“Only your work will be remembered”: the 150th anniversary of Jože Plečnik’s birth

21 January 2022

Original post from British Library European Studies blog 

by Janet Ashton, West European Cataloguing Team Manager

On 21 July 2021, UNESCO added four new cultural sites to its World Heritage List. One of these four was the work of the architect Jože Plečnik on Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana in the years between the world wars, transforming it from a provincial town into a celebrated example of modern, “human centred design” that nevertheless maintained a “dialogue” with the older elements of the city centre.

Portrait of Jože Plečnik

Portrait of Jože Plečnik by Alenka KhamPičman. Reproduced with kind permission of the artist.

A few months later, the Slovenian government declared that 2022 would be considered “the year of Plečnik”, emphasising this honour and the 150th anniversary of his birth. There will be exhibitions, tours and new publications focusing on his oeuvre, which extends far beyond Ljubljana and can be found in every corner of the country. It will kick off with a series of events in the historic yet industrious town of Kamnik, where among other things he designed a memorial chapel to soldiers of both world wars, renovated the station, and – in the forest nearby – erected a hunting lodge for the first King of Yugoslavia, Alexander.

Hunting lodge in Kamnik designed by Jože Plečnik

Hunting lodge in Kamnik designed by Jože Plečnik for the first King of Yugoslavia, Alexander. Photo: Janet Ashton

Slovenia is justly proud of Plečnik as the architect of a very recognisable national style, but he was also a true son of Central Europe, born in 1872 as a subject of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and educated also in Graz and Vienna, where he studied under Otto Wagner. To Vienna he contributed the immediately noticeable Zacherlhaus in the city centre, and enjoyed a certain measure of favour in highest quarters, working on a fountain in honour of the mayor Karl Lueger, and collaborating with Lueger and the ill-fated Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg on building a church in the district of Ottakring, whose working class inhabitants they hoped to inspire with religious feelings that would immure them against radical activities. Plečnik had instinctive sympathy for the Christian Social movement Lueger represented, and throughout his life was interested in popular expressions of Catholicism and their links with national identity.

Given his success and his position in the political mainstream, he even hoped to succeed Wagner as professor of Architecture at the School of Fine Arts, but the style of the Holy Ghost Church fell foul of the heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, whose tastes were far more conservative and who likened the church to a stable crossed with a sauna. Plečnik found his appointment blocked.

Obelisk designed by Plečnik on the Moravian Bastion of Prague Castle

Obelisk designed by Plečnik on the Moravian Bastion of Prague Castle. Photo: Janet Ashton

Convinced that his career in Vienna was over, he moved to Prague at the invitation of Jan Kotěra, another of Wagner’s pupils, and took up a post at the college of arts and crafts. He was teaching in Prague when the Habsburg empire split apart and the cities in which he had made his life and career found themselves in three separate countries. On a personal level, this was a traumatic experience for many people, never again sure to which nation they belonged, but for Plečnik it also afforded new opportunities in developing national styles with specific political overtones. His first major project for the successor states was to renovate Prague Castle, transforming the dilapidated and forbidding Habsburg fortress into a “democratic” residence for the new President of the Czechoslovak Republic, a seat and symbol of the liberal, middle class nation its leaders aspired to create. Whereas his contact with hereditary royalty was always awkward, he developed a great rapport with both the President, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, and with Masaryk’s daughter Dr. Alice Masaryková, who shared a profound involvement in the project. Symbolic of their complex national history, he and Alice corresponded in German, the language of the vanished empire, because despite his years in Prague Plečnik lacked confidence in his own Czech-speaking abilities.

Interior of the Sacred Heart Church in Vinohrady

Interior of the Sacred Heart Church in Vinohrady designed by Jože Plečnik. Photo: Janet Ashton

In 1921 he was invited to return to Ljubljana and take up a post at the School of Architecture at the new University. He was reluctant at first, fearing that he was moving to a backwater, but he also felt a patriotic obligation to the Slovenian people, and in the end he accepted. This post would lead to his celebrated impact on the whole of the Slovenian capital, where he remodelled bridges, built churches, and designed the national library, city stadium and cemetery. But at the same time, he also worked on projects in far more modest locations, renovating a church in the tiny north-eastern town of Bogojina, for example, simply in the hope of inspiring its townsfolk. He had limited impact on the wider Yugoslavia of which Slovenia was a component part, but did undertake two projects for the Yugoslav royal family for their visits to Slovenia. His relationship with the military-minded King Alexander was as awkward as that with Franz Ferdinand had been, however, and nothing ever came close to the rapport he had enjoyed with Masaryk and Alice.

Drawing of the National/University Library and Napoleon memorial in Ljubljana

Drawing of the National/University Library and Napoleon memorial in Ljubljana by Alenka KhamPičman. Reproduced with kind permission of the artist.

