he sculptural oeuvre of the early modernist
sculptor Ivan Zajec (1869−1952), the author of the Prešeren Monument in the centre of Ljubljana,
has not been thoroughly studied before. The exhibition will present works in
bronze, plaster and clay that the sculptor conceived in the centres where he sojourned
and worked: Ljubljana, Vienna and Munich, Paris, New York, Trieste, Dubrovnik,
London, Rome, during his wartime internment in Sardinia, and his final
settlement in his native Ljubljana. Archival biographical extracts, information
about Ivan Zajec's schooling, his later pedagogical work, and the long-standing
collaboration between the Toman and Zajec families will be presented. Other
information gathered will answer questions about Zajec's financial situation,
the support of his wealthy relative Josipina Hočevar, his extensive oeuvre,
commissions, production for the free market, and his independent status in
comparison with other contemporary Slovenian sculptors. The exhibition will
present Zajec's free-standing sculpture and his monumental, architectural,
church and tomb sculpture.
4 October 2023 – 14
January 2024
National Gallery of Slovenia
Prešernova 24
1000 Ljubljana