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Photo: Matjaž Rušt

The opus of Karpo Godina is clearly defined by a formal determinant - which is also the central fabric of the present exhibition - to which he constantly returns as an artist. It is an aesthetic of vivid images, combined with a rare ability to see the transcendent in the banality of the everyday. This transcendence can sometimes be a critical recognition of the contradictions of the social fabric, it can be a recognition of sublime beauty, or it can simply be a channeling of joyful fascination and affection for fellow human beings whom one encounters as a traveller in the most unlikely places. Karpo Godina's work is often a fusion of all of the above, carefully framed through the eye of the camera within the confines of a static frame. As an artist, he is always aesthetically accomplished, subversive yet uncynical; as a humanist, he is witty and consistently curious; as a craftsman, he is a master; and as a human being, he is always committed to exploring and admiring the world around him.

Karpo Godina (Skopje, 1943) has left a distinctive mark on the history of Slovenian, Yugoslav and world cinema. As a student of the academy in the mid-1960s, he attracted attention with a series of experimental films and enriched the lively scene of Yugoslav amateur cinema, which was buzzing under the auspices of numerous cinema clubs. As a professional director of short films and as a cinematographer, he is considered one of the key figures of the so-called Yugoslav Black Wave, and as a director and screenwriter he has created several cult Slovenian feature films. He has worked on almost 100 films and many more iconic commercials. He has also made his mark on the Slovenian film landscape as an educator and continues to work tirelessly to shape it as a custodian of film history. He is a global promoter of film and still an active filmmaker. He is the only Slovenian filmmaker who – in addition to numerous other retrospectives, guest appearances and exhibitions abroad – has presented a retrospective of his films at the MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York.

exhibition panels
Photo: Matjaž Rušt
exhibition panels
Photo: Matjaž Rušt
Video projection room
Photo: Matjaž Rušt
exhibition panels
Photo: Matjaž Rušt
Video projection room
Photo: Matjaž Rušt

exhibition production: Slovenian Cinematheque (Ženja Leiler Kos)
exhibition authors and curators: Matevž Jerman, Kristina Ravnikar
exhibition layout and graphic design: Ranko Novak

supported by: Ministry of Culture of Slovenia
partners: Slovenian Film Archive at the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia and Slovenian Film Centre