Jože Plečnik lived an ascetic and fairly reclusive life according to his own motto, “Minljiv si, le tvoja dela so tvoj spomin” (“only your work will be remembered”) at his home in Ljubljana (which is now a museum). He survived the occupation of the city by first Fascist Italy and then Nazi Germany, and continued to teach until the last days of his life. Alenka KhamPičman, now an artist who often paints her tutor’s buildings, recalls that he came on foot to the University every day and sat all morning marking projects and sketching out ideas for his students to take up. She admired him for his “imagination, knowledge, perseverance and discipline” and for his strict commentary on his pupils’ work.

Plečnik died aged 85 in 1957. Under Communism his architecture was unfashionable and often ignored (“he was pushed away by the modern world” says Alenka KhamPičman sadly), but from 1991 the independence of Slovenia brought a new focus on his work and the national spirit he had tried to embody, elevating him to the status of a national hero and symbol of his country.

Janet Ashton, West European Cataloguing Team Manager

With particular thanks to Alenka KhamPičman for her memories and permission to use her paintings

References/further reading:

The British Library holds a very large number of books and journals in various languages that throw light on Plečnik’s life and work. They range from beautifully illustrated city guidebooks and exhibition catalogues to critical academic studies to facsimiles, memoir by associates, and biographies. A mere sample is as follows:

Maja Avguštin, Saša Lavrinc. Plečnik na Domžalskem in Kamniškem, [fotografije Drago Bac]. (Ljubljana, 2010). YF.2012.a.19139

Noah Charney. Eternal architect: the life and art of Jože Plečnik, modernist mystic. (Ljubljana, 2017). LD.31.b.4492

Great immortality: studies on European cultural sainthood, edited by Marijan Dović, Jón Karl Helgason [includes studies on the cultural and Catholic admiration for both Gaudi and Plečnik]. (Leiden, 2019). YD.2019.a.5108

Andrej Hrausky. Plečnik’s architecture in Ljubljana (Ljubljana, 2017). YF.2019.a.8928

Andrej Hrausky. Jože Plečnik: Dunaj, Praga, Ljubljana. (Ljubljana, 2007). LF.31.b.8502

Ivan Margolius. Church of the Sacred Heart. (London, 1995). LB.31.b.24563

Josip Plečnik: an architect of Prague Castle. [compiled by] Zdeněk Lukeš, Damjan Prelovšek, Tomáš Valen. (Prague, 1997). LB.31.b.17345.

O plečniku: prispevki k preučevanju, interpretaciji in popularizaciji njegovega dela. Tomáš Valena ; prevod iz nemščine Marjana Karer, Špela Urbas ; prevod iz češčine Nives Vidrih. (Celje, 2013). LF.31.b.10948

Plečnik na Loškem: Galerija Loškega muzeja Škofja Loka, 8. 6.-31. 10. 2007. besedila Damjan Prelovšek et al.; uvod Jana Mlakar; fotografija Damjan Prelovšek … et al.. (Skofja Loka, 2007). YF.2011.a.12830.

Jože Plečnik, Jan Kotěra. Jože Plečnik–Jan Kotěra: dopisovanje 1897-1921, uredil, komentiral in prevedel Damjan Prelovšek. (Ljubljana, 2004). YF.2010.b.2359.

Jože Plečnik, Dunajske risbe =The Vienna drawings. text by Peter Krečič. (Ljubljana, 1994). HS.74/1194

Damjan Prelovšek. Josef Plečnik, 1872-1957: architectura perennis, aus dem Slowenischen von Dorothea Apovnik. (Salzburg, 1992). LB.31.b.17818

Lukeš Zdeněk. Jože Plečnik: průvodce po stavbách v České republice; současné fotografie Jiří Podrazil. (Prague, 2012). YF.2013.a.1546

Blockchain & Sustainable Economic Growth Art Show

Government Blockchain Association

Exhibition of Arts on May 25-27 in Washington D.C. , at the Mayflower hotel and online

“La Rrose d’Amour/ The Rose of Lovings” , Norma De Saint Picman, painting on solar panel, 164 x 100 x 4 cm, 2022

So happy to be included in the show, with two images of my paintings on solar panels from the Noravisionsolarmetaverse series!

