Prešeren Day at the Banka Slovenije Museum and Mala Galerija Banke Slovenije

To mark Slovenia’s cultural holiday, Banka Slovenije is organising a special programme at the Banka Slovenije Museum. We are inviting our youngest guests to join us at 11 am for a drawing workshop run by a professional illustrator, while adults are invited on a guided tour of the museum, starting at 4 pm. Guests are also welcome to visit Mala Galerija Banke Slovenije.

Each year Prešeren Day offers an opportunity for all of us to take part in a host of cultural events, and thus to deepen our awareness of the importance of creativity and art. Art can also come into our lives via everyday objects, such as the money we use. Behind every single banknote and coin, there is an artist who created the image and design used for the money.

This year we are inviting primary school children to become designers of banknotes and coins for a short while. At 11 am on Wednesday 8 February 2023 at the Banka Slovenije Museum, in the company of renowned illustrator Ivan Mitrevski, they will set out on the path of learning about the security and design features of euro banknotes and coins, before trying to create their own images and designs. They will also be able to see some of the most engaging exhibits in the museum.

The workshop will last approximately 45 minutes, and is for unaccompanied primary school children. It is free to take part, and all the necessary materials will be provided by the museum.

Adults are invited to spend Slovenia’s cultural holiday on a guided tour of the museum, which begins at 4 pm on the same day. Over the course of approximately one hour visitors will learn about the key tasks of the central bank, and the history of payments and cash in the Slovene lands. They can feel the weight of a bar, made of gold, find out some interesting facts about gold, see Slovenia’s commemorative coins and the coins of other countries, test the authenticity of their own banknotes, and enjoy much more besides.

Both events require advance registration by emailing muzej@bsi.si, by Friday 3 February for the children’s workshop, and by Monday 6 February for the guided tour of the museum.  The number of places is limited.

Visitors are also invited to spend the cultural holiday at Mala Galerija Banke Slovenije, which is hosting an exhibition entitled Gaymer. This features a collection of clothes created by designer Gašpar Marinič and produced by the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, which tries to tie together the real and imagined worlds, and consists of seven different characters and avatars. Each of them expresses specific visual and personality traits of the designer, in connection with his experience of various types of love.