Čopova rojstna hiša v Žirovnici – hram kulture in umetnosti
Žirovnica je kraj, kjer se zgodovina in umetnost prepletata v bogastvo zgodb. Na
tem koščku Slovenije so se rodili velikani, ki so pomembno prispevali k razvoju slovenskega jezika, kulture, umetnosti in narodne identitete. Pot kulturne dediščine Žirovnica prva tematska pot v Sloveniji, povezuje kulturne spomenike lokalnega in državnega pomena. Obiskovalci na tej poti spoznajo in doživijo pet muzejskih hiš: Prešernovo, Čopovo, Finžgarjevo in Jalnovo ter čebelnjak Antona Janše.
Kot direktor Zavoda za turizem in kulturo Žirovnica ter upravljavec teh muzejskih hiš čutim globoko spoštovanje do dediščine, ki so nam jo zapustili ti veliki možje, hkrati se zavedam posebne odgovornosti, da njihovo zapuščino ohranjamo in obogatimo s kakovostnimi sodobnimi kulturnimi vsebinami. Prav v Čopovi rojstni hiši imamo priložnost gostiti izjemne umetnike, ki s svojim delom še naprej navdihujejo in plemenitijo naš kulturni prostor.
Zato smo še posebej počaščeni, da ob 90-letnici Valentina Omana predstavljamo razstavo njegovega slikarskega opusa. Valentin Oman, priznani koroški umetnik, je eden največjih ambasadorjev slovenske umetnosti in jezika. Razstava, pripravljena v sodelovanju z Galerijo Prešernovih nagrajencev, je poklon njegovemu izjemnemu prispevku k slovenski kulturi.
Vabljeni, da se nam pridružite ob odprtju razstave in v intimnem prostoru Čopove rojstne hiše doživite umetnost Valentina Omana. Njegova dela v tem zgodovinskem okolju povezujejo preteklost s sodobno ustvarjalnostjo, hkrati pa nas nagovarjajo, bogatijo in odpirajo prostor za nova spoznanja.
Matjaž Koman
na levi / on left:
Homo carantanus mešana tehnika na platnu / mixed media on canvas, 200 x 45 cm, 2020
Totem mešana tehnika na platnu / mixed media on canvas, 200 x 40 cm, 2010
Matija Čop’s Birthplace in Žirovnica – A Temple of Culture and Art
Žirovnica is a place where history and art merge into a wealth of stories. This small corner of Slovenia is the birthplace of remarkable individuals who made significant contributions to the development of the Slovenian language, culture, art, and national identity. The Žirovnica's Cultural Heritage Trail the first thematic trail in Slovenia, connects cultural landmarks of local and national importance. Along the trail, visitors can explore and experience five museum houses: the Prešeren, Čop, Finžgar, and Jalen houses, as well as Anton Janša’s beehive.
As the Director of the Institute for Tourism and Culture Žirovnica and the custodian of these museum houses, I hold profound respect for the heritage bequeathed to us by these extraordinary figures. At the same time, am acutely aware of the unique responsibility to preserve their legacy and enrich it with high-quality contemporary cultural content. The Čop’s Birthplace, in particular, offers a special opportunity to host exceptional artists whose work continues to inspire and elevate our cultural landscape. We are therefore deeply honored to present an exhibition of Valentin Oman’s artistic oeuvre in celebration of his 90th birthday. Valentin Oman, a renowned Carinthian artist, is one of the greatest ambassadors of Slovenian art and language. This exhibition, prepared in collaboration with the Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts Gallery Kranj, pays tribute to his extraordinary contributions to Slovenian culture.
We warmly invite you to join us at the opening of the exhibition and to experience Valentin Oman’s art in the intimate setting of Čop’s Birthplace. Displayed in this historic environment, his works forge a connection between the past and contemporary creativity, inspiring reflection, enriching our perspectives, and opening pathways to new insights.
