The Print Portfolio of Artists of the 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, The Holy Corner

The print portfolio The Holy Corner presents newly commissioned works by selected artists who are taking part in the 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts From the void came gifts of the cosmos. This year’s edition of the Biennale was conceived by Artistic Director Ibrahim Mahama together with curators Patrick Nii Okanta Ankrah, Exit Frame Collective, Alicia Knock, Selom Koffi Kudjie, Inga Lāce and Beya Othmani. The concept for The Holy Corner print portfolio and the selection of artists was developed by curator Yasmín Martín Vodopivec. Her curatorial intervention is based on the idea of how important it is to preserve the values of a bygone era in order to overcome the anxieties of the present day. The diverse themes of the artworks included in the print portfolio form an imaginary altar where the owner is symbolically compensated for their contribution to the social project, and which can evoke the rebellious power of the collective spirit.

In his original notes when coming up with ideas for a concept for this edition of the Biennale, Ibrahim Mahama illustrated the void with a drawing of a bed as an architectural form with an empty space underneath, but with the emphasis that this dark, mysterious, oneiric space under the bed can be understood as a space of potential; a space where the cycle of life begins and ends, a place where memories and dreams meet and where the ghosts of unrealised futures reside. An empty space from which something radically new could emerge through contemporary transformation. In many homes of diverse cultures, the holy corner is seen as a similar architectural element and is not necessarily tied to a particular religion, but is primarily intended for worship, spirituality or a connection to transcendence.

The Holy Corner print portfolio was first presented as part of the Biennale in an exhibition at Plečnik’s Kiosk in Ljubljana, followed by a show at La Nueva Fábrica in Antigua with the intervention of Guatemalan artist Edgar Calel from 16 March to 8 September 2024.

Curator: Yasmín Martín Vodopivec.