An exhibition on the 'Graffiti of Ljubljana' by Mankica Kranjec is being held alongside the Ljubljanica river from the start of August until, it is foreseen, the end of September.

In the 'Graffiti of Ljubljana' project creator Mankica Kranjec is putting on display eleven photographs of work by selected domestic and foreign graffiti artists, who have left their mark on urban spaces in various corners of Ljubljana. In the context of cities and modern neighbourhoods there are not only now numerous architectural achievements, but many of them are also now adorned with graffiti – urban paintings, which crop up on buildings, derelict walls, walkways, and other urban 'canvasses'. It is an urban phenomenon, reflecting the spirit of the times, while serving to identify each location. As the author has documented graffiti from different periods of time, some are now painted over, while others are somewhat faded. It is a unique socio-artistic phenomenon whose never-ending disappearance gives a special charm of meaning to their existence. Therefore, the present exhibition is rather topical.
Via their unique and unrecreateable works of art, graffiti artists embellish the walls of our capital, and thus the (cultural) phenomenon of graffiti or street art often opens questions about their value and broader social context. If it is sometimes perceived as vandalism and illegality, it can also be thought of as artistic and aesthetic. Even if public space could in some way be said to be an outdoor gallery, here however the question arises whether it is right that graffiti should be exhibited in an institutionalised form, such as the current exhibition. Primarily graffiti falls into the street, and by displaying a photo of the work it probably loses its original meaning and sharpness. However, simply because people perceive graffiti as part of urban or street culture, Mankica Kranjec's exhibition on the banks of the Ljubljanica unites both - on the one hand, the street and the other culture - and without drastically prejudicing either. The exhibition, therefore, brings together two seemingly totally irreconcilable poles: the conventional with the unconventional and the institutional with the non-institutional. In what context and what sequence the viewer, whether a critic, passer-by or graffiti artist explains the street and culture, the exhibition creator leaves open for interpretation by each individual.

Mankica Kranjec graduated in Communicology at Ljubljana University Faculty of Social Sciences in 2009. The 24-year-old student, currently doing her Master's in Culturology at the same faculty, has combined certain inherited genes for art with her outlook on the world and has, while still only at the outset of her journey, strongly inscribed herself in Slovenian journalism and photography. As a photo-journalist she tries to find the undiscovered and, to many eyes, often disguised, so she is always interested in unveiling the new - new ideas and new cultures in remote parts of the world. Thus it's hardly surprising that, inter alia, she has documented photographs of graffiti from various walls of the world since 2004, because, as she says, this constantly changing art form is extremely fascinating and attractive. In recent years she has been awarded several highly acclaimed solo exhibitions and group photography exhibitions on various themes. More about the artist and the exhibition can also be found on her blog http://mankica.blogspot.com.