When I think of tapestries, I think of medieval castles with stone walls that needed to be insulated somehow during long and cold winters to keep in the heat from the fireplace. I also think of the Gryffindor common room from the Harry Potter movies (with motifs from the real 15th century French Lady and the Unicorn tapestries). The point is – no matter how beautifully done, those tapestries had a strong function. This however does not mean that the art of making tapestries has died out together with the lack of need for such form of insulation. It survived as an art technique. A rare and expensive one, but still…
Almost half a century ago, Slovenia was building its first culture and congress center in Ljubljana. A project of such importance involved not only one of the most famous Slovenian architects, Edo Ravnikar, but also Zoran Kržišnik (director of Modern Gallery) who was in charge of the committee for art equipment. And so, the decision was reached that the Grand Reception Hall of Cankarjev dom should become the first Yugoslav exhibition space for tapestries. Since Slovenia was still a part of SFR Yugoslavia, they chose one from each republic.
Recently restored, they once again welcome the visitors of events going on in the venue that remind us of the past. Yugo-nostalgic? Maybe. Maybe not. Heavy topic? Not as heavy as the tapestries, since they weigh up to 200 kg. The Hall is open for visitors every day, so drop by anytime.
