From 2 February to 1 April 2012, the Jakopič Promenade in Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park plays host to a photographic exhibition by Primož Hieng entitled ‘This Foolish Shrovetide Time’.

“Slovenia is Europe in miniature” wrote the Slovenian ethnologist Dr Niko Kuret in his benchmark work on Slovenian carnival traditions ‘Masks of the Slovenian Regions’. This hefty book with its survey of carnival masks, customs and traditions was first published in the now far off year of 1984. Since then and the turn of the new millennium when the author’s photographs and descriptions began to emerge, what has changed?

Kuret’s guide - Slovenia is Europe in miniature – was also a guide to photographer and publicist Primož Hieng, once he began to research and photographically document Shrovetide traditions across Slovenia from north to south, east to west. His most important findings: Shrovetide traditions are kept up in numerous Slovenian villages, hamlets, regions and towns. Not only that, but new carnival groups are emerging that are seeking their own tradition in the Shrovetide customs of their ancestors; Shrovetide carnivals are developing, and in particular the carnival tradition is being revived where it had already been allowed to die out. Moreover, what’s most important, even once-hidden carnival traditions have become known to the general public through the systematic work and research by photographer and publicist Primož Hieng. His important mission is also carried to the media; not least the author’s monograph This Foolish Shrovetide Time, the result of a decade’s work and published in November 2011. The photographs and text it contains as well as quality artistic and documentary photography showcase just about all Slovenian Shrovetide masks, customs and traditions. It is an exceptionally important part of Slovenian living cultural heritage.

The photo monograph of This Foolish Shrovetide Time being showcased at this time after many years is the first such book on the Slovenian literary market, which details in words and pictures most of the Shrovetide customs and habits in Slovenia. Therefore, just as this preserves carnival traditions and keeps cultural heritage alive in a unique way, the author’s photography is an excellent documentary record of places and times in the early 21st century.

Photographer Primož Hieng has spent the last ten years faithfully recording Shrovetide customs and traditions in almost every corner of Slovenia where there are masks. The photographic lens has captured numerous hidden faces and their varied and colourful appearance. Thus he tried to take pictures of those masks that made an appearance in the genuine and unspoilt environment far from the madding crowd but in some cases this just was not feasible. However, Shrovetide parades and carnivals that produced photos prove that the ‘foolish holiday’ is not going to die out any time soon.

The author’s interest was aroused by carnivals and masks in Drežnica and Drežniške Ravne, ‘kurenti’ carnival masqueraders of every kind in Ptuj and Dravsko polje and Haloze, ‘škoromati’ carnival masqueraders in Hrušica and Podgrad, Cerkno lavfarji, ‘petelini’ and ‘podivci’, Zagorje ‘mačkare’ in the Dobrepolje valley and other well known and less well known Slovenian carnival figures. The photographer has discovered a previously unknown group, the ‘Podstenjske fehtarje’, who are rebuilding the carnival tradition in the village of Podstenje near Ilirska Bistrica, and last year discovered other masqueraders in Rakitovec in Primorska and at Veliko Brdo near Ilirska Bistrica. Attention is paid to the ‘fašenki’ in Markovce and Cirkulane and carnival parades by ethnological groups in Ptuj, Cerknica, Ljubljana and elsewhere around Slovenia.

Primož Hieng, author of the This Foolish Shrovetide Time exhibition has already showcased his Shrovetide photography in 13 solo exhibitions throughout Slovenia, and last year his thorough work was rewarded with the Murko Award for a decade of documentary photography and description of Shrovetide customs and habits in Slovenia. Expert assessment of the photography displayed by the author was prepared by Professor of Ethnology Dr Janez Bogataj and Dr Aleš Gačnik, Professor of Cultural Heritage at the Faculty of Tourism Studies – Turistica in Portorož, Primorska University.