Slovenes Abroad, and collaborating with the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum, extended the field of research to the other states with large numbers of Slovene settlers - New South Wales and Queensland. Aleksandra Ceferin and Metka Lenarcic visited Slovenian communities in Sydney and Brisbane from 19 to 25 June 2009, and with the considerable assistance by HASA New South Wales and Slovenian club Planinka in Queensland achieved considerable results. The album is a record of the trip. more...
A.biro
The architecture of Abiro established by architects Miloš Florjaničič (1955) and Matej Blenkuš (1971) significantly marked the space of Slovenian contemporary architecture in the past ten years. Their architecture being firmly rooted in a direct lineage of Slovenian modernist and postmodernist tradition is at the same time masterfully tinkered with contemporary idioms. The architecture of two worlds stems from the specifics of their office. more...
Jože Peterkoč
In the first decade after his graduation from Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana in 1990, architect Jože Peterkoč (1962) was still highly influenced by then prevailing architectural thought in Slovene leading architectural circles. However, the mayor breakthrough for him came at the end of 1999 when the more personal poetics of space replaced the dogmas of the past. more...
Slovenia's Carnival Masks
The author of the exhibition in Tivoli Promenade, Primož Hieng, has received the Murko Award last year for his in-depth work spanning a decade of photographic documentation and description of carnival customs and traditions in Slovenia. The guiding principle of the photographer and publicist as he began to make artistic photographic recordings, systematically exploring and documenting the carnival customs of Slovenia was the study of Slovenian carnival customs "The Masks of Slovenia's Regions by the ethnologist Niko Kuret. The most important finding: carnival traditions are maintained in numerous Slovenian villages, hamlets, towns and cities. Not only that, but new carniival groups are springing up each year, searching for their own traditions in the customs of their ancestors.... more...
Ljubljana University - Doctorate
The solemnity of presentaion of doctorate, in this case by the faculty of Biotechnology take splace at Ljubljana University several times a year. The degrees are presented on this occasion by the Dean of Faculty prof.dr. Mihael Toman and the rector of the University of Ljubljana, prof. dr. Radovan Pejovnik. Each "doctorants" academic pathway is described and the work for which they have received the degree. Their mentor then describes their ScD work and its significance. There are speeches, congratulations, and Gaudeamus Igitur is sung. A rather beautiful and solemn occasion. more...
Planica, Ski Flying World Championships 2012
2012 competition was concluded in Planica, Slovenija on 24 - 25 February. Particularly exciting for the Slovenian home crowd was the great performance by the local ski champion, Robert Kranjec, who received the gold medal for the overall performance in 2012 World Cup championships. The atmosphere generated by the patriotic home crowd, that cheered thunderously and waved Slovenian flags was truly wonderful. Planica has truly come into its own in 2012 with the success of Slovenian ski jumpers, since it was designed by a Slovenian engineer between the two world wars, and was the first great ski jumping spot in the world for some time. more...
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
The Common Snowdrop / Navadni mali zvonček
The Ljubljana Botanic Garden offers an opportunity to view the plant kingdom in miniature. The view changes from season to season.
As soon as the cold of winter gives way to warmer weather, usually still in winter and that snow cover disappears, common snowdrops begin to bloom, and the ground is once more covered in white.This occurs everywhere in Slovenia, on meadows, by wayside and in the woods. The snowdrop, in Slovenian zvonček, meaning little bell is soon followed by other blooms, primroses and crocuses. But the snowdrop, which sometimes pushes its way through the melting snow, is the herald of the spring.
There is a great diversity of form within the species. The director of the Ljubljana Botanic Garden, dr. Jože Bavcon is studying this intraspecific genotypic diversity within the species, which has been observed in local populations of snowdrops differs fromone part of Slovenia to another.
The differences could be divided into the following groups:
Flower shape and size, and number of flowers on a plant as a whole,
shape of outer and inner perianth segments,
green markings of outer perianth segments,
pattern of inner perianth segments(shape, colour),
shape and colour of ovary,
spathe(shape and size), extra bracts and
leaves (number,width, colour).
The present collection, which is checked annually for stability, is comprised of 1000 units.
Ljubljana Botanical Garden is a showplace of a myriad of snowdrops every spring, drawing visitors from all over Europe.
Jože Bavcon, Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis L.) and its diversity in Slovenia. more...
17th Slovenian Days of the Book 2012
When planning the program of the 17th Book Festival, celebrated in Slovenia since 1996, we have endeavoured to achieve open, fresh, communication and confirmation of the book as the carrier of knowledge and feeling, says Evald Flisar, Slovenia’s best-selling author, 7 years President of Slovenian Writers Association, and at present the chief editor of Sodobnost, Slovenia’s foremost literary publication.
Evald Flisar tells us about the origins of the Days of the Book:
As a newly elected president of writers association heard from the writer Boris Novak that in Barcelona, every year on St George Day, on 23 April, people on the streets give each other presents of books and roses, and publishers assist them with reduced prices. This led to the idea that Slovenes might easily do the same, possibly without the roses, which bloom later in Slovenia than in Spain.
The very next year, on 23 April, 1996, the first Slovenian Book Festival took place on the terrace between Cankarjev dom and New Ljubljana Bank, with 25 stalls, where Slovenian publishers offered books for sale at a reduced price. There was also a program of recitations, readings, music and of course introductory speeches.
