Biography
Biography
Jiři Kočica was born in 1966 in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia. He completed his secondary school education in design and photography, specializing in graphic design, in Ljubljana in 1985. He continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana and graduated with a diploma in "Sculpture at a Specific Location" in 1991 under the supervision of professors Lujo Vodopivec and Tomaž Brejc. He completed his specialization in 1993 with the topic "Kata-logos" under the guidance of Professor Dušan Tršar.
Currently, he is employed as a university professor at the Department of Visual Arts and Design at the University of Primorska. Prior to that, he was a professor of design and arrangement at the Secondary School for Arrangement. He served as an external collaborator and assistant professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Maribor, at the Department of Fine Arts for several years.
Since 1993, he has actively published in scientific, professional, and popular journals, and has contributed to several major monographic publications. He was involved in the conceptual design of a four-year project called "Contemporary Sculpture Today" at the Celje Gallery of Contemporary Art. He also participated in a symposium on the connection between science and art in Zagreb. He has been the curator of exhibitions at the Gallery of the Slovenian Institute for Chemistry in Ljubljana for seven years.
As an artist, he has had over 70 solo exhibitions in various prominent galleries in Slovenia and abroad. He co-organized and participated in the transformation of old prisons at Metelkova into the artistic Youth Hostel Celica. He has created several public sculptures, including an important monument on Pohorje on the occasion of the establishment of the Pahernik Fund, and a central large sculpture at the Pregl Research Centre in Ljubljana.
Jiři Kočica lives and works in Ljubljana with his wife Vilma Ducman
and three children.
Exhibitions, events and workshops:
- 2023, Ljubljana,"Being", exhibition and event at the gallery Hest
- 2022, Izola,"DNA heritage", exhibition and event at the gallery Insula
- 2022, Ljubljana,exhibition by painter Jure Zadnikar and sculptor Jirija Kočice":
Exhibition and event in the studio at Trubarjeva 23 c in Ljubljana
- 2018, Ljubljana,Izvirnik (Source or Origin)":
The release of the book (novel) "Izvirnik" (Source or Origin) and the nomination for the Kresnik Award.
- 2016, Vienna,Artside the box:
sculpture installation and event
- 2015, Ljubljana,open studio":
month of the open studio
- 2014, Nova Gorica City GalleryHeritage
- 2014, Ljubljana, Cankarjev dom (the main Slovenian cultural center, series "Chosen by art critic": selection by dr. Vesna KrmeljHeritage at the city entrance: Presentation of the First Participatory Public Sculpture in Slovenia.
- 2013, Vienna, Gallery Schleifmuehlgasse 12/14 Contemporarysculpture installation
- 2013, Ljubljana, gallery of the Faculty of Economy, Ljubljana Universitysculpture installation
- 2013, Ljubljana, The Pregl Research Centre (part of the Institute for Chemistry Slovenia)- sculptural installation sculpture installation, work in progress
- 2012, Maribor, Vetrinje castle, the headquarters of the European Capital of Culture,Point to the Eye: Drop Into the Horizon, Presentation of the project of nano-portrait
and philosophycal reconsideration of contemporary art
- 2012, New York City (USA), Gallery MC, Votive Sculptures, sculptures
- 2012, New York City (USA), BOSI Contemporary Gallery , 95 Theses on Art, the act of "art faith"- fixing 95 Theses on Art on doors of different galleries
- 2012, New York City (USA), Lesley Heller Workspace Gallery, 95 Theses on Art, the act of "art faith"- fixing 95 Theses on Art on doors of different galleries
- 2012, New York City (USA), Gallery MC, 95 Theses on Art, the act of "art faith"- fixing 95 Theses on Art on doors of different galleries
- 2012, Washington D.C., USA, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia , exhibition in the gallery space of the Embassy , sculpture installation
- 2011, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Garden of the United Association of Slovenian Artists Gallery, The Socialised Sculpture, sculpture installation
- 2011, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Equrna Gallery, O...pen / Od...pri, multimedia installation
- 2010/11, Grosuplje (Slovenia), public artwork, Handing over, sculptural installation at roundabout in Grosuplje
- 2010, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Opening of the Studio, sculptural installation in the new Studio
- 2010, Maribor (Slovenia), University Library Gallery,Addressing the freedom of the other, sculptural installation
- 2009, Pohorje forrest (Slovenia), the Pahernik's forrest,"Mo/nu/ment", sculptural installation
- 2007, Rogaška Slatina (Slovenia), Gallery Ana , Gift of Being/ Horizon, sculptural installation with photography
- 2007, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Gallery Kresija , Okrožje-Circuit, sculptural installation in co-operation with Polona Maher and Peter Ciuha
- 2006, Vienna (Austria), Gallery of the Slovenian Cultural Centre "Korotan" , Gift of the Being, sculptural installation
- 2006, Škofja Loka (Slovenia), Ivan Grohar Gallery , O...pen..., multimedia installation
- 2006, Maribor (Slovenia), Media Nox Gallery, To do, multimedia installation
- 2005, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Gruber Open Air Gallery , Point of viewsculpture installation with workshops
- 2004, Maribor (Slovenia), Gallery of the Artists' Society of Maribor, multimedia installation "Fields"
(in co-operation with Janez Ferlan)
- 2004, Grosuplje (Slovenia), co-organizing and participating at the symposium on stone sculptures.
