Silvan Omerzu: A Retrospective

Retrospective at Galerija Božidar Jakac showcases the overview of artistic career of theatre director, puppet maker, set designer and visual artist Silvan Omerzu. The exhibition showcases extensive and diverse selection of his works, from drawing and painting, shadow image, kinetic sculpture, space installation to set design and puppet, that were created in the past thirty years.

Artistic practice of Silvan Omerzu is characterised by pronounced interdisciplinary approach and he has never tied himself to any particular artistic discipline or medium; instead, he has worked as visual artist, set designer, puppet maker and theatre director simultaneously. In his artistic practice that is being presented in theatres as well as in galleries, he creates complex spatial installations, made out of wood and various other materials, that showcase expressive and often grotesque motifs in which subtle social criticism and gallows humour are reflected. The exhibition will thus showcase selected elements of some of the most renown and crucial pieces such as theatre productions Forbidden Loves (Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, 2009), The House of Mary Our Helper (Mladinsko Theatre, 2007-2008) and Words from the House Karlstein (Maribor Puppet Theatre, 2017), or exhibitions such as Automatons, Puppets, Actors (MGLC, 2010) and Ivan Cankar and Europe (Cankarjev dom, 2018-2019). Moreover, Omerzu has already exhibited at the Tears show in the former monastery church of Galerija Božidar Jakac in Kostanjevica na Krki which was then transformed into total ambience.

On the occasion of this retrospective an extensive catalogue was published with essays of dr. Nataša Smolič and dr. Blaž Lukan, and with the interview of Marko Bauer.

Curator: dr. Jure Mikuž.

Photo: Žiga Koritnik