As of today, Ljubljana got a new gallery. With the exhibition Echo | NLB Contemporary Art Collection in Dialogue, the new gallery MUZA, operating under the auspices of NLB, has officially opened its doors. The NLB Art Collection, which is considered to be the largest private art collection in Slovenia, will now also be open to the general public. MUZA showcases not only Slovenian works of art, but also works by the region's top artists, making Ljubljana the centre of the region's contemporary visual art.
The NLB Art Collection, which was declared a national treasure of the Republic of Slovenia in 2017, now holds more than 2,000 works of art and is the largest private collection in Slovenia. In 2023, NLB Group decided to start buying artworks again, not only as a patron, but also as a partner and supporter of contemporary art in South-Eastern Europe. The NLB Art Collection has therefore grown into an international collection with a new concept and structure, focusing on contemporary art. Over the last two years, NLB Group has acquired works by 19 artists of the middle and younger generation from all the markets of our region, and these will also be shown in the inaugural exhibition.
The MUZA Gallery can be found at 3 Čopova Street in the centre of Ljubljana, which is already home to the Slovenian Banking Museum. It is open every day, except Mondays, between 10 am and 6 pm.
NLB Group has traditionally been an important patron not only of Slovenian, but also of regional culture and art. With the gallery opening we are proudly starting a new chapter by bringing artworks from all the markets where we are present to a wider audience. We want the MUZA Gallery to become a hub for the region's contemporary visual arts and, above all, for the peoples of the region to get to know each other better through culture and art, to connect and live in harmony. That is why today is not only an important day for the NLB Group, but for the entire region, which we call our home.
The beautiful Art Nouveau banking palace on Čopova Street in the centre of Ljubljana will now shine in all its glory. The Slovenian Banking Museum, which has been operating on the first floor since 2021, will be joined on the second and third floors by an aesthetically sophisticated and unique gallery in this part of Europe. The banking palace is becoming a house of culture and a meeting point for the business and art worlds, connecting South-Eastern Europe.
The origins of the collection date back to the early 1970s, when the skyscraper at Trg republike 2 was furnished with works of art. The selection of works followed a clear concept and design. The same was true at the end of the century. Upon the overall renovation of the skyscraper the Bank included works of art that complemented and upgraded the collection and at that time the NLB Art Collection became a formal entity. Development of the collection has always been entrusted to experts in the field of art, as the autonomy of the profession is crucial for the formation and development of a quality collection, its presentation and evaluation. The Bank has always been aware of this, as transparency is an essential part of business ethics.
The NLB MUZA Institute professionally manages and administers the Bank's cultural heritage collections, complementing them with further acquisitions and presenting them to the general public. The Slovenian Banking Museum and the Gallery at Čopova 3 in Ljubljana present a collection of banking and bank-related objects and a selection of works from the NLB Art Collection. The name MUZA was not a random choice. In addition to its beautiful meaning (muza is the Slovenian word for muse), it is also an acronym: M stands for museum, UZ for art collection (umetniška zbirka) and A for academy. Which means that it is also a house of learning.
The opening exhibition is called Echo | NLB Contemporary Art Collection in Dialogue. The exhibition features 70 works of art from the NLB Art Collection, including newly acquired works and two commissioned works, as well as older works from the collection of the 20th century Slovenian art. Two winning works from the public international call for young artists are also presented. The selected works, in dialogue with each other, highlight three content sets - Landscape, Community and Identity - through which the cultural and spiritual richness, diversity and complexity of the region of South-Eastern Europe are reflected. It is a place that has historically been strongly shaped by the interests of those having the power. A place that we are trying to connect in a symbolic way through dialogue and the lucidity of art.
Artists are attentive and critical observers of their surroundings, which means that by collecting their works we are co-creating a valuable testimony of the contemporary moment. The collection is designed as a model that aims to differentiate itself from other corporate projects in the region. It is not just a buying process, but its intertwining with the exhibition activity, exploration, publishing and institutional links, which undoubtedly goes beyond the classical understanding of the collection as a mere accumulation of artefacts. This way, we are creating a platform that contributes to education, supports artists and improves production conditions, and it is precisely this approach that defines the initiative as an important reference for contemporary art in the region.
The exhibition Echo - NLB Collection of Contemporary Art in Dialogue is divided into three dynamic sets reflecting the attitude towards present and change - resistance and nostalgia on one side, indifference on the other, and the creative pursuit of the new on the third. The three sets, through a dialogue between the old and the new collection, reflect the change in the relationship towards themselves, others and their surroundings, and bear the names Identity, Union and Landscape.
The Echo exhibition will be on view until 8 February 2026. You are kindly invited to visit.
NLB Communications
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