Matjaž Koman
Zavod za turizem in kulturo Žirovnica
Rojstna hiša Matije Čopa Žirovnica 14 4274 Žirovnica
Valentin Oman
Dela iz zbirke
Galerije Prešernovih nagrajencev Kranj
Works from the Collection of the Prešeren Award
Winners of Fine Arts Gallery Kranj
Zavod za turizem in kulturo Žirovnica
30. januar - 28. februar 2025
Institute for Tourism and Culture Žirovnica
January 30 – February 28, 2025
Valentin Oman, eden najvidnejših umetnikov našega časa, v letu 2025 praznuje svoj častitljivi jubilej, 90-letnico. Njegova umetniška pot je globoko zasidrana v kulturni dediščini slovensko-avstrijskega prostora. S svojim delom, ki združuje tradicijo in sodobnost, je mojstrsko povezal obe strani meje in postal simbol dialoga med različnimi kulturami.
Rodil se je 14. decembra 1935 v Štebnu pri Beljaku. Maturiral je leta 1958 v Marjanišču na Plešivcu. Med letoma 1958 in 1962 je študiral pri profesorici
Hilde Schmid-Jesse na Univerzi za uporabno umetnost na Dunaju. Leta 1963 je zaključil grafično specialko pri profesorju Riku Debenjaku na Akademiji za likovno umetnost v Ljubljani. Poleg številnih razstav doma in na tujem je zelo obsežen tudi seznam njegovih javnih del za cerkvene in posvetne prostore.
Oman je med drugim častni doktor Univerze v Celovcu in nosilec avstrijskega častnega križa za znanost in umetnost prvega reda. V Republiki Sloveniji je prejel zlati red za življenjsko delo na področju likovne umetnosti. Leta 1981 je prejel nagrado Prešernovega sklada.
Od leta 2015 je dopisni član Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti. Živi in ustvarja na Dunaju in v Bekštanju ter
si vztrajno prizadeva za ohranitev in enakopravnost slovenskega jezika.
Razstave, ki bodo obeležile njegov visoki jubilej, bodo prikazale njegov bogati opus v vsej raznolikosti vsebin in tehnik v daljšem časovnem obdobju. Osrednji razstavi v Sloveniji bosta postavljeni poleti 2025 v Kranju in jeseni v Slovenj Gradcu. Veliko pregledno razstavo mu bodo marca pripravili v Bratislavi, njegova dela pa si bo moč ogledati tudi na Dunaju in v Globasnici.
Začetek Omanovega leta predstavlja razstava, ki jo bomo odprli 30. januarja 2025 v Čopovi hiši v Žirovnici in je hkrati napovednik vseh prihajajočih dogodkov, posvečenih Omanovemu jubileju.
Ob teh priložnosti bodo o Omanu in njegovem delu nekaj misli zapisali Marko Arnež, Petra Čeh, Andrej Doblehar, Breda Ilich Klančnik, Marko Košan, Goran Milovanović, Jožef Muhovič in Milena Zlatar. Poleg tega se bodo umetniku poklonili s svojo poezijo in prozo tudi njegovi koroški sorojaki: Cvetka Lipuš, Maja Haderlap, Gustav Januš in Florijan Lipuš. Na podlagi lastnih izkušenj bodo osvetlili Omanovo povezanost s koroško identiteto in ovrednotili njegov prispevek k ohranjanju slovenske kulture v avstrijskem prostoru.
Pomemben del bodo pri praznovanju prispevale institucije, ki so z umetnikom
že dalj časa tesno povezane: Galerija
Prešernovih nagrajencev Kranj, Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti, Galerija
Božidarja Jakca ter Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti. S sodelovanjem omenjenih institucij bo Omanovo leto dobilo širše razsežnosti in poudarilo dalekosežni pomen njegove ustvarjalnosti in pokončne drže v občutljivem zamejskem prostoru. Omanova umetnost gradi most med lokalnim in univerzalnim, med intimnim in javnim. Njegova dela, še posebej v ciklusu Ecce homo nosijo v sebi globoko sporočilnost, ki nagovarja človeka danes ter ga bo zagotovo tudi v prihodnosti.
