CURRENT EVENTS

Slovenians in Velika Kladuša

On the first Thursday in December, the premises of the Slovenian Emigrant Association housed an interesting and educative lecture on Slovenians in Velika Kladuša. Lecturer Huein Sejko Mekanović, an art historian and sociologist, presented events spanning from the Middle Ages to the late- 20th century. An alumnus of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana, he is an independent art history researcher focusing primarily on the Middle Ages. He has taken part in several expert consultations and published numerous articles. In 2014, he participated in the setup of a resounding art exhibition on Austrian-Hungarian soldiers from Bosnia at the Isonzo Front, which was put on display at the Tolmin Museum, and he also contributed a study to the exhibition catalog.

As explained in the introductory address by President of the Slovenian Emigrant Association Boris Jesih, only one article has been published dealing with the titular topic, making the lecture all the more valuable to anyone interested in Slovenians living abroad. The lecturer explained that he was inspired for this lecture by the archives of the Hrovat family from Velika Kladuša. The foundations of the town, which today belongs to the Cazin region, date back to 1018.

GOvoRICA with Slovenians in Novi Sad (23–23 November 2025)

With members who also take part in the the Slovene Writers’ Association and its Subcommittee for Primorska and the Border Region, the GOvoRICA Gorizia Literary Club has been cooperating with the Kredarica Association of Slovenians from Novi Sad for five years. In November, they organized the fifth annual Slovenian Culture Days, which have been supported financially by the Office for Slovenians Abroad for the past three years.

While going through social media, Rut Zlober – a teacher who has been teaching Slovenian to eager children from Novi Sad – incidentally stumbled upon a post about a folk costume exhibition prepared by pupils from the Solkan Primary School and their supervisor Erika Grosar. Darinka Kozinc, the President of GOvoRICA, reached out to the Solkan Primary School and arranged for the exhibition of Slovenian folk costumes and customs to be hosted in Novi Sad. The school management and supervisor have dedicated the exhibition to Slovenians in Novi Sad, and the exhibition will now travel across the entire province of Vojvodina.

KULTURA

Dare Trobec exhibition brings vibrancy and optimism to Tolmin

On 6 November 2025, the Ciril Kosmač Library in Tolmin opened an exhibition dubbed THEN (TAKRAT in Slovenian) by Dare Trobec – a long-standing member of the Slovenian Emigrant Association and an tireless head of the traditional artists’ colony. The artist and his work were presented by academic painter Jana Dolenc, and a magnificent saxophone performance was given by local Olja Faletič.

While a part of Trobec’s works is on display as an exhibition at the library, another part can be seen at the Grajski vrt caffe. The works at the library showcase his painting expertise, while the ones put on display at the café reveal his adorable and playful side – which is definitely part of his character.

As explained in the introductory speech by Jana Dolenc, Trobec has been a member of the Tolmin Fine Arts Association since 2011. He went on to become the President of the Association in merely two years, performing in his role until 2024. As a young man, Trobec would occasionally paint something, but he abandoned this hobby when he had little time for creative expression due to his work and family. It was not until some 25 years ago that he first enrolled in a beginners’ course, and then also an advanced course in fine arts held in Kranj.

GENERATIONS

Monograph on Marjan Grum: Tribute to perseverance, courage and humanity

La Boca is a vibrant area at the south border of Buenos Aires, next to the Riachuelo river. It was first settled by immigrants from Genoa, who repaired vessels, ships of all kinds and boats that lay abandoned on the shore. When painting the boats, some leftover paint was inevitable, and the leftovers were mixed and randomly used to paint the tin houses of the impoverished locals – something that happened unplanned and on-the-go. Despite bearing historical witness to those times and being part of the old port’s image, the ships were unfortunately removed a few decades ago, but the colorful tin houses remain.

This vibrant and picturesque image of the area is what has made La Boca an attraction not only for tourists, but also artists. One of them is Marjan Grum, who also happened to the the President of the La Boca Artists’ Association. His metal statuettes, mostly tango dancer and musician figurines, have become highly popular and his style eventually copied. But his statuette are not his most important work – they are merely his job. And Grum is not just a sculptor – he is also involved in painting and other crafts.

The bilingual and luxurious monograph was first presented at various venues in Slovenia (as well as Austria and Italy) from June to September 2025. Taking part were also numerous acclaimed singers and vocal groups that added a special touch to the events.

On 22 November 2025, the event was hosted in his own house in La Boca by none other than Marjan Grum. With the Slovenian coat of arms painted on the window shutters and Slovenian flags waving all around, Grum’s house very much fits the area.

SLOVENIANS IN BUSINESS

Sonia Tomazin: Alleviating pain is both her mission and her job

Sonia Tomazin is a physical therapy alumnus from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires and a lecturer at the Ergonomics Department of the University of La Matanza. A specialist in holistic spinal treatment and posture, she has developed a new method for preventing and alleviating pain as well as a method for general well-being, which she has dubbed Conscious posture exercise and Tango-therapy posture exercise.

She has given lectures and sold her books Feeling good is possible (Sentirse bien es possible in Spanish)and Say goodbye to back pain (Adiós a tu dolor de dolumna in Spanish) in various Slovenian community centers across Argentina. On 8 November 2025, her gave a presentation for Triglav Cultura at the premises of AME Triglav (Triglav Slovenian Support Association). After the lecture, she also gave an interview for the readers of Rodna gruda.