The point of departure for this thematic exhibition entitled A Shot in the Foot is the curators’ observation that in Slovenian visual art, particularly in the works of younger artists, the Slovene language is increasingly being replaced by English. Not only are the titles of works and exhibitions often in English, but so too are bits of text that appear within the works themselves. What is particularly interesting here is that these are not translations but expressions that constitute an integral part of the works from the outset, suggesting that young artists are actually thinking in English. One of the main reasons for this is most likely that artistic practice today is documented almost entirely on the World Wide Web (photographs of works, photographs of exhibitions, photographs of the creative process behind a work or exhibition, accompanying texts, reviews, promotional material, etc.), where the "official language" is English. And the internet is a space that artists see as a platform for (self-)promotion and breaking into the global market.

The struggle for the sovereign use of the Slovene language – first for its recognition, then for its enrichment and, last but not least, for its establishment – has been going on for centuries. The very fact that it is still ongoing is quite incredible, given the commitment to the rights of so-called "minor" languages (which Slovene certainly is) and the efforts to constructively counteract the assimilationist tendencies of contemporary societies. Yet, within this framework, the project’s curators are not concerned with the Slovenian people, nation, ancestry, homeland, country, state or any similar concepts or entities. Their concern is, above all, with thought itself. "Language is the house of Being," wrote the philosopher Martin Heidegger. Through language we think, develop our understanding of the world, shape our relationships with one another and establish social relations; in short, we constitute ourselves and the world around us – in our own specific way, which differs from that of others. For this reason, the voluntary intellectual self-colonisation through English appears, especially in the field of art, which by definition ought to be a space of freedom, as a shot in the foot.

With this exhibition, the curators seek to draw attention to this issue and illuminate it from a variety of perspectives, while also bringing together and presenting artists who consciously and actively incorporate the Slovene language into their work. To this end, they surveyed current Slovenian artistic production and, with considerable difficulty (which is in itself symptomatic), identified examples of artists who employ Slovene words, expressions, idioms and sayings both visually and in terms of content; who explore them, place them in various contexts and play with them… thereby contributing to the development, enrichment and, not least, promotion of both visual art and the Slovene language. The works featured in the exhibition not only affirm the value of the Slovene language, but also present authorially distinctive and incisive visual "phrases". Through these, questions commonly associated with written and spoken language based on letters and words also reverberate within the field of visual art, where diverse formats of artistic strategies and tactics interconnect as "languages".

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Domestic Research Society (DDR), with its seat in Ljubljana, was founded in 2004 by Damijan Kracina (1970), Alenka Pirman (1964) and Jani Pirnat (1974). The society documents, collects, researches and presents local (predominantly “Slovenian”) phenomena within the fields of culture, art, research and education. Their exhibition and online projects include Unleashed Tongue (2004–), Cabinet (2005–10) and Indija.si (2007–). The founders of DDR are also distinguished by their participation in other formal and informal groups, alongside a wide variety of curatorial practices.
ddr.si

Aleksandra Saška Gruden (1970) is an academy-trained sculptor and multimedia artist. Through her interdisciplinary approach, she has established herself on both the Slovenian and international art scenes. Her practice encompasses a range of artistic forms, including sculpture, installation, performance and digital media. She frequently explores themes of identity, historical memory and social relations, using diverse approaches and technologies to create profound, thought-provoking experiences. She lives and works in Maribor.
aleksandrasaskagruden.blogspot.com

Dejan Koban (1979) is originally from Jesenice and lives in Ljubljana. He has written more than 20 books of poetry, and his poetic expression is closely intertwined with the performative, musical and visual – through the latter, he expands the scope of the written and spoken Slovene word. In doing so, he usually creates interdisciplinary networks and/or (non-)institutional opportunities for simultaneous presentations by fellow practitioners and advocates for shared authorship. Among other activities, he is associated with the music collective nevemnevem, the art cooperative Ignor and the Mi smo tu slam championship. He also works with more radical approaches, such as tattooing the body with quotations from poetry (the long-running performance pre_več [too_much]) and printing with his own blood (the performance Polivinil [Polyvinyl]). For Koban, art and life are inseparable.
fb.com/dejan.koban

Lela B. Njatin (1963) lives in Ljubljana and maintains a studio in Kočevje. Her practice emanates from the currents of the artistic avant-garde. Part of her visual oeuvre to date is based on the Slovene language, which is so integrated into her conceptual frameworks and visual executions that her works can only be transferred to other cultural contexts with the addition of a translation or explanation that bridges cultural gaps. Yet the Slovene word itself is not at the centre of her thinking; rather, it is the community-building and integrative power of art. In 2016, she received the Girl with a Whistle Award from the Municipality of Kočevje, and in 2025, the Ivana Kobilca Award of the Ljubljana Fine Artists Society (DLUL) for her current artistic production.
lelabnjatin.si

Arjan Pregl (1973) holds an MA in Painting and Printmaking from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. He completed part of his postgraduate studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (USA). His practice encompasses painting, printmaking, illustration, writing and teaching (Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana; Faculty of Education, University of Maribor; and the School of Arts, University of Nova Gorica). In his work, he responds to everyday socio-political events in Slovenia and around the world, often in a humorous and ironic manner. Among other distinctions, he received the Hinko Smrekar Award in 2014. He lives and works in Ljubljana.
instagr.am/arjanpregl

Leon Zuodar (1977) completed his studies in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. In 2005, together with Miha Perne, he founded the painting duo Beli sladoled and the zine publishing house of the same name, dedicated to unconventional, marginal and experimental drawing. In recognition of their work, the duo received the OHO Group Award in 2011. As an independent artist, Zuodar works in painting, drawing, printmaking and artists’ publications. He lives and works in Postojna.
leonzuodar.com