Sculptures are positioned at various locations troughout the town. Conducting workshops with teachers from ocal schools.
- 2004, Vienna, Austria, Albertina Museum, giving a lecture and conducting a workshop on the ethical impact of art
- 2004, Kostanjevica na Krki (Slovenia), Bozidar Jakac,Gallery
Addressing the freedom of the otherinstallation in the former monastery
church from 12th century (with Žiga Okorn).
- 2003, Ljubljana (Slovenia), invited lecture to the professors of art from Slovenia organized by the
National Education Institute .
- 2003, Ljubljana (Slovenia), opening of the Celica Youth Hostel , a former prison: co-operation from the beginning
of the process and co-creation of conceptual basis as well as furnishing of one of the cells.
- 2002, Ostrožac na Uni, (Bosnia and Hercegovina), reviving the tradidional sculptural symposium,
sculpture in the garden by the hotel Sedra in Ostrožac (madi in "bihacit" stone )
- 2002, Novo Mesto, (Slovenia), Simulaker/Goga Gallery, sculptural installation.
- 2002, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), former prison at Metelkova street, installation of the stone sculpture-
the "cornerstone" for the occasion of the opening held at the beginning of the reconstruction process
- 2002, Ljubljana,(Slovenia), Academy of FIne Arts and Design, lecture on humanity and ethics
in art (with Žiga Okorn).
- 2001, Ljubljana (Slovenia), United Association of Slovenian Artists Gallery. Several
lectures were given, among them "Abuse of Visual Language by Popular
Media and Advertising Industry". At the end of the exhibition there
was a presentation of the book "Ethical Insights into Art" and a
round table with the authors of the book (Vesna Krmelj, Janko Rožič,
Borut Ošlaj, John O'Brien, Aleksander S. Ostan, Jiri Kočica).
- 2001, Celje, (Slovenia), City Art Salon. Installation and event
(with the painter Irena Potočnik) as part
of "Unusual pairs", with works selected by curator Nevenka Šivavec.
Also organized a round table with artists from Celje and moderator
Alenka Pirman.
- 2001, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Academy of Fine Arts and Design, lecture about ecological
views of producing images: "Difference Between Ideologicaland Imago-logical
Occupation of the Mind"
- 2001, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), National Gallery of Modern Art, round table about "Ethics
in art"
- 2000, Krško, (Slovenia), Gallery in the former chapel of the "Holy Spirit" (with Žiga
Okorn). Organizing a group of people in order to found the society for revival of the old city center.
- 2000, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Equrna Gallery, sculptural installation and participatory workshop:
"Duration of being". Printing palm prints with warm bees wax and offering different forest seeds.
Two lectures were held as part of the event: Ethics and aesthetics by Jiri Kočica
and "On urban and natural space" by architect and poet Janko Rožič.
- 2000, Škofja Loka, (Slovenia), Ivan Grohar Gallery. Projection of photographs of different
families that sent their family photos to the gallery. Casting of
small wax sculptures and offering them to the visitors.
- 1999, Slovenj Gradec, (Slovenia), Town Gallery , sculptural installation
and seminar for students and pupils from different town schools (with
Žiga Okorn).
- 1998, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), National Museum of Recent History (former Museum
of Revolution), sculptures and artistic event "Monument, moment and movement".
Installation of many different clay moulds of bombs and projectiles. Participatory workshops.
