Začetki Trajne delovne skupnosti samostojnih kulturnih delavcev Ljubljana – Equrna in njen razvoj v osemdesetih letih

Kocjančič, Maruša (author), Žerovc, Beti (mentor)

Galerija Equrna velja za eno od prvih zasebnih prodajnih galerij v Jugoslaviji. Svoja vrata je odprla novembra leta 1984, ustanovila pa jo je skupina mlajših umetnic in umetnikov ter umetnostnih zgodovinark. Uradno so se registrirali že leta 1982 in od takrat organizirano delovali kot trajna delovna skupnost samostojnih kulturnih delavcev (TDS). Galerija Equrna je bila v prvi fazi (1984–1991) podobna razstaviščem tipa artist-run space. Specifika takšnih galerij je, da so umetniki aktivno udeleženi v njeno delovanje, namenjene so skorajda izključno predstavitvi najsodobnejše produkcije in najaktualnejših umetniških praks, značilno zanje pa je tudi, da vzpostavljajo neposreden stik med umetniki in publiko. V manj kot desetletju je Equrni uspelo pripraviti skoraj sto razstav, udeleževali so se umetnostnih sejmov, kot sta sejma v Baslu in Los Angelesu, in sodelovali s številnimi domačimi in tujimi umetniki. Organizirali so okrogle mize, pogovore, predavanja, Equrna pa je bila tudi prostor srečevanja, soočanja mnenj in druženja. Ta ambiciozen način delovanja je pripeljal do tega, da je Equrna, poleg Moderne galerije, Obalnih galerij in ŠKUC-a postala eden najpomembnejših prostorov za razstave sodobne umetnosti pri nas. Kljub temu, da si je Equrna prizadevala za uveljavitev na mednarodnem nivoju, si je vidnejše mesto kot prodajna galerija izborila predvsem v domačem okolju. Dobro poslovno vodenje, podkrepljeno s kvalitetnim strokovnim pisanjem, je Equrni omogočilo, da se je hitro uveljavila kot blagovna znamka. Številnim mlajšim umetnikom, ki so sodelovali z Equrno, se je uspelo prebiti in so postali pomembna imena slovenskega postmodernizma. Leta 1991 se je galerija privatizirala. Danes deluje kot zasebni zavod.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: osemdeseta, prodajna galerija, artist-run space, samoorganiziranje, razstavni sistem
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2019
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-106352
• Publication date in RUL: 20.02.2019

KOCJANČIČ, Maruša, 2019, Začetki Trajne delovne skupnosti samostojnih kulturnih delavcev Ljubljana – Equrna in njen razvoj v osemdesetih letih [online]. Master’s thesis. [Accessed 14 March 2025]. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=106352

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: The beginnings of Permanent Working Community of Artists as Sole Proprietors Ljubljana – Equrna and it's development in the 1980's

Abstract

Equrna Gallery is considered to be one of the first private galleries in former Yugoslavia. It was founded in December 1984 by a group of younger artists and art historians. They registered already in 1982 and acted under the name Permanent Working Community of Artists as Sole Proprietors. Initially (from 1984 to 1991) Equrna resembled artist-run spaces. The term refers to a type of gallery that focuses on exhibiting the latest production of works and the most contemporary art practices and also the establishing of a very direct contact between artists and gallery audience. In little less than a decade Equrna gallery managed to put up almost a hundred exhibitions, took part in art fairs, for example the Basel and Los Angeles art fairs and collaborated with many domestic and foreign artists. Many roundtables, talks and lectures took place in the gallery and it was also a place of meetings, confrontations of views and socialising. This ambitious way of working led to Equrna becoming one of the most important contemporary art exhibition spaces in Slovenia, besides the Museum of Modern Art, Coastal Galleries and Škuc Gallery. Even though Equrna also made attempts to establish itself internationaly, it seems to be important first and foremost as a private gallery in the local, Slovenian environment. Good bussines leadership, supported by expert writing on the exhibited art, enabled Equrna to quickly establish itself as a trademark. Many younger artists, who collaborated with Equrna, achieved a career breakthrough and became important figures of Slovenian postmodern art. Since 1991 Equrna has been operating as a private institution.

• Keywords: 1980's, private gallery, artist-run space, self-organization, exhibition system