Matjaž Rakovec
Mayor
A Window onto the World
Art knows no boundaries. That is why the theme of the 15th Kranj International Festival of Fine Arts – The Window as a Space of the Gaze – resonates with me so strongly.
Every window has a frame, and every frame defines a certain boundary. Yet it is precisely this frame that opens our gaze outwards – onto the world, towards other people and their diverse stories. I therefore understand this year’s festival as an invitation to reflect on how we see the world around us and how the perspectives of others shape us.
Art teaches us that reality is never one-dimensional. It broadens our horizons, deepens understanding and fosters tolerance, enriching us through a plurality of viewpoints. This is why it is all the more precious today, at a time of rapid change and numerous geopolitical challenges. Art makes a vital contribution to an open and broad-minded society in which difference is understood as an asset rather than an obstacle.
For the fifteenth time, the International Festival of Fine Arts opens its doors to artists and visitors from Slovenia and abroad. The festival also offers an opportunity to strengthen international friendships. I am delighted that the Art Society Kranj introduced this year’s festival with an exhibition in Pula, Kranj’s partner city since the 1960s, and that the principal guests of this year’s festival are artists from China. It is in China that Kranj also has its first sister city outside Europe – Zhangjiakou.
Art connects us across time and space. The Art Society Kranj, organiser of the International Festival of Fine Arts, plays an important role in nurturing these connections. I would like to thank everyone involved in shaping the festival for the creativity with which they enrich our community and for the vibrant cultural atmosphere they bring to the city. My special thanks go to the festival’s artistic director, Martina Marenčič, and her team, who for the fourth consecutive year have prepared a festival of exceptional quality with dedication and professional expertise.
At the City Municipality of Kranj, we believe that culture is one of the fundamental pillars of our community’s development. We shall continue to uphold this commitment in the future.
This October will therefore unfold under the banner of the 15th Kranj International Festival of Fine Arts. I invite you to open your own window onto the world and experience all that the country’s largest fine arts festival has to offer.
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