Symposium on the Exhibition Japan, Yugoslavia and the Biennial of Graphic Arts: Documents of Collaboration

The documentary exhibition Japan, Yugoslavia and the Biennial of Graphic Arts: Documents of Collaboration, on view at the International Centre of Graphic Arts from 22 March to 19 May, was accompanied and complemented by an international conference on 15 May 2019. This thematic publication was issued on the occasion of the event.

The participating art historians and the artist presented various aspects of the collaboration between the Japanese and the Yugoslav, especially the Slovenian, art scene from the end of the Second World War. The political and cultural conditions in Japan and Slovenia that made it possible to establish and define contacts were explained. Communication between the two countries as far as visual art is concerned was also placed in the broader context of Cold War international relations.

As it turned out that collaboration between the Japanese and Yugoslav arena was particularly strong in the field of the graphic arts, special attention was paid to the role and importance of the Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts. Its establishment in 1955 offered a strong platform for the development of this medium, and also provided the opportunity to establish lasting international friendships. In addition to the presentation of the Biennial, the importance of the international sculpture symposia Forma Viva, which have been held at various locations in Slovenia since 1961, was also highlighted as part of the Japanese-Slovenian context. The participation of Japanese artists in these events, as in the Biennial, was extremely large and they were well received by the audience.