Culture minister welcomes the central bank’s contribution to culture

01/17/2023 / Press release

Governor Boštjan Vasle today hosted culture minister Asta Vrečko on a working visit. He showcased Banka Slovenije’s work in the field of culture, and in the preservation and enhancement of Slovenia’s cultural heritage. The minister learned in detail about the work of Mala Galerija, where in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana we give young, not-yet-established artists an opportunity to exhibit. The pair also visited the Banka Slovenije Museum, whose key aim is building financial literacy among children and young people.

At Banka Slovenije we see our mission as not only helping to create a stable economic environment, but also within a broader social context, in the preservation and enhancement of the cultural heritage. We are increasingly prioritising young people, their education, and their scope for expression in today’s environment. Each year, in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, Mala Galerija hosts a range of successful young artists, and gives them help at the start of their careers. We also support young musicians, and featured a project entitled Music of Slovenian Composers to mark the 30th anniversary of Banka Slovenije.

The Governor also outlined our future plans to the culture minister on a tour of the Banka Slovenije Museum. Since opening in May 2021, it has hosted more than two thousand children and young people, helping us in our work to strengthen financial literacy across the country.

During her visit the minister noted that Mala Galerija was once a branch unit of the Museum of Modern Art, and a major exhibition space for modern and contemporary art in which numerous artists active in Slovenia and internationally were featured. With its first independent projects, gallery has also regularly featured young artists. She is delighted that in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana Mala Galerija continues to support artists of the younger generation, and that this historically important space in the centre of the city is still devoted to arts and culture.