This week’s big show is krautrock and electronic pioneers Kraftwerk in 3D at Tivoli Hall on Thursday. I saw this a few years ago and you get all the hits, in an appropriate order, with some nice visuals, so if you like the band you won’t be disappointed. The other big opening, also available in 3D, is the movie Black Panther. For those who prefer fewer bleeps and less frenetic visuals there are still many other options in town, including the following selection of entertainments, artistic practices and more taking place over the next seven days. As ever, click the venue name for more details on the time, price and location
CINEMA
Kinodvor – Films this week include The Phantom Thread; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; and Loving Vincent, with the latter billed as the world’s first fully oil painted feature film.
Kinoteka – The Jean-Pierre Melville retrospective continues until February 25 for those with a penchant for moody lighting and French New Wave, with the same venue playing Jules et Jim on Friday. Note these will be shown in French, with Slovene subtitles.
Kolesej – The multiplex is showing Lady Bird, Call Me By My Name, and this week’s big new release, Black Panther, in 2 and 3D presentations.
CLUBS
Channel Zero –Monday is Dub Lab: Reggaeneration Sound, while Friday has Refresh! w/ Mungo (UK) among others.
Klub Cirkus – Wednesday the 21st sees the Erasmus Welcome Party hosted by ESN Ljubljana. Friday it’s the turn of CRAZY Cirkus: Drums, please! – with live Improvisation by Frankko and Clay Clemens playing EDM anthems. Then on Saturday there’s BOOM POW MJAW MJAW ft. Matthew Z, with pop, dance & big room anthems.
Klub K4 - Friday is Phi w/ Binh and other DJs, with a set from the top name above. The next night is Monolog w/ Vuka, with house, techno, electro, disco, wave, and bass, and a set from Mr. Vuka is below.
EXHIBITIONS
The Balassi Institute (The Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Hungary) – This is at Barvarska steza 8, Ljubljana, not far from Dragon Bridge, and has a show on Hungarian and Slovene film and marketing posters from the 1960s and 70s, such as that shown below, which runs until February 23 and is free to enter.
Cankerjev dom – Running from February 13 to May 20 is Ivan Meštrović: Physicality and eroticism in sculpture, with an example shown below from the venue's Facebook. The same venue also has THE... SIGN! Design between vision and reality, the biennial exhibition of the Designers Society of Slovenia
City Museum – An extensive exhibition on Medieval Ljubljana is showing until May 2, 2018.
DobraVaga – The artist of the month show is Manuel Fabris: UNTITLED. As per the publicity material: “His smaller and larger canvases are characterised by the spontaneous combining of techniques, collages, and playing around with the image and text, with the young artist intuitively absorbing the visual world of his surroundings.”
Galerija Jakopič – An exhibition of works by Tihomir Pinter, the Croatian photographer known for his shots of everyday life in Yugoslavia, runs until March 3.
MAO – An exhibition titled Stank Kristl, Arkhtekt: Humanity and Space runs until May 5.
Moderna galerija – The Marij Pregelj retrospective is on at the Moderna’s main branch, near Tivoli. Well worth the entrance fee, this occupies several large rooms, with the the works from the last decade of the painter’s life being especially impressive. Highly recommended and showing until May.
National Gallery – NeoRealismo: the New Image in Italy, 1932–1960 runs until the end of March at the National Gallery, as shown below, and you can read more about it here.
Mario De Biasi The Italians turn round, 1954 Milan © Archivio Mario De Biasi
National Museum of Slovenia – The Past Under the Microscope. Scientific Analyses in Museums is on until the end of April.
Photon Centre of Contemporary Photography – Running until March 9 is Branko Lenart: Big Sur Real.
Branko Lenart, Pelluhue, Sur-real, 2013
Slovene Ethnographic Museum – Afghanistan - Slovene Views continues until March 30, 2018.
LGBTQ
Klub Tiffany – Monday the 19th has the Lesbian-Feminist University with an experimental workshop on “Lesbian and queer intimacies in the context of friendships”, with registration needed via lezfemuniverza(at)gmail.com. Thursday then sees an evening of Speed Dating, with the dress code suggested as "The Last Roses": black, red, white, pink, rosy patterns, neckties, lace, glitter, or whatever you like.
MUSIC
Cankerjev dom – Guitarist Fred Frith is playing Tuesday.
Gala Hala – Friday the 23rd has the unfortunately named Rapetek 137: Kuku$ Klan.
Klub Gromka – Monday there’s the thrilling GOLD & Akami, as seen in the video above, while Friday has Defonija: Fire! + Mahakaruna Quartet, with the former shown below.
Kino Šiška - Tuesday sees DECIBELLES + JÜ, while the same organisation is putting on Thursday’s performance by Kraftwerk, presenting their 3D retrospective show at Tivoli Hall / Dvorana Tivoli. Then on Sunday Kino Šiška hosts Ghostpoet, as shown after the beeps.
Ljubljana Castle - Friday night is jazz night at the castle, and this week sees a show by Pandur, Marenče, and Parushev.
Pocket Teater Studio – Thursday there’s The Pocket Sessions: Audio Kayak & Duo Muchas Hvalas.
OPERA, THEATRE, DANCE
Klub Gromka – Thursday the 22nd sees the return of Image Snatchers with a burlesque of music, dance, theatre, comedy and nudity in a show called Matilda and Her Buns.
Spanski borci – Friday has a show called Goce Smilevski: Spinoza, a dance and theatre performance based on the work of the philosopher.
MISC
Kino Šiška – On Wednesday evening there’s a Stripolis comic book / graphic novel fair.
Pritličje – Tuesday night has Sotto Voce + Old and Me, an evening of music and literature
Ziferblat – Wednesday there’s Tango POP-ing, Thursday evening has the regular Meet the Locals event, and Saturday has a vegan pot luck brunch.
POLITICS
On Monday President Pahor will begin a two-day visit to South Korea, while on Wednesday he’ll be back in town to meet with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Ljubljana.