The book festival was conceived from the beginning in such a way that it would take place in major cities of Slovenia, and is held now in Ljubljana, Koper, Trst, Novo mesto, Celje, Velenje, and Maribor.
In Ljubljana the Slovenian Days of the Book have been held first for three days and have been more recently extended to five days, Slovenia being the only country to do so.
from: Knjiga je živa, in Dnevnik, posebna priloga, 7.aprila 2012.
In 2012, the17th book festival was held from 16 to 20 April on Congress Square/Kongresni trg in the space encompassed by the Philharmonic Hall, University of Ljubljana and the Franciscan Church of Mary’s Ascension. It was launched by Slavko Pregl, Director of Slovenian Book Agency, Ivo Svetina, Slovenian Writers Association, Zoran Jankovič, the mayor of Ljubljana and DaniloTurk, President of the Republic of Slovenia. more...
Art Nouveau Architecture in Ljubljana
The aim of the Art Nouveau movement was to arouse a sense of beauty in the general public by designing buildings and objects for everyday use. The movement started at the turn of the 20th century and quickly spread from Paris, Munich, Vienna and Berlin throughout Europe. It was called Art Nouveau in France, Belgium and Scotland, secession in Austria, Jugendstil in Germany, Liberty in Italy, and Modernismo in Catalonia.
The movement created a characteristic style of architecture, which no longer imitated eclectic styles of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classicism, but developed an original language of form. Instead of drawing on the history of architecture, the Art Nouveau principles of design drew on nature, plants, animals and earth forms. It can be recognized by its stylized plant movements, irregular organic forms, profiled lines and curves, colourful patterns and combinations of different materials such as glass, wrought iron, copper and ceramics. Opposite the flowing lines and exuberance of organic forms, we have rigid geometric patterns, quadratic grids, and black and white combinations, producing variations of forms, which became characteristic of the new style.
In addition to the departure from historical styles, Art Nouveau artists strived to create freely without any constraints of art forms and academic institutions. The result of this artistic autonomy was a multiform style, which because of its diversity, remained open to interpretations by the architects. The pluralistic language of Art Nouveau encouraged many architects at the time of the Spring of Nations to search for a national style, and opened various pathways to modern architecture.
Janez Koželj
Introduction to Photographic Exhibition on Plečnik Rsplanade in 2011:
SECESIJA
Architecture and Photography - Art Nouveau
more...
Stanislaus Rapotec, Expressionist Painter
Stanislaus Rapotec’s works are arresting, spontaneous and powerful. In his 2002 discussion of the large-scale painting Experience in the far West 1961. Daniel Thomas described Rapotec’s work as ‘explosive’ and ‘provocatively, pure abstract gestures from the subconscious’. In the words of Miriam Kelly, “Rapotec’s paintings are motivated by a personal and meditative approach to mark-making, which is inspired by memories of emigration, aspects of social and religious history, as well as his travels in Australia and abroad”. Born of Slovenian parents in Trst (Trieste), Stanislaus Rapotec (1913 – 1997) moved to Adelaide, South Australia in the late 1940s. One of the leading proponents of Abstract Expressionism in Australia, the first significant recognition for his talent came with the controversial win of the Blake Prize for religious art in 1961, the first abstract painting to be the recipient of this prize. Untitled (Hephaestos) is a fine example of the spirituality that dominated Rapotec’s artmaking throughout his painting career, it is religiosity that is not necessarily limited by Judaeo-Christianity, but also includes the myths of ancient Greece. Rich reds seemingly explode beyond the rectangular frame of the painting, an effect which is further enhanced through the use of roughly ground pigment to create texture on the board. The composition doesn’t aim to represent anything material but instead aims to capture through gesture in paint the intangible essence of Hephaestos the mythical god of fire and metal craftsmanship, otherwise known as the celestial artist. more...
Jože Jaksetič
Jože Jakšetič was born in Primorska, Slovenia and arrived in Australia in the sixties. He settled in Albury, and married. He always wanted to paint and did a course in painting at the Albury university. His first love is the landscape, and he paints mostly the landscape of the region around Albury, and also the landscapes of his native Slovenia. more...
Dolenja Vas pri Senozecah
The village nestles below the distinct eastern profile of Mount Nanos. It is known for its fertile fields, its "tabor", the round watch tower, built by Slovenian people to serve as defence and sanctuary against Turkish incursions from the 14th to 17th century. Its "fontana" on the village green beneath the chestnut trees, never ceased to flow, even in worst draught. more...
Zagorje na Pivki
Zagorje na Pivki is a village with history. In the centre stands the church of St.Helena, that used to have the sweetest sounding bells. It lies below the Šilentabor hill where a great fortress once stood. You can still see the remnants of great walls, and the church of St Martin. The tiny village Tabor nestling under the peak is a living reminder of the past and of the people that used to populate the heights in defense of the country. more...
Šilentabor
Šilentabor used to be a mighty fortress, guarding the gateway to central Europe and Slovenian territories. It stood on the heights, the last on the ridge in the chain of peaks, where they burnt the signal fires, "grmade", they gave warning of the approaching Turkish bands. The church of St. Martin has a history going back to the prehistory, the time of Illyrians and Veneti. more...
The Škocjan Caves
World heritage site The Škocjan Caves is a natural phenomenon of global significance, ranking side by side with the Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands, Mount Everest, and others.
