On view: from April 23 to June 14, 2020, Gallery “S”, Ljubljana Castle
Exhibition Curator: Katarina Jurjavčič
The photo exhibition Vlastja Simončič: Seeking Man portrays the individual finding himself after the end of World War II in a new social and political system and whom the photographer Vladimir Simončič – Vlastja revealed in extensive contextually rounded photo reportage, or documentary photography. Photographs of both known and unknown personalities from political, cultural and economic life are thus the photographer’s insight into the first post-war decade. Through selected photos, we seek images of Man with a capital letter. These do not relate to the more prominent or important individuals of post-war social life but, above all, through the anonymous reveal persons to whom the photographer succeeded in getting close. The individual is stressed and visible in almost all of Vlastja’s photojournalism, which testifies to the extremely communicative nature of their author. He was able to connect with the portrayed person to the extent that the person allowed her or himself be photographed. Vlastja’s portrait photographs were thus for the most part taken in the context of the content of the pictorial material, since the photographer sought a more powerful message through the motif of individuals, which could possibly be included on the cover of some newspaper or magazine. The variety of published reports, as well as negative material, testify to Vlastja’s incredible ardour to record as much as possible. His diligence also bore fruit in broad links with prominent representatives of various spheres of Slovene society at that time. Primarily the photographer’s own initiative, diligence and awakened journalistic vein encouraged the creation of photographs with cultural, economic and, most often, everyday, documentary motifs. The journalistic opus of Vladimir Simončič – Vlastja, an internationally recognised master of photography and one of the pioneers of Slovene documentary, theatre, medical and experimental photography, shows first modest beginnings. Over time, photographic motifs were transformed into a deeper research of the photographic medium and shows successful experimentation with its capabilities. The play of light, as it encompasses those in portraits, the moment of his portrayal captured, are the starting points that Vlastja always took into account in the search for Man.