Franc Denovnik – Živela Ustvarjalnost! (Long Live Creativity!)

This second exhibition of our cycle “Živela Ustvarjalnost!”(Long Live Creativity!) of works by Franc Denovnik, followed the portrayal caricaturist Jože ABA Aberšek’s presentation and opened on June 23, and did present a certain challenge.

As the first creative was a very well known, in a certain way a popular figure in our region, and many, many people having his artwork framed at home, the second creative, not less engaged and meticulous, is a less known figure and to top it all a known homeless, living in our town’s homeless shelter.

We knew Franc Denovnik very well from the past. We have supported his creative endeavors since the beginning, as we had our first spaces, the Postaja RAUM AU, below the former homeless shelter of Slovenj Gradec. As we were, as we are still, an association concerning about arts and creative everyday lives of our community, we dispose over a workshop. Nothing professional, but feasible for all sorts of work, equipped with the basic tools and machines.

It was there in fact, where he started producing miniature models of typical Slovenian wood-houses and the manufacturing wooden boxes and branding ornaments on them.

Spotur, the local public institution running the shelter did evolve a social program around this activity, aimed for re-activation and socialization of them, who found themselves users of the shelter.

The new spaces as also we had to move to, opened new possibilities to the extent, that Franc, assisted by homeless fellows extended their manufacturing program to benches and tables, and other useful accessories, sold and used in public institutions, parks or similar places. A quite nice initiative.

Here and during this week, where Franc Denovniks entire range of creative activities was exhibited, he did also prepare a workshop about the process of building miniature houses and models.

It has been a fun time and all the concerns about the social status of our creative where unfounded, or lets say not as much rooted as we thought. Thanks to all!!