Ranking among the most important caves in the world, Škocjan Caves represent the most significant underground phenomena in Karst region and Slovenia. Škocjan Caves were also entered on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance on 18 May 1999. Together with the underground stream of the Reka River, they represent the longest karst underground wetlands in Europe.
The exceptional volume of the underground canyon
places The Škocjan Caves among the most famous underground features in the world. more...
Anica Kodila, Home Decorator's Art
Anica Kodila is a native of Doljni Zomun near Ilirska Bistrica. She has lived in Australia for nearly fifty years and resides in Melbourne. She acquired some knowledge and skill at home. She inherited her love of needlework from her mother, who taught her to cross-stitch and embroider pillows and sheets. In Australia she greatly developed her skills and became one of the leading handicraft makers. This is an exhibition of ornamental items which Anica Kodila displays in her home for Christmas season. The rich display of objects which she designed and made herself reflects her extraordinary creativity and also the gift that she makes to her family and friends of her home at Christmas time, which is celebrated according to Slovenian tradition with a great deal of pomp and ceremony, as well as the warmth of the family home. more...
Soča Front
It was the place of the bloodiest battles in the World War I and the most savage on Slovenian territory, in terms of the fallen, wounded and maimed soldiers, and a dispossessed, rendered homeless populace. On the Austrian side the inhabitants were emptied from the villages and moved away to Carniola/Kranjska. The Austrian authorities removed 80,000 villagers from their homes in the Soča Valley and environs of Gorica (Goriška and Posočje). Italians on their side of the Soča Front exiled around 12,000 Slovenian inhabitants, dispersing them all over Italy. All these people returned to their destroyed homes and devastated fields only in 1919. more...
Gospa Sveta
Gospa Sveta (Maria Saal), Holy Lady in English, is the ancient cathedral of Carantania, the first Slovenian state. It was established by the Carynthian Bishop St Modestus in the 8th century, and is one of the oldest recorded churches under this name. They also refer to it as Santa Maria ad Carantanam or also San Maria in Solio in the Latin records. It is located above the field of Gospa sveta- Gosposvetsko polje, where the famous ceremony of investiture of Caranatanian Dukes took place. The church acquired its present appearance in the first half of the 15th century. more...
Seminar for Slovenian - 2011
Slovenian Teachers Seminar 2011, organized by Dragica Motik regularly since 1994, and supported by Slovenian government, took place this year in Koper and Ljubljana. Specialist educators introduced techers to a number of interesting methods of making language study a stimulating and interesting experience, including the use of the internet. Included in the series of workshops was discovery of Slovenia - Koper, Hrastovlje, Trst, Kras, Kobjeglava, and later the exhibition of the 20th years of Sloveniaćs statehood, in Celje. more...
Seminar 2011-teachers discover Koper
Organizers of teachers seminars place them always in an area, that would enable the participants to gain more insight into the country and its people. In 2011 the area selected was Koper, a port on the edge of Slovenian territory, but historically always possessing in its environs from ancient times a Slovenian population. Koper has become the main port of Slovenia since its statehood in 1991, and is in the process of becoming more Slovenian, although it has a mix of Italian and Croatian and Bosnian population. more...
Koper, Slovenian Gateway to the Sea
The discovery of the historical city of Koper, which had always had strong Slovenian hinterland, and has become part of the Republic of Slovenia since its independence, has formed in January 2011 part of the discovery of Slovenian lands that teachers of Slovenian around the world are offered as part of the series of pedagogic workshops. more...
Seminar 2011- teachers discover Slovenia
An integral part of the seminar for teachers of Slovenian Abroad has been planned by the organizer Dragica Motik to show the participants, most of them born outside Slovenia, the land and its people. In 2011, the seminars took place in Koper and concluded in Ljubjana. The participants investigated elements of Koper, and were taken on guided tours of Hrastovlje, Kobjeglava, Trst and Kras, and then to Celje and the exhibition of the 20 years anniversary of the state of Slovenia. more...
Pustovanje in Ljubljana 2011
Pustovanje /is the great winter festival held on Shrove Tuesday, now on Saturday or Sunday weekend before. It is a celebration of the end of winter, and a living folk festival with ancient figures presenting the pagan past with all its interesting seasonal rituals. In the parade of 2011 in Ljubljana all the main figures are represented, chief among them the ancient Korant and Koromač. more...
Gregorjevo-Floating the little boats, 2011
On Gregorjevo-St Gregory Day- a traditional celebration takes place every year, originating in Kamna gorica. On 12 March, the Eve of the day, children bring little cardboard houses on floats, with candles, and float them down the stream. They are collected at the end of the run and floated again. It is called "spuščanje barčic na Gregorjevo", and an exciting, joyful children's feast. Actually a feast of spring, since it is also a day dedicated to birds. At the same time it is comemmorates the day when shoemakers can again work during daylight hours after the long winter. - These days It is celebrated in Ljubljana on river Gradaščica and elsewhere around Slovenia. more...
Slovenian National Costumes
The Slovenian National Costume Show took place in Ljubljana Castle in March 2011. The Marolt Folklore Dancing Company was to honour the work of Ljuba Vrhovec Pribac, who had beside dancing dedicated ten years of her life to research of slovenska narodna noša about mid-19th century, when it was a matter of pride to say,I am Slovenian.TShe searched for and reconstructed old fashions and refreshed them with new materials and colours. The show in Ljubljana Castle presented a wonderful insight into a past that was colourul, and people enjoyed dressing up and making statement with their clothes. They achieved marvels with the work of their hands. Most of all we must be grateful to Ljuba for ressuscitating a world of the past for our pleasure and enjoyment in the present. more...
