Biba Buba Baja. Creating (for) the Child of Socialism
Center of Illustration
Vodnikova domačija Center
Stritarjeva ulica 7, 1000 Ljubljana
How did artists picture the child of socialism? Selected works from the golden age of children’s literature.
Biba Buba Baja. Creating (for) the Child of Socialism presents the child of the second half of the 20th century and selected artists for children in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia from a contemporary perspective through an exhibition with a selection of publications, illustrations and positions in contemporary art, as well as film and educational programmes and lectures.
The exhibition and programme present the results of the research project carried out by the Institute of Culture and Memory Studies ZRC SAZU and organized in the cooperation with Center of Illustration / Vodnikova domačija, City of Women Association and Slovenian Cinematheque.
Exhibition open:
Tuesday–Friday, 10.00–18.00
Sunday, 10.00–14.00 and in the time of events
Opening: Saturday, 25 May at 18.00
Admission to the exhibition and events is free (with the exception of the film programme at the Slovenian Cinematheque).
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After the horrors of the Second World War and the determined fight for freedom in the framework of the People’s liberation war (NOB), the idea of childhood as a special stage in life played a decisive role in the reconstruction and development of post-war society at home and abroad. The "century of the child" coincided with the century of the book. The book, the magazine, the newspaper and the associated illustrations accompanied children as they grew up.
The children of socialism, especially in the growing cities, actively participated in the reconstruction of their homeland after the experiences of the war, began to play more, attend kindergarten and school, play sports and engage in cultural activities, extend their right to health, social protection and care, began to receive gifts from Grandfather Frost and became citizens of the world.
Education, cultural upbringing and especially literature for children, who made up almost half of the population at the time, provided a space for creativity for a range of cultural workers. Through word, sound, image, puppetry or movement, it was thus creativity for (and with) children that opened the doors of the art world to those to whom it had previously remained mostly closed: women and children of the broad masses.
The high points of creativity and literature for children at this time – in terms of original production, the establishment of translation and production links and (infra)structures, and in terms of abundance and accessibility – are now viewed differently. By participating in this development, the producers for children have not only helped to shape the images of childhood, but also the ideas of a new society and world. Like torches of a bygone future, they were passed into the hands of the children of yesteryear, when the future was still shimmering on the world's horizon.
PROGRAMME
Saturday, 25 May at 18.00
Center of Illustration
Exhibition opening and discussion with the artists and makers of the exhibition
FOR ADULTS:
Thursday, 30 May at 18:00
Center of Illustration
Illusion and reality in the illustrative work of artists Ljubica Cuca Sokić and Bosiljka Bosa Kićevac / Iluzija i realnost u ilustratorskom opusu umetnica Ljubice Cuce Sokić i Bosiljke Bose Kićevac
The lecture by art historian Gorana Stevanović (National Library of Serbia) will shed light on the phenomenon of illustration conditioned by the dialogue between the writer and the painter, the image and the text, while highlighting the key points of its development in the economic, aesthetic, social, technical and artistic circumstances, as well as its cultural significance in the context of the post-World War II period. The lecture will focus on the illustrative work of the painter and academic Ljubica Cuca Sokić (1914-2009) and the artist Bosiljka Bose Kićevac (1932-2016).
The lecture will be held in Serbian. A translation of the summary and consecutive interpreting to Slovene will be provided.
Tuesday, 4 June, 13.30 to 14.30
Center of Illustration
I am a book. Which language do you read me in? / Jaz sem knjiga. V katerem jeziku me bereš?
The lecture by children's book author, librarian and pedagogue Barbara Hanuš on ways to promote multilingualism is aimed at educators and librarians. The lecture will explain methods and materials for promoting the mother tongue, the language of the environment and the language of instruction.
The programme is free of charge, but registration is required at prijava@divjamisel.org
Thursday, 6 June at 11.00
Mala dvorana ZRC SAZU, Novi trg 4, Ljubljana.
Historical Seminar ZRC SAZU: Lecture in English by Dr Dora Komnenović (Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History - ZZF, Potsdam, Germany): Reflections on discarded books and socio-political transformations in (post-)Yugoslavia and beyond
"De-ideologisation" or "libricide"? Based on the more or less well-known debates about the so-called "cleansing" of libraries after the collapse of socialist Yugoslavia, Dr Dora Komnenović examines the politics of collection management of public libraries in times of upheaval.
The lecture will be held in English. A translation of the summary and consecutive interpretation will be provided.
Wednesday, 12 June at 18.00
Center of Illustration
Illustrated literature that quenched the curiosity of the first post-war generations of children: / Ilustrirana literatura, ki je tešila radovednost prvih povojnih generacij otrok. Starting from the partisan production for children during the war, the art historian Tatjana Pregl Kobe focuses with her lecture on the post-war decades of Slovenian literary illustration. A look at the post-war period, especially at some of the more prominent representatives of this type of illustration and their characteristic works, provides a better overview of today's production.
The lecture will be held in Slovenian.
Wednesday 19.6. at 18.00
Vodnikova domačija Center / Center of Illustration
Lecture by cultural anthropologist Dr Barbara Turk Niskač (Faculty of Education, University of Tampere, Finland) Children - active co-creators of social reality / Otroci – aktivni soustvarjalci družbene realnosti
Based on an analysis of the journal Pionirski list and interviews with interlocutors who grew up in the period of socialist Yugoslavia, the lecture will focus on children as an active social group in the context of the idea of self-governance.