Leto 2025 bo tako leto, ko bomo s skupnimi močmi osvetlili ustvarjalni opus Valentina Omana in njegovo neprecenljivo dediščino, ki povezuje generacije ter premošča meje in čas.
Breda Ilich Klančnik Marko Arnež
iz leve proti desni / from the left:
Ecce homo mešana tehnika na platnu / mixed media on canvas, 200 x 40 cm, 2024
Salzburger Spuren mešana tehnika na platnu / mixed media on canvas, 70 x 50 cm, 2020
Zbirka/Collection mešana tehnika na platnu / mixed media on canvas, 165 x 120 cm, 2021
Valentin Oman one of the most prominent artists of our time, will celebrate his extraordinary 90th anniversary in 2025. His artistic journey is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the Slovenian-Austrian region. Through his work, which masterfully blends tradition with modernity, Oman has bridged the divide between the two sides of the border, becoming a symbol of dialogue between diverse cultures.
Born on December 14, 1935, in Šteben near Villach, he graduated from the Marianum in Plešivec in 1958. Between 1958 and 1962, he studied under Professor Hilde Schmid-Jesse at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In 1963, he completed advanced studies in graphic arts under Professor Riko
Debenjak at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. In addition to numerous exhibitions both at home and abroad, Oman’s extensive oeuvre includes a wide array of public works for both sacred and secular spaces.
Oman is an honorary doctor of the University of Klagenfurt and a recipient of Austria’s Honorary Cross for Science and Art, First Class. In Slovenia, he was awarded the Golden Order of Merit for Lifetime Achievement in the Visual Arts and the Prešeren Fund Prize in 1981. Since 2015, he has been a corresponding member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He lives and works in Vienna and Bekštanj, tirelessly advocating for the preservation and equal status of the Slovenian language.
The exhibitions marking this milestone anniversary will showcase Oman’s rich and diverse body of work, spanning various themes and techniques across decades. In Slovenia, the main exhibitions will take place in summer 2025 in Kranj and in autumn in Slovenj Gradec. A major retrospective will open in Bratislava in March, with additional showcases in Vienna and Globasnitz.
The year dedicated to Oman will commence with an exhibition opening on January 30, 2025, at the Čop’s Birthplace in Žirovnica, serving as a prelude to the upcoming series of events honoring his artistic legacy.
To mark this occasion, reflections on Oman’s life and work will be penned by Marko Arnež, Petra Čeh, Andrej Doblehar, Breda Ilich Klančnik, Marko Košan, Goran Milovanović, Jožef Muhovič, and Milena Zlatar. Furthermore, his Carinthian contemporaries – Cvetka Lipuš, Maja Haderlap, Gustav Januš, and Florijan Lipuš – will pay tribute through poetry and prose, shedding light on Oman’s profound connection to Carinthian identity and his invaluable contribution to preserving Slovenian culture in Austria.
Institutions that have long-standing ties with the artist, such as the Prešeren Award Winners of Fine Arts Gallery Kranj, the Carinthian Gallery of Fine Arts, the Božidar Jakac Gallery and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts will play a pivotal role in the celebrations. Their collaboration will lend a broader dimension to Oman’s commemorative year, highlighting the far-reaching significance of his artistry and steadfast dedication within the sensitive context of the cross-border region. Oman’s art builds bridges between the local and the universal, the intimate and the public. His works, especially those from the Ecce Homo cycle, carry profound messages that resonate with audiences today and promise to inspire future generations.
The year 2025 will thus be a collective effort to illuminate the creative legacy of Valentin Oman and celebrate his priceless contributions that connect generations, transcend borders, and defy the passage of time.
Breda Ilich Klančnik , Marko Arnež