Slovenia 20th Anniversary
The 20th Anniversary of Slovenia's Independence was celebrated in Melbourne, at Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre on 26 June 2011 from 12 o'clock on with a cultural program, distinguished guests and a gret gathering of Slovenian community. more...
Children of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay
Tudi mladi so lahko praznovali 20. rojstni dan svoje domovine. Veleposlaništvo Republike Slovenije v Buenos Airesu je za malo mlajše - pod pokroviteljstvom soproge veleposlanika, mag. Darje Zorko Mencin - priredilo natečaj otroških ustvarjalnih čestitk ob 20. rojstnem dnevu samostojnosti Slovenije. Natečaj se je pričel v začetku maja in zaključil konec junija 2011. Z otroškim ustvarjalnim natečajem smo pri otrocih v Argentini, Čilu, Paragvaju, Peruju in Urugvaju želeli spodbuditi njihovo razmišljanje in zaznavanje stvari okoli njih, ki se bodo odražale skozi njihovo ustvarjalnost in jih povabiti, da narišejo otroške čestitke ob 20. rojstnem dnevu Slovenije. Nekateri svojo državo ali domovino svojih babic ali prababic poznajo le po pripovedovanju. Nekateri niso še nikoli obiskali Slovenije! Resnično nas je zanimalo, kako bi otroci s slovenskimi koreninami čestitali svoji domovini Sloveniji za njen rojstni dan. In dobili smo veliko odgovorov! Ob koncu natečaja smo prejeli skoraj 240 čestitk, risbic, pisem, zloženk, izdelkov iz gipsa, stekla, tempera barvic, celo izdelano lutko, s katerimi so otroci in mladi iz Čila, Peruja in Argentine čestitali svoji domovini. Simbolika, s katero se izražajo otroci, je čudovita, njihova ustvarjalnost pa ne pozna meja. V komisiji natečaja je sodelovala tudi priznana umetnica Andrejka Dolinar, in tako smo v širokem izboru različnih tehnik v ožji izbor izbrali izsek čestitk, ki so bile razstavljene ob priložnosti obeležitve 20. obletnice samostojnosti Republike Slovenije dne 29. junija 2011 v Casa de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Razstavo vseh del načrtujemo za avgust 2011, ko bomo na veleposlaništvu pripravili dneve odprtih vrat za vse sodelujoče otroke. Dogovarjamo za razstavo nekaterih izdelkov v sprejemnici Ministrstva za zunanje zadeve in Urada za Slovence v zamejstvu in po svetu ter po slovenskih šolah. Seveda ob koncu zahvaljujemo tudi vsem, ki so nam omogočili, da se je ideja razširila in uresničila ter da smo lahko pripravili nagrado za vsakega udeleženca. Najprej zahvala vsem slovenskih društvom v državah akreditacije, častnim konzulom, vsem požrtvovalnih učiteljicam v slovenskih šolah in vrtcih in odgovornim za Mladce in Mladenke. Otroci so na kreativen način pokazali, koliko vam pomeni Slovenija! Cenimo njihovo sodelovanje in prispevke. Po našem mnenju so se zelo potrudili in izkazali spoštovanje do praznovanja tako velikega dogodka kot je 20. let samostojnosti. Veleposlaništvo RS v Buenos Airesu more...
KSEVT Vitanje
Architectural design of the building. The KSEVT building, with a total internal area of 2,500 square metres, was designed by architectural offices Bevk Perovič arhitekti, Dekleva Gregorič arhitekti, Ofis arhitekti and Sadar + Vuga, which for the purposes of the project were organised into the Architectural Association for Vitanje. The architectural design of the building was based on supra-modernist view and Herman Potočnik’s plan for the first geostationary space station, Living Wheel, which he described in his famous book ‘The Problem of Space Travel’. The architects added the dynamics of spinning to the exterior. more...
Primož Trubar Museum
Primož Trubar(1508-1586) was born in Rašca in Dolenjska region(Lower Carniola) of Slovenia. He established the protestant church in Slovenia and produced 20 books in Slovenian language, the first ever written. His translations of New Testament, school primer and Cathechism laid the foundation for the development of Slovenian literary language. more...
Ptuj
Ptuj ist the oldest Slovenian town, a great military and commercial centre two thousand years ago, when the town was known as Poetovia. It also thrived in the Middle Ages, since it was a centre for trade from north to south, east to west. This only changed when railway was built through Maribor. Nowadays Ptuj is a great wine centre and a place of great folk festivals. The Roman armies left a significant reminder of their presence - the Mithra temples. more...
Ramesseum
Thisa is yet another monument raised by Ramses II to himself. The massive temple was intended to impress. Destroyed in an earthquake, the remains still overwhelm the visitor with the statues of colossal size. The pylons measure 60m across. By the western stairs lies the statue, which had stood 17.5m tall, and was one of a pair. The head of the companion can be seen in the second court. more...
Images of the north
To really know Australia is to begin in the north, its tropical forests, its rivers and waterfalls, and its distinct rock formations. The journey then proceeds to the desert and the red heart of the continent - the Urulu. more...
