Božidar Jakac Gallery is one of the largest Slovenian galleries in terms of exhibited material, art collection and exhibition space. It presents the works of Slovenian expressionists in permanent exhibitions, and in occasional exhibitions it tries to present the best Slovenian and foreign artists. Named after Božidar Jakc, permanent collections based on donations include Jože Gorjup, Tone Kralj, France Kralj, France Gorše, Janez Boljka, Zoran Didek and Bogdan Borčić, as well as the borrowed collection of old Pleter masters. In the former monastery church, which is not consecrated today, and in the lapidary, high-profile exhibition projects specially prepared for these spaces are organized.
In 1961, the first sculpture symposium Forma viva was held in Kostanjevica na Krki, which has been held every two years since 1998. Over the years, more than 100 sculptures have been created and exhibited in the immediate vicinity of the gallery and in Kostanjevica na Krki.
Galerija Božidar Jakac History
The Cistercian monastery Fons Beatae Mariae, founded in 1234 is the most important monument of the city, since it represented the center of religious, enlightenment and economic life until its abolition in 1785.
The current appearance of the monastery is the result of numerous interventions in its building structure. The monastery church has preserved most of its original appearance and represents one of the best examples of proto-Gothic and Baroque architecture in Slovenia.
The Božidar Jakac Art Gallery is located in the renovated building of the former Cistercian monastery in Kostanjevica na Krki since 1974. It is one of the largest Slovenian art galleries in terms of exhibition space and archival collection. The gallery revives this exceptional cultural monument and its surroundings with temporary exhibitions and art collections, the core of which are the works of Slovenian expressionists. The gallery is named after the artist Božidar Jakac, who has a permanent exhibition there. The other permanent exhibitions are by: Jože Gorjup, Tone Kralj, France Kralj, France Gorše, Janez Boljka, Zoran Didek, Bogdan Borčić and the collection of European painters from Pleterje, owned by the nearby Carthusian monastery in Pleterje.
The Forma Viva International Symposium of Sculptors has been held in Kostanjevica na Krki since 1961 and is considered to be the oldest symposium in the world still running. In all years of the symposium more than 100 wood sculptures have been created, which are on display in the immediate vicinity of the Božidar Jakac Art Gallery and in Kostanjevica na Krki.
The gallery also includes two exhibitions at other locations: the Lamut Art Salon in the former ministerial building on the island, which hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary Slovenian and foreign artists, and the Gorjup Gallery on the premises of the Jože Gorjup Elementary School, which offers a unique opportunity to intertwine art gallery and pedagogical activities.