- 1997, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), co-organizer of participatory workshops, organized as part of the
"European month of culture" in Ljubljana. The main topic was
renovation of the former prison into a youth hostel also functioning
as a gallery and museum. At the participatory workshops various
artists proposed ideas for artistic furnishing of different cells.
- 1996, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), former prison at Metelkova, beginning of painting in
fresco technique in the dark cell (basement of prison).
- 1996, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), participatory workshops with young people (with Žiga Okorn)
- 1995, Rogaška Slatina, (Slovenia), participatory workshop in the old
Temple above the main source of the mineral water in town.
< LI>1995, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), artistic event at the heart of the city, between two of
the biggest skyscrapers in Ljubljana: handing out seeds in
clay palm prints and books with the
description of the meaning and the history of the place
(the Revolution square).
- 1994, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), a non-gallery process "Kata-logos": handing out of forest seeds
and texts about the sense of artistic work on different occasions
(co-operation with Vilma Ducman and Vesna Krmelj). Two bigger
organized events at a former prison and a 400-year-old farm near
Rogaška Slatina
- 1993, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), Former military prison, exhibition in the cell and
co-organizing of Sestava group.
- 1993, Maribor, (Slovenia), event: handing out of thirty trees to the visitors at the opening.
After the opening the gallery was empty for two weeks.
- 1992, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), artistic answer to the commission of the West award
that was established by tobacco industry for the most "unconventional artists".
Title: West, "vest" (in Slovenian language "vest" means conscience).
- 1992, Ljubljana, (Slovenia), "Exhibition of Robba's Fountain" (we re-exhibited the baroque Robba's fountain
in the center of Ljubljana) and warning about the traffic and problems of conservation
of this interesting fountain.
- 1991, Rogaška Slatina, (Slovenia), mapping out the ground plan for a new hotel in
the historical park. Simultaneously, established
Society against wild urbanization of historical park
in Rogaska Slatina Spa (with help of Vilma Ducman).
- 1991, Ljubljana, (Slovenia),
Installation at former Rihard Jakopič Gallery, which was originally
a very important space for independent intellectuals during the first
decades of socialism and which was ruined during the renovation of
the railroad in 1967.
- 1991, Ljubljana (Slovenia), National Gallery of Modern Art, Installation and round table
about site-specific sculptures (with painter Žiga Okorn)
- 1991, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Installation on the fish pond in Tivoli park (with
painter Žiga Okorn)
- 1990, Maribor (Slovenia), exhibition in the Dance studio,/LI>
- 1988, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Gallery KUD France Prešeren, Paintings
- 1987, Kranj (Slovenia), Gallery Prešernova hiša, Sculptures of Paper and Wire
- 1984, Gorizia (Italy), Gallery Il Torchio, Drawings and Painted Letters
Group Exhibitions
- 2011, Celje (Slovenia), Gallery for contemporary arts, Sculpture Today- statues, figures and bodies , curated by
Tomaž Brejc, Irena Čerčnik, Jiri Kočica and Polona Tratnik
- 2010, Nova Gorica (Slovenia), City Gallery, Sculptors and Book- curated by Tatjana Pregl Kobe
- 2010, Celje (Slovenia), Gallery for contemporary arts, Sculpture Today- components, relations and cross sections ,curated by
Tomaž Brejc, Alenka Domjan, Jiri Kočica and Polona Tratnik
- 2010, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Gruber Open Air Gallery, Book of Sculptors ,curated by Tatjana Pregl Kobe
- 2008, Venice (Italy), Gallery A+A, Venice Architectural Biennial, sculpture installation as part of exhibition of the architectural
and urbanistic group "Open circle", curated by Janko Rožič
- 2008, Ljubljana (Slovenia), City Hall Gallery, "Figures as statues- statues as figures",
curator and author of the essay in the catalogue Dr. Jure Mikuž
- 2008, Slovenj Gradec (Slovenia), Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti, "Poetics"
exhibition, curated by Tatjana Pregl Kobe
- 2008, Vienna, Gallery of the Slovenian Science Institute, exhibition of the professors from Pedagogical faculty of Maribor University, curator dr. Marjeta Ciglenečki
- 2006, Vienna, Gallery of the Slovenian Cultural Center Korotan, selection by the dr. Marjeta Ciglenečki
- 2006, Ljubljana, "The Sublime in Sculpture", City Hall Gallery, selection by the dr. Aleš Erjavec.
