Slovenia’s largest private art collection goes public

NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, has amassed Slovenia's largest private collection of art over several decades of purchasing works by modern and contemporary authors. The artworks, long hidden from public view, are now on show in a dedicated gallery in the centre of Ljubljana.

The gallery called Muza joins NLB's Banking Museum in an art deco building on Čopova Street that had served as a bank branch for more than a century and is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Ljubljana, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The museum is located on the first floor while the second and third floors have been renovated to house the gallery. The rooms have special ceiling lights and removable walls covering the building's many windows.

While some of the artworks were already on show in the museum, the new gallery will allow NLB to showcase more of its collection, including its newly acquired pieces.

Art collection with a long history

The NLB art collection spans more than 2,000 artworks, according to the exhibition's co-curator Meta Kordiš.

It was started in 1999 with the hope of becoming a representative collection of works by Slovenian artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Works by many artists are featured, including the impressionist Rihard Jakopič and Zoran Mušič, known for his haunting depictions of concentration camp victims.

In 2023 the bank decided to expand its collection to include works from Southeast Europe, titling the new collection SEE ART.

So far it has collected works from 19 contemporary artists from the region. The plan is to invest €100,000 annually for new acquisitions.

Expanding the art collection into the region was a logical next step in its development, co-curator Tevž Logar says. The focus was on the younger generations of artists to support their work and to have the collection reflect the spirit of the time.

Echoes of old and new in first exhibition

The gallery's first exhibition, Echo, features works by 22 Slovenian artists, including Zmago Jeraj, Boris Jesih, Tone Kralj and Gabrijel Stupica, as well as works acquired from the countries of the former Yugoslavia by Mladen Miljanović, Jelena Bulajić, Jasmina Cibic and others.

Two winning artworks from an international competition for young artists are also exhibited, as well as works by Šejla Kamerić and Nataša Prosenc Stearns commissioned for the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open until 8 February 2026. The gallery is open to visitors between 10am and 6pm except on Mondays.