Organized by: the History Meeting House, Slovenian cultural organization Beletrina, the National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia, EUROM – the UB Solidarity Foundation.
06.09.2018
—30.09.2018
How did protesters express their need for freedom half a century ago? What did young people on both sides of the Iron Curtain, Poles, Slovenians, Spaniards, fight for? How did their demands converge and how did they differ? Are slogans adopted in 1968 still open?
Event date
The exhibition In Search of Freedom 1968-2018 is composed of three parts: one dedicated to Poland, one to Slovenia, and another one to Spain. Each of them comprises an introduction into the local historical context and 10 photographs with commentaries. The exhibition is complemented by the text written by Irena Ribič and Urška Purg, two Slovenian curators. The Polish photographs depict self-immolation by Ryszard Siwiec and students‘ demonstrations for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The photographs from Slovenia, which then was a member of Yugoslavia, present students‘ protests against the occupation of Czechoslovakia and unjust social relations. Spanish photographs, in turn, depict, among other things, women’s protests against the law penalizing them for adultery. The part of the exhibition related to Slovenia covers the period from 1968 to 1971, and Spain – from 1965 to 1976.
Beside the photographs, there will be video footage presenting protests in Warsaw, Ljubljana, and Madrid. Also, under the ceiling of the History Meeting House the banners with slogans born during manifestations in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Ljubljana, and Barcelona will be mounted. There will also be some interactive component. The public exploring the exhibition will have an opportunity to explain what freedom means to them, describing it on a wall specially designated for that purpose.
The Polish, Slovenian, and Spanish students‘ protests have been set in the global socio-political context. The authors of the exhibition pointed to the most important events from the period: 1968-1970, such as students‘ protests in France and Mexico, the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, or the first person landing on the Moon.
As part of the exhibition one will be able to see the photographs of the laureates taking part in the competition for the best photograph illustrating freedom and the process of pursuing it. The Instagram competition saw 230 photographs of applicants from all over the world. We will present the photographs of its three laureates and forty special mention awards.
In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018 is part of an international project implemented by Poland, Slovenia, and Spain. It was targeted at students, and its main aim was to facilitate both cross-cultural dialogue and active participation in social life. During lectures and panel discussions students had an opportunity to gain an insight into the protests in 1968 and common European values. The institutions from partnership countries created archives with documents from 1968. The amassed materials were compiled and published in a book. They are now part of the exhibition In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018, which, following its opening in Ljubljana, is presented in Warsaw, and then Barcelona.
The exhibition can be viewed in the History Meeting House from 6 September 2018 to 30 September 2018.