“Sunflower tears”, a painting on the solar panel, golden, silver imitation applications, 164 x 100 x 4 cm, Norma De Saint Picman, 2021

One is entitled “Sunflower tears”, yet created in 2021, but actually presented with the reminiscence of recent painful events from Ukraine and the symbolic use of a Sunflower as their national symbol, but also as memory from the famous Van Gogh painting – actually, I was painting a sunflower in the garden, some rainy late afternoon…

The other painting, The Rose of Lovings /La Rrose d’Amour was created recently, also in the plain air, in the garden as almost all of all paintings from that series, depicting a beautiful rose, a gift from recent friend, Bojana Dornig Kavčič, and flourishing garden in the sunset. This painting is full of love, hope and harmony, with another historical reference, Duchamp’s “Rrose C’est la Vie”, a small scetch depicting – Rodin’s lovers, I’ve also realised as an drypoint already in the past.

Both paintings are using flat, transparent parts together with more pastose ones.

The show is actually curated by Kelsey Moon, MAGI Founder & CEO, GBA Art Show Director…”Beauty will Save the World” MAGI Intermedia Impact Creative Economy https://amagination.art/

, and I’d just received her kind confirmative letter:

” Hi Dear,
We have received an art submission from you from the 2021 show. The google drive is not accessible, however the other link was. There was photos of you in a gallery and great photo of a painting you created with greens and pinks. 
I want to assume that this painting is the image that you would like to submit for the show? We would ha[pily mint this image and include it in the 2022 show since the 2021 had to be enveloped into this showing due to Covid-19 shutdown.
Please let me know as soon as possible, as I want to make sure the correct art piece is included and did not receive a viable link to the piece/a link to multiple pieces so I had to guess which. 
In worst case scenario that you do not respond in time, we will mint this beautiful piece for you, include it, and if there is a problem then we will just burn it. I would rather include you than not include you 😉
May 25-27 in Washington D.C. at the Mayflower hotel and online.
thank you and congrats!
Moon ”

As technical issues were resolved, the two paintings are included ion the show, and I’m immensely grateful for possibility of participation!

..Artists- submit your digital image to the Blockchain & Sustainable Economic Growth Art Show, all digital submissions will be minted into NFTs, and available for voting and for sale…

As you move into Sustainable Economic Growth you put YOUR ART in front of hundreds of eyeballs…

More detailed explanation of the project: “Sunflower tears” and “La Rrose d’Amour ( title recalling Duchamp…) are part of Noravisionsolarmetaverse project, The Garden of Eden series, as I’m working yet from 2018 on this sustainable project of upcycling of used solar panels. Actual used and no more functional panels are transformed into new portals of visual energy and sustainable message, please refer to the explanation about the project from the link below on Artsy platform.
However, there is also a symbolic representation of fading sunflower in tears linked with actual Ukrainien war, a whisper of sadness and death into impressive almost romantic atmosphere in a Garden…; but there is a hope, as allways, in every situation, and The Rose of Love, painted in spring, my last painting, is more dynamic and hopefull.
The third image linked is actual photo of a dance performance I had during the Exhibition.
Technically, almost every painting is painted in classical oil technics, with gold and silver imitations included, 100 x 164 x 4 cm large…
“Noravision Gallery is presenting, on the one hand, a show THE GARDEN OF EDEN, NORAVISIONSOLAR project of painted solar panels by artist Norma De Saint Picman, and at the same time a company NORAVISIONDECENTRALIZED ART INVESTMENTS with created NFT https://unstoppabledomains.com/nft gallery preview/noravisiondecentralizedartinvestments.nft , combining traditional and physical Arts with digital twins of transformed NFT avatars, including also a processes of creation, voice and music.
Major solo exhibition show displays paintings on solar panels with essentially floral or landscapes images.
Garden of Eden series includes Plein air paintings, as they have been evolving since September 2020 with first public exposure now.
From the entrance, on the right, the show starts with an autumn postmodern impressionist painting The way of no return, in the orange blue green yellow harmony; It’s actually a view from the author’s childhood house which in autumn turns romantic, almost sentimental, in Gorenjska region.
Golden fruits – Kakis from Sveto have more gray and orange tonality, with the slightly visible octagonal church from Sveto, at Karst, where another Noravision Gallery artist, painter, and architect Alenka Kham Pičman has a studio.
The third and fourth painting with autumn colors, with more vivid red, carmin, violet, and yellow is a Yelow rose, dedicated to the birthday Bouquet of the artist’s son Aron, placed deeper into the space, on the bottom left, near the stand of Noravoisiondecentralized Art Investments, together with second variant of Heavenly Manna, Red & Rose, Bleeding Clouds towards earth.
Other paintings, with predominant greenery , we see on the left, from the entrance, there are three paintings, placed as diptych of Sunset, red summer flowers, with the Pommier en Fleurs, pair of Fairyes.
The other four paintings in the Green Harmony placed as dyptiques at the left and right side of the main stage, are White Harmony Blossom with Rainy trees evening, on the left, and Paon Albino, Hommage à Madani Bo, Îlle de Bercy and Roe deer.

