Artists' Residency>Ljubljana

The artists' remit was to produce a work of art that was to be exhibited at the end of the residency at Ljubljana's castle which overlooks the city. A diverse range of artists, eight in total, worked in the beautiful grounds of an monastery, Krizanke, in the heart of the old city. The artists ate and socialised together, allowing plenty of opportunities to exchange ideas and artistic concerns.

Maynard's work takes kitsch and overtly sentimentalised images such as family portraits and old photographs as a starting point. Elements of these images are warped and stretched, so they have an initially amusing, then unsettling, impact on the viewer.

Maynard felt this exchange to be a valuable opportunity to focus on his work and meet other practising artists:
'I enjoyed my time in Slovenia immensely, and found working with artists from other areas of Europe, an interesting and fulfilling experience. The people were friendly and the city had much to offer in the way of architectural delights, museums, galleries, bars and cafes.'

Click here for more information about Festival Ljubljana.

ARRIVALS>LITHUANIA

Oxford-based artist, Adam J Maynard was invited in July 2005, on behalf of the British Council, to participate in an artist's residency in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He joined other artists, from Slovenia, Poland, Germany and Italy in making a series of works over a five-day period, as part of the 'Festival Ljubljana' - the Slovenian capital's summer arts festival, currently in in its eighth year.

Header image: River, Ljubljana