Discovering the north
This is the first journey of discovery of Maja Obreza. Living in the centre of Europe, in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, she has long been fascinated by the far continent, particularly the tropical rainforests and deserts of the far north. She landed in Brisbane, but her journey of discovery began in Cairns. more...
Aboriginal rock art
Aboriginal rock paintings in Australia are an amazing and aweinspiring phenomenon. They are to be found in all the rocky places of Australia where the tribes sheltered and have remained, constantly retouched, refreshed and repainted through millenia. Some paintings are si old that they don't relate to the living memory of any Aboriginal group. and are often claimed to be the work of spirits. The paintings in Ubirr, Kakadu National Park are of such international significance that the area has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. more...
Melbourne graffiti art
A group of narrow lanes joining Collins Street and Flinders Street opposite the Federation Square - Hosier and Ruthledge Lanes have become renown for their ever renewing graffiti art, attracting the attention of the like-minded, the interested, the journalists and tourists, In the words of one visitor with the camera: "Amazing!" more...
A Melbourne Walkabout
The viewer will be able to walk in the footsteps of Maja Obreza, a teacher from Slovenia on a month long tour of the varied visual delights and experiences Australia offers the visitor. The journey took her from the north via the red centre to Adelaide and then Melbourne. While fascinated by glowing rainforests and deserts of the north and centre, Melbourne impressed her as a great city, where she was able to feel at home, particularly since she was able to enjoy the hospitality of relatives and friends who had made their home in Melbourne.
the photo album is a collaborative attempt by Maja Obreza and Sasha Ceferin to record the impressions of Melbourne centre. more...
Kostanjevica Forma Viva
The collection of over 100 sculptures in the Open Air Gallery in Kostanjevica, Slovenia arose out of the International Symposiums of Sculptors called Forma viva, an initiative of Slovenian sculptors Jakob Savinšek and Janez Lenassi. Modelled on the symposium held in St Margharethen (Austria, 1959), the first two symposia were organised in Kostanjevica na Krki (local oak-wood) and in Seča near Portorož (stone) in 1961. Two other venues followed later: Ravne na Koroškem (1964, steel) and Maribor (1967, reinforced concrete). This project of sculpture in the open-air has involved sculptors from all over the world. There are now altogether over 300 sculptures.
NOTE: to view the text for each image, point the cursor to the top of the image. more...
Photo moments
Photo moment is a selection from the Thezaurus photolog collections. Readers are invited to submit favourite photos.
We began by celebrating in 2008, the Slovenian EU Presidency year, with the image of the sculpture - the Slovenian Sun, by the Japanese sculptor Taizo Murakami. It stands in the open air Kostanjevica Forma viva gallery in Slovenia. A Kostanjevica Forma Viva photo album is in Galeria Sloveniana. more...
Beekeeping in Slovenia
Beekeeping is an ancient tradition in Slovenian territories. Based in that tradition, Anton Janša was appointed the first apiculture teacher of the first apiculture school in the Hapsburg Empire of the 18th century. Janša brought his Slovenian experience and skill in beekeeping, and innovations, such as the stacked beehives and painted beehive panels, which were the beginning of the Slovenian folk-art of "panjske končnice". more...
Kavčnik Museum
The Kavčnik homestead with its central part named “dimnica” (smokehouse) takes us back some 400 years. The total life of the farm took its course within the smokehouse.. In this room we meet the history and life-style, that reaches far back through the past centuries. more...
France Prešeren
France Prešeren (1800 - 1848) was the first and remains the foremost Slovenian poet. His statue has been erected in the central square of the city Ljubljana, called in his honour Prešernov trg - Prešeren Square. His poem Zdravljica - The Toast has been chosen as the national anthem of the independent Republic of Slovenia, expressing Prešeren's pride in his people and embracing all peoples as neighbours rather than foes. more...
Kozolec in the landscape
Prof Borut Juvanec, Department of Vernacular Architecture at Ljubljana University defines this Slovenian construction: The kozolec (hayrack) is a free standing, permanent, mainly wooden, vertical, open but roofed device for drying and storing the goods: hay and grain. It is the only ethnical architecture I know: it exists exclusively in ethnical territory of Slovenian nation.
As an icon,kozolec for the most part defines the largely agricultural Slovenian landscape and is still in use today, particularly the toplar barnlike type, which provides cover for farm machinery and vehcles. more...
Pivka Valley
Pivka Valley is part of Slovenian kras, a unique limestone geological area, marked by underground rivers, intermittent lakes and rivers, and numerous caves. Postojna Cave and Škocjan Cave are the largest and most accessible, attracting an unending stream of visitors. Pivka river emerges in Zagorje, flows partly on the surface, partly underground along the Pivka Valley, depending on the season and the rainfall, disappears underground into Postojna cave system, to reappear as Unica in the Planinsko polje, there continuing its performance as vanishing river and occasionally as a lake.
Pivka valley and Planinsko polje are well worth a visit. This is a karst region of unspoilt beauty and unique natural phenomena. more...
Journey into Egypt
It is a journey starting in Cairo, taking the night train to Aswan, taking daytrips to surrounding temples and then taking a Nile cruiser ship from Aswan to Luxor, seeing more temples on the way. A group of temples in and around Luxor, the ancient Thebes and the ancient capital of upper Egypt, then back to Cairo and more discoveries. Another lengthy trip to Alexandria and then to Sinai peninsula and Sharm-el-Sheik. Finally Mount Sinai and St.Catherine's Monastery. more...