The three paintings in the turquoise, white, violet, and magenta colors exposed partly there – Heavenly manna, exposed at the exhibition stand of Noravisiondecentralized Art Investments, and two others, in the white right part
of the conference Hall – Hortensias, La Lune, and Flourishing Magnolia, the second…
The project has been supported initially by Suncontract , and currently by Bisol Solar Company.
To made a project more accessible to the pubic there are certified digital prints accessible in signed limited editiones. The copy of the Paon Albino was offerred by author to the President of Latvia Mr Egils Levits at the occasion of his visit to the Digital Center, together with President of Slovenia, Mr Boris Pahor.

Sustainable mission of the NORAVISIONSOLAR, Creative & Circular

Noravisionsolar main idea is actually to reuse unfunctional solar panels as artistic paintings in upcycling process. As there is no longer electric energy production and transfer in place there is actually a psychological flow of harmonious aesthetic energy which is transmitted to the spectator merging into observation process. Actual use referring to the static model develops placement of painted solar panels in architectural environment, inclusion as an expressive decoration in the airports, metros, tunnels. However dynamic model uses Auctions are an effective tool for selling that kind of paintings, also as editioned prints, with the NFC chip embedded for detection of ownership, royalties, and other crucial data of an artwork and the NFT editions of existing paintings, some of them already placed at https://unstoppabledomains.com/nft-gallery-preview/noravisiondecentralizedartinvestments
All works, whether from the static or dynamic model, are actually registered on the blockchain-driven art platform Noravision, a decentralized ecosystem through which an eclectic pool of artists, collectors, investors, auction houses, and galleries gather in efforts to raise awareness of the world’s most talented artists through liquid-able digital-asset investments, an AI-powered digital community, and blockchain-driven authenticity & tracking protocols. The mission of the Noravision platform is to create further transparency in efforts to demotivate the art black market, whilst offering higher transactionality speeds, within a fully traceable art world.
The paintings use the concept of ready-made, in a changed contextual context they are placed into the historical or modern architectural frame spreading a positive influence via their decorative, aesthetic, expressive and energetic value in the life of viewers – users, solve the problem of destruction of old panels and harmful effects on the environment while also providing revenue for artists and other active users of the platform – gallerists, auction houses, curators in the Noravision decentralised Arts ecosystem

Toxic cells are used to make photovoltaic cells, whereas lead or carcinogenic cadmium is partially washed out of fragments of solar modules by rainwater. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimated 250,000 tonnes of waste panels for 2016 and forecasted 78 million tonnes by 2050. Glass cannot be recycled as float glass due to its plastic, lead, cadmium and antimony content. 1.8 million panels contain approximately 45,300 kg of cadmium, which is eliminated from plates during disasters. Recycling is more expensive than the economic value of materials, so most panels end up in landfills.
The solution in the future is the production of harmless conductors, and the current problem can also be solved by converting the solar panel to the image base, mural in subways, airports, tunnels – (rough rock tunnels, on the way from Bologna to Monaco …) or following the model of the art platform Paddle 8, which conducted an auction of painted solar panels in the summer of 2018. Extending the life of the panel itself allows respectful storage and creates a positive economic model that also caters the end of old panels while creating a means of recycling and creating unique added value.
From the past exhibitions we can mention the first painted Diptique The Sun Queen which uses the principle of creative recycling in applying the sun cover, rags and pallets while leaving a visible solar grid, only slightly indicated in the Impressionist Sunset, acrylic paints are used. The work was done in collaboration with Suncontract’s CEO, Mr. Gregor Novak as well as Blockchain Lady, using sandblasting technique to equippe their new business premises.
Daily motifs are made in plein air principle in situ – Port of Koper, Port of Trieste, used classic oil colors.
Past series are summarizing night’s motifs of Venice, Rialto, including the pictures of the flooded Saint Marco Square in Venice, which also points to the climate change.
The physical final semi-industrial production predicts fabrication of covering transparent adhesivefilm for the panels, which, for the needs of metro, tunnel and airports decorative equipment, is glued, referring to the principle of editioned graphics whereas part of the project covers graphically processed drawings in the sandblasting technique, and protection with a special varnish.
From the past exhibitions we can mention group shows at MAO, Circular change; Contemporary Venice, Itsliquid, 2019 and solo exhibitions Luce dell eterno, Glass Cathedral Santa Chiara, Murano; Artes Dei, Festival Ljubljana, 2020, Metamorphoses – The Worlds of Change, Ministry for Culture, Ljubljana, and, finally, the current show Noravisionsolar – Garden of Eden.

https://www.artsy.net/show/noravision-gallery-noravisionsolar-the-garden-of-eden?sort=partner_show_position


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