5 SHOWS is the Artissima twice-monthly feature that recommends 5 exhibitions not to be missed in various European cities, chosen from the viewpoint of curators and directors of important institutions familiar with the local context. A different way to find guidance in the discovery of contemporary art across borders, with a personal and always up-to-date perspective.
The eighth focus is on Ljubljana, with a selection by Martina Vovk, Director, Moderna galerija – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MG+MSUM).
Here are the 5 exhibitions currently on view she has chosen for our readers:
Hassan Khan. GESTUS
Cukrarna Gallery
Up to 17.08.2025
The exhibition GESTUS is structured as an assemblage, bringing together a wide range of artworks in different media and techniques. These include posters, glass objects, music, video, an assemblage constructed out of leftover material found in the storage spaces of Cukrarna Gallery, and digital illustrations printed on wood panels, fabric, and aluminium sheets. The exhibition is part of a one-month stay of the artist, musician, and writer Hassan Khan in Ljubljana and has been specially conceived for the Parter Gallery.
►READ MORE
Christoph Grill. Depth of field
Photon Gallery
Up to 13.06.2025
Christoph Grill’s photographic work is a result of a change of location. What can be seen in the world is incommensurable, a never-ending project. On his exploratory journeys, he cultivates the openness of an explorer, allowing himself to be surprised by what he finds without any specific guidelines. This is, on the one hand, a conceptual exploration of what already presents itself as an image, and, on the other, of what landscapes are charged with.
► READ MORE
Picture (a) City
Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova +MSUM
Up to 01.06.2025
The project brings together works by artists exploring the complexity of Ljubljana’s urban identity. In terms of theme, the works range from questioning local heritage and its role in our present context to highlighting environmental challenges and changes in the urban landscape. The artists deal with the relation between the memory of the space and its users, investigating traces of the past by mapping, archiving, or recontextualizing recognizable elements of the urban environment.
►READ MORE
Aïda Muluneh. On the Edge of Past Future
Jakopič Gallery
Up to 01.06.2025
Full of symbolism, vibrant colours and bold patterns, the photographs of contemporary Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh (1974) aim to reflect and raise awareness. Through her exceptional visual language, the photographer’s work highlights pressing global issues such as inequalities in access to water, food or education, and the abuse of power, while advocating for the empowerment of women. We present her work at the exhibition On the Edge of Past Future, produced by Fotografie Forum Frankfurt (FFF).
►READ MORE
Ensemble – Gerrit Rietveld and the MAO Collection
Museum of Architecture and Design
Up to 14.09.2025
Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964) was one of the most important designers and architects of the 20th century. Today, his legacy is most closely associated with his two iconic projects: the Red-Blue Chair and the Rietveld Schröder House, both recognised as symbols of modernism. His early work, characterised by abstract compositions of lines and planes, reflects the principles of the Dutch art movement De Stijl (1917–1931), which championed a bold geometric visual language and a belief in the transformative power of artistic practice.
►READ MORE
If you want to discover the cities and institutions explored so far, here are the previous episodes:
Berlin | Athens | Porto | Zurich | Roma | Brussels | Stockholm | Marseille