Slovenian Community Centre - Melbourne
The Centre in Melbourne, Australia consists of Baraga House, the church of St.Cyril and Methodius and the church hall and the Mother Romana Home for the Aged. It has been since 1960 the hub of Slovenian spiritual, social and cultural life. It contains also the Baraga Library, the Office of the journal Misli and Slomšek School. more...
Slovenian Impressionism
Slovene impressionism revealed itself for the first time in 1900, with the exhibition in Ljubljana of the works of four artists – Rihard Jakopič, Matija Jama, Ivan Grohar and Matej Sternen. Their ideas about art had taken shape in the stimulating milieu of the highly regarded Munich art school run by an influential expatriate Slovene, the artist and teacher Anton Ažbe, and they themselves were eager to win international recognition for Slovene painting. National consciousness had grown strong, and not only political but also literary and artistic figures sought freedom and an individual identity for their small country, then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. more...
Pomurje with Evald Flisar
Evald Flisar was born in the furthest northeast region of Slovenia - Pomurje. The journey in this rather less well known part of the country is a revelation. more...
Romana Zorzut Favier
Romana was born in 1930 in Biljana, in the region of south-west Slovenia called Goriška Brda. She migrated to Australia in 1951. Romana had always loved painting and enrolled in The George Bell Art School. She began painting in 1963 and had since held solo exhibitions in Australia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy - over 25 exhibitions.
In 2007 she held a retrospective exhibiton of 50 years of painting, over 100 paintings, featuring Bright, outback Australia and Slovenia.
Romana draws inspiration from the colours and shapes of her environment. The themes are still-life, landscape and human figure. The main medium is oil painting. She depicts her subjects in terms of light and colour, mostly with loose contours and broad brushstrokes. Colour is applied boldly and the landscapes are atmospheric, creating a world of their own.
Of her exhibition in Germany, Frankfurter Neue Presse write the following: On observing he landscapes we can perceive the Impressionists, whereas sometimes she reminds us of Pointillists. Romana Favier Zorzut applies pure colour dots on the canvas, which merge into a whole in the contours. Mixed tones and colour planes are thus formed. The effect is increased by the artist's preference for working with the spatula. The technical device, intended to reproduce a certain harmony or impression, proves as successful: the twinkling light of a sinking landscape, brilliant, and yet non vilent colours, the play of light and darkness, explained as a characteristic in the depictions of the French artistic quarters in Mortmartre, of the luxiriant orcahrds or of the coasts of Spain, flooded by the sun.
The paintings with Australian motifs stand out clearly in contrast. The contours are loose, painted with broad brushstrokes. The colour patches are boldly applied and give the impression of the remoteness and the originality of the countryside..." more...
Mašun - Beech Forest
Mašun is a beech forest hamlet on the Snežnik plateau, offering a beautiful shadowy ramble in crisp mountain air, and an educational signed pathway, with informative texts on the native plants, animals and birds. Snežnik (the snowy mountain)is at 1796m the highest non-alpine mountain of Slovenia. more...
Driving through Dolenjska
Come for a drive with Sasha Ceferin through the gentle landscape of Dolenjska to the south of Ljubljana, enjoy the beautiful emerald flow of river Krka,the medieval Grad Otočec, and the historical monastery Kostanjevica with its stunning forma viva sculptures. Send us your images and share with us your own visual experiences. more...
25 Anniversary of Slovenian
In 2003 ISSV celebrated 25 years of activity in the field of Slovenian studies in the Australian school system. A cultural event was organized by Aleksandra Ceferin with the assistance of teachers, students and cultural work occasion included the launch of 2 books Slovenian language in Australia by Aleksandra Ceferin and the curriculum publication of Victorian School of Languages, Slovenian CSF and VCE Course Outlines, written by Sandi and Aleksandra Ceferin. more...
Vernacular architecture of Slovenia
Traditional rural architecture of Slovenia is varied, reflecting the diversity of materials, climate, the land, lifestyle and history of each region. In the south the main building material is stone, in the Alpine north more wood is being used. The traditional straw roofing has been long replaced by bricks in all the regions, with just two examples left in Pomurje. In the villages there are still many 300 years old houses still in use, but constant rebuilding some due to fire, war and earthquakes has led to a great deal of rebuilding and renovation. In the more recent times the old houses have for their neighbours spanking new structures, keeping by and large some of the most characteristic features of the distinctive local style. more...
Slovenian language in Victoria '93
Maturantski ples / The VCE Ball in Victoria was the first great celebration of the Slovenian language as the subject in the state school system of Victoria, in Melbourne, Australia. The celebration took place at the Slovenian club Jadran in Diggers Rest, the northern suburb of Melbourne. more...
Budnar Museum
The building is about 350 years old, the foundations on which the present building stands, older than 500 years. The central part of the house is črna kuhinja (black kitchen) with ognjišče (open fireplace), where they still prepare a variety of traditional country food, bake bread, under the ceiling they hang to dry sausages and meat. more...
Liznjek Museum
Liznjek house brings to life the traditional Upper Sava Valley architecture of several centuries ago, when the facades were decorated with frescoes, houses had handcarved wooden balconies, the interior of houses was embellished with painted furniture and the rooms were aromatic with wood smoke. more...
