A Commemorative Photographic Exhibition
Joco Žnidaršič (Šoštanj, 1938–Ljubljana, 2022) was the first Slovene photojournalist whose photographs won the highest Slovene, former Yugoslav and international awards in the fields of reportage and art photography. In 1972, he was the first to receive all the first prizes at Yugoslav photography exhibitions, which no one had previously achieved. In 1977, he was the first Slovene photojournalist to win a Prešeren Award and to be among World Press Photo Award winners. He was decorated for his work by two presidents of the Republic of Slovenia.
The commemorative photographic exhibition consists of five sections: Portrait, Francka – a girl from Kozjansko, Cattle wagons, Saving a horse under Triglav and Slovenia. Portrait photos were among the first to win awards at exhibitions in the former Yugoslavia. The photos of Francka, a girl from Kozjansko, are at the peak of photos that went viral. The photographs of cattle wagons, together with the top photojournalist’s creations in the field of reportage photography, won him an Award of the Prešeren Fund. The photojournalist’s photos of saving a horse below Triglav were ranked among the best in the world with the World Press Photo Award. The photos of Slovenia are an expression of the photojournalist’s feelings about his homeland, nature, its people and their achievements. He created many photographic monographs and other promotional material with them, which inspired people at home and abroad.
Joco Žnidaršič, as a photojournalist at Tribuna, Tedenska tribuna, Tovariš and Delo and as a freelance photographer, convincingly pushed the boundaries of the meaning of reportage photography and created one of the most recognizable photographic opuses in Slovene history.
The National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia is the proud owner of the majority of the photojournalist’s extensive opus.
Author of the exhibition: Irena Uršič
Author of photographs: Joco Žnidaršič
Exhibition design: Tomaž Perme
Photo editing: Sašo Kovačič
Proof reading: Anka Tušek
Translation: Martin Cregeen
Public relations: Barbara Kolenc
Print: Pegaz, d. o. o.
The exhibition has been made possible by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
Photos of eloquent eyes that captivated. The girl Francka Gril, with a look that astonished Joco Žnidaršič. He fell in love with her and fondly called her my Francka in his memoirs. The photo is from a photo report about forgotten people in Kozjansko. Straška Gorca, January 1970.
V spomin na življenjske delo Jocota Žnidaršiča
28. novembra 2023 mineva prvo leto od smrti eminentnega fotoreporterja Joca Žnidaršiča. V spomin na njegovo življenjsko delo vas vabimo k ogledu videa, ki je nastal ob spominski razstavi z naslovom Joco Žnidaršič – Fotografski vrhunci. Razstava je bila pred Muzejem novejše in sodobne zgodovine Slovenije na ogled do 16. novembra 2023.