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The
International Biennial of Graphic Arts was founded with the aim
of opening a 'window to the world'* for the artists from Slovenia
and of removing the curtain that prevents foreign artists from peering
into the small Slovene chamber; this is partly still the same, only
today we have Bill Gates' Windows 2000. Has anything changed?
Perhaps, perhaps not. Nowadays interest in exhibitions of graphic
works, just like interest in exhibitions of paintings or products
(art works) executed in specific media, has somewhat changed. Larger
emplacements are a little annoying for tha viewer, especially in
the case of video biennials, where we consume a large number of
works but certainly not all of them (which we can do with the help
of TV or video remote control). After major or minor exhibitions
we are left wit catalogues such as this one; it is a graphic artwork,
a printed product in its own right. Do not get me wrong: the idea
of large exhibitions is good all the same. Take the phenomenon of
the Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts, for example. I have always
enjoyed walking through the various rooms and looking at soley graphic
works; this is the essence of the Biennial. Indeed, I have always
been fascinated by the fact that there are always so many participating
artists from all corners of the world. I have always thought about
what it is that makes a work that recieves an award so much better
then all the others; I have never reached a straightforward answer.
Perhaps this is not so important, but I know that artists also like
to compete at biennials, which are like Olympic Games in the world
of art and therefore worth visit. True, there is less noise about
them then about sports, and these events also run more quietly,
usually without fans or without sponsors filling TV screens with
their ads so that we can take a short break and run for a snack
and a drink. Well, perhaps only one per cent of the world's population
has an interest in them; nevertheless, openings are regulary filled
with everything usually offered during ad breaks. A real Olympic
Games opening! Do you think I'm exaggerating? I could be... Everything
for the sporting spirit, or: Hey, hey, hey! 'The Biennial goes forward!'** --------------
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