Jože Plečnik - Church of St.Michael on Barje Marsh
Plecnik's creativity is evident in this wooden church where, in spite of a very limited budget, he managed to recreate a peaceful and informal environment. Many revolutionary solutions were tried here to help reducing costs. The result is beautifull / homely, intimate and very different from the traditional. Today it is a favoured church for marriage vows. more...
Jože Plečnik - St.Francis of Assisi Churc
The Church of St.Francis of Assisi in Šiška, Ljubljana was commissioned by the Franciscan Brothers, and completed in 1928, the bell tower in 1931. It is of bold and quite stunning design, creating a wide open space full of light, regarded at the time by many as too far from the Catholic tradition. It was Plečnik's first major project that inaugurated his plans for Ljubljana. With this grandiose and astonishing building, the architect introduced into Ljubljana a new set of dimensions and a new standard of building on a grand scale. It represented the beginning of the "urban planning phenomenon" that is Plečnik's Ljubljana. more...
Art Centre for Children and Youth in Ljubljana
The Art Centre is in Komenskega 9, a lovely old buidling that used to house children's literature. Now it is a free centre for children's art, a special project by ex-mayor Vida Potočnik. Animators are responsible for encouraging and assisting children in painting and shaping, and special guests regularly provide stimulus for participants, who are all welcome to these sessions which take place Saturday morning and are free. more...
Jože Plečnik House
Jože Plečnik bought himself land in Trnovo, a suburb of Ljubljana behind the Trnovo church,made famous because the poet Prešeren met and fell in love with Julija Primic. He designed a modest house in Slovenian country style, but with several modern innovations, such as the latest in kitchen ranges, a stylish verandah and a Roman hypocast, to keep the house warm in winter. Today the house is a museum. more...
Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
Kakadu National Park, covering nearly 20,000 sq.km is the largest national park in Australia and one of the very few places listed a world heritage area for both its cultural and natural value. Generations of traditional aboriginal owners have lived on and cared for this country for tens of thousands of years. Kakadu rock art of more than 5,000 sites, dating human occupation for fifty to sixty thousand years represents one of the longest historical records of any group of people in the world. Within the vast landscapes of Kakadu there are six main landforms, comprising savanna woodlands, monsoon forests, southern hills and ridges, stone country, tidal flats and coast and billabongs, each one in their diversity truly unique.It encompasses the floodplains of the South Alligator River system with their massive up to 300 m high Arnhem Land Plateau. The Kakadu National Park is managed jointly by the traditional owners and the federal government. more...
Nitmiluk National Park, Katherine River
Nitmiluk National Park, previousy known as Katherine Gorge National Park, the park is home to the spectacular series of 13 sandstone gorges, carved over a billion years by the waters of Katherine River. It is located near the township of Katherine and covers the area of 2,920 sq km. Its northern edge borders on Kakadu National Park. During the dry season (April to October) the gorges become separated as the level of the river falls. The gorges and the surrounding landscape give great ceremonial significance to the local Aboriginal people. The park is jointly managed by the Northern Territory government and the traditional owners - the Jawoyn people, according to their laws. more...
Lake Argyle, Western Australia
Lake Argyle, situated in the north-eastern Kimberley region in Western Australia, is Australia's largest man-made lake. At extreme flood capacity surface area of the lake is 2,062 sq km, lake volume 34,655 cubic metres and approx.55 times the size of Sydney harbour. The massive Lake Argyle was formed in the 1960ies and 1970ies as part of the Ord River irrigation scheme. The catchment area presently covers approx. 50,000 sq km. Today the area produces 60 different crops on 13,000 hectares. Argyle Diamond Mine is currently the world's largest diamond producer with 6 tonnes of diamonds or in excess of 30 million carats annually. The majority of diamonds are f industrial quality and 5% are the famous pink diamonds are of the highest quality in the world. more...
Purnululu National Park, Bungle Bungle Range
Bungle Bungle Range in East Kimberley was until early 1980ies known only to local pastoralists, stockmen, geologists and local Aborigenes. The area is rich in artwork by Aborigenes who have lived in the area for at least 20,000 years. Formed by uplift and erosion over the last 20 mill. years the distinctive domes are made of sandstone sediments, deposited into the area by flowing rivers from surrounding mountains from 360 to 370 million years ago. Over time the heavy rains of the wet seasons and winds have eroded the sandstone to form the rounded rock towers and carved out the steep-sided chasms and gorges. The orange and black stripes across behive-like mount, are encased in the skin of silica and algae, and are clearly visible. Bungle Bungle became a national park in 1987 and was declared a world heritage area in 2003. more...
El Questro Wilderness Park-Emma Gorge
Emma Gorge is part of spectacular Cockburn Range, the dominant landmark of El Questro's Wilderness Park. Towering cliffs drop to a large permanent pool and sixty-five metres droplet waterfall. The sandstone and shale surrounding the gorge are members of the bastion group dating 1,800 million years. more...
El Questro Wilderness Park-Chamberlain Gorge
The Chamberlain River is approx. 150 kilometres long and winds through the Kimberley's second-longest range, the Durack range, named after the pioneering Durack family. Almost 130 kilometres of the river winds through steep valleys and spectacular cliffs, forming the Kimberley's longest gorge. The gorge is home to extraordinary geological formations and similarly to nearby ElQuestro Gorge the surrounding cliff faces and scree slopes are up to 1,800 million years old and known as King Leopold sandstone. more...