The lecture will be held in Slovenian. The programme is free of charge.
FOR CHILDREN:
Saturday, 1 June, 16:00 to 18:00
Center of Illustration
How to draw a tree - how to write a poem? / Kako crtamo stablo – kako pišemo pjesmu?
Poetry workshop for children in the BHSC languages or in the "common language"* with poet Šimo Ešić and poetry guest Ismet Bekrić.
The programme is free of charge, but registration is required at prijava@divjamisel.org
Sunday, 2 June and Sunday, 16 June 11.00 to 13.00
Center of Illustration
Family guided tour of the exhibition with the curators Dr Katja Kobolt and Maša Žekš.
The tour will be followed by a collage-making workshop with illustrator Anka Kočevar.
The programme is free of charge, registration is required at prijava@divjamisel.org
Saturday, 8 June, 16:00 to 17:30
Center of Illustration
Books are like children / Librat janë si fëmijët
Poetry workshop for children in Albanian with the poet Dije Demiri-Frangu.
The programme is free of charge, registration is required at prijava@divjamisel.org
YOUTH FILM SCREENINGS at the Slovenian Cinematheque:
Friday, 31 May at 17:00
The Lost Pencil (Izgubljeni svinčnik, Fedor Škubonja, Croatia) (Yugoslavia), 1960, 48', Slovenian subtitles) and The Youth is Building (Mladina gradi, France Štiglic, Slovenia (Yugoslavia), 1946, 18').
Friday, 7 June at 17.00
Selection of short animated films, Slovenia (Yugoslavia).
In cooperation with the Slovenian Film Archive.
Friday, 14 June at 17:00
Public screening of youth and children's films: The Secret of an Old Attic (Tajna starog tavana), Vladimir Tadej, Croatia (Yugoslavia), 1984, 84', Slovenian subtitles.
PROGRAMME FOR SCHOOL CLASSES
Gallery games – Workshop
Center of Illustration
After visiting the exhibition, the children will meet the Magic Box, the four illustrator-narrator challenges and the Gallery games can begin. For children aged 7-12 years.
Possible dates: 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21 June.
The programme, run by tutors, lasts 60 minutes and is free of charge. Registration is required at prijava@divjamisel.org
Monday, 3 June at 10.00
The Slovenian Cinematheque
School screening: selection of short animated films, Slovenia (Yugoslavia).
In cooperation with the Slovenian Film Archive. Registration is required at izobrazevanje@kinoteka.si
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Curated by: Dr. Katja Kobolt and Maša Žekš
Co-curator of contemporary art positions: Iva Kovač
Film and educational programme: Vitja Dreu Dominkuš, Sara Šabec, Katja Preša and Katja Kobolt
Graphic design: Ajda Fortuna
Organisation: Gaja Naja Rojec and Eva Prodan
Research project supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tanja Petrović
Bibliographic and biographical research assistance: Sabina Potočki
Acknowledgment: National and University Library, Ljubljana City Library, National Library of Serbia, City Art Gallery Ljubljana (MGML), Lenovo Slovenia, ŠKUC Gallery, Gorana Stevanović, Rastko Ćirić, Eka Vogelnik, Tatjana Pregl Kobe, Barbara Borčić in Mojca Borčić-Razpotnik, Vladana Likar, Dragana in Aleksandar Palavestra, Vesna Lakićević Pavićević, Džoja Ratković Gavela, Ljiljana Manzalović, Jelena Petrović, Jelena Vesić, Ljiljana Ćinkul, Ana in Bojan Popović, Sofija Semenpeeva, Tina Malić-Andonovska, Daniela Weinerová, Olivera Nikolova, Ana Cvetkoska-Panova, Ladislav Cvetkovski, Lenče Lambevska Gulevska, Bistrica Mirkulovska, Simonida Filipova Kitanovska, Dimitar Božikov, Žarko Tunić, Naum Popeski, Natali Nikolovska, Ksenija Makazlieva Trajčeva, Andreja Dugandžić, Danijela Dugandžić, Lala Raščić, Vedran Šolaja, CRVENA, Ferida Duraković, Vesna Radojević Čopra, Xhevat Syla, Qëndresë Deda, Salih Lutolli, Demush R. Avdimetaj, Faton Gervalla, Ibrahim Kadriu, Albert Heta, Isabella Mauro, Annemarie Štimac, Jelka Reichman, Mira Voglar, Ančka Gošnik Godec, Pavle Učakar, Irena Matko, Alenka Veler, Andrej Ilc, Tjaša Nabergoj, Maša P. Žmitek, Gal Kirn, Petja Grafenauer, Milena Mileva Blažić, Natalija Majsova, Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc, Martin Pogačar, Iva Kosmos, Ksenija Bogetić, Ana Hofman, Mimi Urbanc.
Bibliographical and biographical research support: Sabina Potočki
Technical support: Matevž Ftičar in Martin Lovšin
Administration: Teja Komel Klepec
Proof reading: Tadej Turnšek in Nikola Brajnik
The Centre of Illustration is made possible by the City of Ljubljana.
The programme is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
The exhibition and the programme are a part of a research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement 101024090 - SOC-ILL. The exhibition and the programme present the research results and reflect the views only of the authors, and EC REA cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.