After several months of online events, KIBLIX 2020–2021 is shifting to the physical space of the largest independent exhibition space of contemporary art in Slovenia, KIBLA PORTAL in Maribor. For this year’s festival edition, the curatorial team consisting of Živa Kleindienst, Tadej Vindiš, Peter Tomaž Dobrila, and Aleksandra Kostič, is asking what are the virtual worlds now?

The international group exhibition presents a critical overview of contemporary virtual spaces through a series of innovative art research projects in the field of the latest virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies.

We kindly invite you to the opening tour of the first part of the exhibition, which will take place on Wednesday, 7 July, between 7 and 10 p.m. You will be able to experience virtual reality and video installation RE-ANIMATED by Jakob Kudsk Steensen, the virtual world for VRChat and the installation MetaGarden Sphere4:Club by Tanja Vujinović, a participatory project in augmented reality Skiljelinjer (Lines of Demarcation) by art-design studio Untold Garden and Sebastian Dahlqvist, short animated film How to Disappear by collective Total Refusal, video performance Default Setting by Daniel Hanzlík, intermedia installation Third Landscape by Nika Erjavec, generative audio-visual painting Self-portrait by Tadej Droljc, a spatial installation The World Was to Me a Secret Which I Desired to Divine by Emir Šehanović and web performance Nocturne in Black and Gold by the ATOM-r tandem in collaboration with the artist Abraham Avnisan.

In the summer months, the exhibition will further unfold by adding more projects by artists working in the field of immersive technologies. Finally, the exhibition will be completed with a second set of projects, which will be presented at the beginning of September and the whole exhibition will be on view until the end of November.

The exhibition coincides with the anniversary of the founding of MMC KIBLA – in 25 years from multimedia to virtual reality.

Admission is free. Please, follow the recommendations of the NIJZ/NIPH while visiting the exhibition.

KIBLA PORTAL, Valvasorjeva 40, 2nd floor, Maribor.

Opening hours: Monday–Friday, from 3 to 5 p.m. or by prior appointment (kibla@kibla.org).

Jakob Kudsk Steensen, RE-ANIMATED, 2018–19, VR and video installation. Installation view, KIBLA PORTAL. Photo: Damjan Švarc © KID KIBLA.