Slovenian Emigrant Archivist Seminar 2008
The Slovenian Emigrant Archivists Seminar 2008 took place from 14 to 19 September 2008. It began in ZRC SAZU and continued with sessions at the National and University Library, Studia Slovenica Archive at the Classical Secondary College of St. Stanislav in St Vid, RTV Slovenia, Slovenian House in Čedad and Slovenian Ethnographic Museum. more...
The Krka River
Krka is one of the major rivers of Slovenia and historically one of the water arteries that made the main city of Dolenjska a bustling commercial centre during the Roman period and earlier. Several fields on the edge of the city centre are archeological sites of major importance. During the Middle Ages the river offered protection from against enemy incursions, and there are many forts and castles on its banks or midstream islets, which offer special tourist attraction today. The river was also till the 1ate 19th century a great source of income for the populace, brimming full of river crayfish. They are still there, but not in earlier abundance, that ended with the plague. more...
Stična Monastery 2007
The Stična Monastery was established in 1136 and was consecrated in 1156. It has undergone major restoration between 1998 and 2004, which revealed the original structural elements of the Romanesque design. The album highlights some of the chief elements of its restored aspect, particularly the architectural rarity of "križni hodnik", the cruci-form cloisters. more...
The House of Tona
The 500 years old house is a beautiful example of Istrian rural architecture and differs in almost all aspects from the rural architecture of the other parts of Slovenia. more...
Slovenia - a culinary experience
Slovenian cuisine combines central European knowledge with local experience, and continues to evolve and change. Interest in traditional dishes has revived, and grains such as buckwheat used for their traditional and specialty value. more...
Jože Prezelj, didgeridoo maker
Jože Prezelj first heard of the didgeridoo, the sonorous music instrument of the Australian Aboriginals, at a conference in Peru. He met a German who taught him to play in four months and began to play seriously when he lost his voice.- He met Aborigianal players for the first time in Ljubljana in 2003. He attends didgeridoo concerts in Switzerland, Austria and USA. Jože Prezelj teaches playing and making didgeridoos. In Slovenia he often appears at the concerts, openings and TV shows. more...
Rajko Šolar - Slovenian blacksmith
He comes from a great and long tradition of ironcraftsmen in Slovenia. At home, in Kamna gorica near Kropa, the centre of the smithscraft, he is a son of man who made products like nails and tools from glowing iron ore, and could make more than a thousand a day. Rajko nowadays makes beautiful and complex ironwork objects in his workshop, such as gates, fences, lamps, window ironwork, traditional door knockers and door handles, chandeliers, candle holders appropriate for the resurgent traditional house design. more...
Old Vine Harvest 2008
The 400 year old vine festival of Maribor has been transplanted to Victoria 8 years ago, and celebrated every year by the Slovenian community. 2008 was the first year that the festival has been held at the harvest time in Australia and harvested according to Slovenian custom. more...
11 Slovenian Festival
The Victorian Slovenian Festival is a two-day event, beginning with mass in the main hall, opening speeches by the SSOV and host club president, by the Slovenian charge d’affaires and representatives of the Australian parliament, Ethnic Community Council and Victorian Multicultural Commission. more...
Live Statue of Jože Plečnik
One of the special attractions among events of the Year of Plecnik (1872-1957), is the animated statue, in celebration of his work. Plecnik dedicated his career to the urban planning of Ljubljana's city centre, design and rennovation of numerous buildings, areas and complexes of the city. The statue was displayed on Mestni trg in Ljubljana, in front of the Town Hall. more...
Slovenian Language Classes
Slovenian language was taught as an elective subject in the state school Victorian School of Languages from years 7 to 12 during the period 1977 to 2005. Altogether 500 students have attended Slovenian classes during this time. 82 students have completed the VCE/ Victorian Certificate of Education, which became one of the 4 or 5 subjects required for university entrance. more...
Slovenian VCE in Victoria
The Victorian Certificate of Education for Slovenian language/"slovenska matura"began in 1981, and was offered till 2005. It was then one of the five languages suspended due to insufficient numbers. The gallery contains records of this period, with images of classes, teachers, meetings and some of the curriculum documents produced from 1980 to 2005. more...
11 Festival Slovenian Handicrafts Exhibition
Slovenian biennial festivals in Victoria are festive occasions, filed with speeches, singing, folkloric dancing competitions. They are also opportunities for exhibitions of Slovenian traditional handicrafts. The gallery presents the exhibitions of individual clubs at the 11 Slovenian Festival that took place in the Slovenian club Jadran on 1 and 2 March 2008 more...
Slovenian Traditional Chests
Slovenian Ethnographic Museum/Slovenski etnografski muzej in Ljubljana guards an enormous number of the treasures of Slovenian etnographic heritage. Many of these are seen rarely, being shown on special occasions. The Slovenian chest/"skrinja" has been on display recently, and permission was given to take photographs. This gallery is the result. more...
19 Slovenian Slavist Congress 2008
The Slovenian Slavistic Congress 2008 took place in Celovec/Klagenfurt and Pliberk/Bleiburg. It is the third consecutive SSK taking place on territories outside Slovenia's borders with strong Slovenian minorities. more...
Exhibitions
Random albums
11 Slovenian Festival Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory Seminar for Slovenian - 2011 Nourlangie Rock Art Nouveau Architecture in Ljubljana Slovenia - a culinary experience Prof. Toman's Field Garden The Red Centre of Australia Ljubljana Courtyards El Questro Wilderness Park-Chamberlain GorgeProject Highlights
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