- 2004, Ljubljana, "Faces of the sculpture", City Hall Gallery, selection by the dr. Aleš Erjavec. On this ocasion I received the Prize of Mayoress of Ljubljana
- 2004, Washington D.C., Exhibition of the documentary photographies of the renovation process of former prison
at the Metelkova street into the Youth hostel "Celica"
- 2003 , Maribor and Brueck an der Mur, Exhibition of the Society of the Visual Artists from Maribor
- 2002, Bruxelles, Exhibition of the Slovenian artists, represented by Guenther Verheugen in his cabinet
- 2002, Ljubljana, May Show of the Slovenian Society of Visual Aritists
- 2002, Sao Paulo (Brasil), one of the exhibitors from Slovenia national selection
Sao Paulo's Biennial
- 2002, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Gallery "Rihard Jakopič", exhibition of the members
of Slovenian Artists Society
- 2001, Maribor (Slovenia), City Gallery of Art, "From the Birth to the Birth"
- 1995, Rijeka (Croatia), Biennial of young artists
- 1992, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Old city power station, Artists for ex military
barracks (also co- organizer)
- 1992, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Gallery "Rihard Jakopič", exhibition "To where does the picture extend?"
- 1991, Podsreda (Slovenia), Medieval castle- exhibition place
- 1988, Laško (Slovenia), Old Castle Gallery
Selected bibliography
- 1. "Je Markov Evangelij 1/8...?", article, Likovne besede Jan. 92, pg. 102-
103, Ljubljana, 1992
- 2. Site specific sculpture, M.A. thesis, Ljubljana, 1994
- 3. Bienale mladih (Biennial of young artists)- catalogue, 1995, Rijeka, Croatia
- 4. "V središču Evrope med antiko in novim vekom: v Ljubljani", aritcle, Likovne
besede, okt.1995, str. 72- 73, Ljubljana, 1995
- 5. "Urbanaria", article, Likovne besede, okt. 1995, str. 74, Ljubljana, 1995
- 6. "Odzven odstrtosti", book, Ljubljana, 1995
- 7. "Metelkova danes in jutri", editing and author of one article, Ljubljana,
1996
- 8. "Sestava", article, Arhitektov bilten, maj 1996, str. 54- 59, Ljubljana,
1996
- 9. "Dejavnice", article, Likovne besede, dec. 1996 str. 78- 80, Ljubljana, 1996
- 10. "Čemu likovni pouk?", article, Razgledi, 11. 12. 1996, str. 12, Ljubljana,
1996
- 11.Report from Slovenia: Ljubljana goes international, author of article John
O'Brien, Art in America, June 1996, pg.43- 44.
- 12. Sestave, book, National Museum of Recent History and City Gallery Maribor,
1997
- 13. Kip, gib vzgib, book, National Museum of Recent History, Ljubljana, 1998
- 14. Svet-uvid, book, Škofja Loka, 2000
- 15. Odtisi nekega srečanja, Interview in magazine Finance, 28th Aug. 2000, Ljubljana
- 16. Dejavnica kot proces estetskega izkustva, article in book "Stvarnost podobe",
Ljubljana, 2000
- 17. Telo in telos umetnosti, article, Ampak- magazine for culture, Nov. 2000,
Ljubljana
- 18. Možnost umetnosti, article, Ampak- magazine for culture, dec. 2000, Ljubljana
- 19. Pris(o)tnost v umetnosti, article, Likovne besede, julij 2001, Ljubljana
- 20. Ethical Insights of Art, editor and author of article, book, ZDSLU, Ljubljana,
2001 (other authorsi: Vesna Krmelj, Janko Rožič, Borut Ošlaj, John O'Brien,
Aleksander S. Ostan)
- 21. O kiparstvu kot etičnem dejanju, article, Ethics of , Zbornik 8. redne konference
Društva krajinskih arhitektov Slovenije, Rog. Slatina, nov. 2001
- 22. Idealizem in iskrena vera v ljudi, article by Semira Osmanagič, Delo 7th
of Oct. 2001
- 23. "Smisel našega početja", article in magazine of Slovenian advertising festival,
13th of March, 2002
- 24. Art center Metelkova Mesto, picture of the furnished cell in former prison
in the article about cultural centre Metelkova in catalogue of Sao Paulo's Biennial-
Paises, pg. 118, 119, 120, Sao Paulo, 2002
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