Since: 2012
Photography: Urška Boljkovac
Projects: S(v)odobnost
Supported by: Ministrstvo za kulturo RS, Ministrstvo za javno upravo RS, Mestna občina Ljubljana, Creative Europe projects: Life Long Burning, Dance On Pass On Dream On, The (Non)Aligned Movements, co-founded by EUHorizone project: DanceMap, founded by EU
The history of contemporary dance is not merely a history of dance performances, but also of the ways in which they are produced; it is a history of the lives of women artists who, in the twentieth century, worked beyond the patriarchal constraints of existing artistic systems; a history of self-organized cultural and artistic formations in various cultural contexts; a history of unusual bodily and therapeutic-kinetic practices; a history of social intensities in different urban environments. Much indirect information can be extracted from the archival materials of contemporary dance activities, if the researcher knows how to read between the lines.
The Temporary Slovenian Dance Archive is an archive of materials in the field of contemporary dance and those performing arts that, in the Republic of Slovenia or in the region of the former Yugoslavia, have incorporated elements of dance and/or choreographic artistic practices into their work. In 2012 it was established by Rok Vevar in his apartment at Celovška 125 in Ljubljana. The organization Nomad Dance Academy Slovenia expressed production interest in the project, and in April 2018, at the invitation of the then director of MSUM+MG, Zdenka Badovinac, and the professional associate for digital archival activities at MG+MSUM, Ida Hiršenfelder, it moved to the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova in Ljubljana, where it has had its permanent home ever since.
You can learn more about the Temporary Slovenian Dance Archive at the following link:
https://www.mg-lj.si/si/razstave/2288/zacasni-slovenski-plesni-arhiv-rok-vevar
The NADA digital online database is available here: https://nada.nomaddanceacademy.si.
CHRONOLOGY OF ZSPA
2012
The Temporary Slovenian Dance Archive announces its beginning at Celovška cesta 125.
2013
The Temporary Slovenian Dance Archive becomes part of the Nomad Dance Institute project.
2018
17. April
Opening of the Temporary Slovenian Dance Archive at MSUM.
9. October - 25. November
DRAFT | Rok Vevar and Snježana Premuš: Choreographic Statements, Physical Manifestations: The Body as Archive.
10. - 12. October
LECTURES | Poiesis of the Self (From Stage to Gallery: Meandering), for closed groups, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM)
17. - 18. October
LABORATORY with pedagogue Lisa Clark (USA), Dance Studio Moj korak, Vilharjeva 3, Ljubljana
18. October
TALK | Draft Series | Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM)
19. October
DRAFT | Rok Vevar and Snježana Premuš: Choreographic Statements | Talk No. 1
Presentation of ZSPA and the installation Choreographic Statements, Physical Manifestations: The Body as Archive by Snježana Premuš and Rok Vevar to the partners of the project DANCE ON PASS ON DREAM ON at MSUM (within CoFestival – International Contemporary Dance Festival).
27. November
Rok Vevar: Day, Night + Man = Rhythm: Anthology of Slovenian Contemporary Dance Criticism 1918–1960 – book presentation and discussion (Gregor Moder, moderator; Rok Vevar; Iztok Ilc), MSUM seminar.
13. - 14. December
WORKSHOP 2019 | Dance Criticism in ZSPA (co-organized with Gibanica – Biennial of Contemporary Dance Art)
2019
24. January; 7. in 21. February; 8. and 22. March; 5. and 26. April; 10. and 24. May
Continuation of the Dance Criticism 2018 workshop | ZSPA | led by Rok Vevar
2. - 7. June
Exhibition | Gestes du Contact Improvisation [Acts of Contact Improvisation] | at ZSPA |
A travelling exhibition from the French Musée de la danse, curated by Romain Bigé.
The exhibition was created to connect and inhabit the ambiguous intermediate space between the dance studio and the museum. In Ljubljana it was presented at Stara mestna elektrarna (SMEEL) and ZSPA (MSUM).
2020
23. september
Publication of the book Ksenija, Xenia: The London Dance Years of Ksenija Hribar (co-published by Maska, Nomad Dance Academy Slovenia, JSKD)
2021
1. January
Start of the EU project (Non)Aligned Movements, within the Balkan contemporary dance network Nomad Dance Academy.
24. februar - 6. junij
Exhibition | Autography, Uncanniness, Rebellion: The Photography of Božidar Dolenc | opening at MSUM (curators: Lara Štrumej, Rok Vevar; ZSPA; on view until 6 June 2021)
4. marec, 8. april, 6.maj
Guided tour of the exhibition Autography, Uncanniness, Rebellion: The Photography of Božidar Dolenc | led by Rok Vevar | ZSPA
22. marec
Recording of a conversation with the recipient of the Vladimir Kralj Lifetime Achievement Award, Ivo Kralj (SLOGI; camera: Nika Ham; co-production: SLOGI, DGKTS, NDA Slovenia).
8. april
Guided tour of the exhibition Autography, Uncanniness, Rebellion: The Photography of Božidar Dolenc | led by Rok Vevar | ZSPA
12. in 19. maj
Guided tour of the exhibition Avtografija, zagonetnost, uporništvo: fotografija Božidarja Dolenca and presentation of ZSPA | Rok Vevar | ZSPA for students of AGRFT
15. maj
Article Reality Check! published on the website of the Vienna dance centre Tanz Quartier.
Guided tour of the exhibition | led by Lara Štrumej, Dejan Habicht, and Rok Vevar
15. junij
Presentation of the book Ksenija, Xenia: The London Dance Years of Ksenija Hribar | Libertas Festival, Koper | moderator: Irena Urbič
24. junij - 10. oktober
EXHIBITION | REALIZE! RESIST! REACT! Performance and Politics in the 1990s in the Post-Yugoslav Context | Curator: Bojana Piškur; collaborators for the Slovenian section: Rok Vevar and Jasmina Založnik | ZSPA
2.september
Guided tour of the exhibition SPOZNANJE! UPOR! REAKCIJA! Performans in politika v devetdesetih letih v pojugoslovanskem kontekstu | led by Rok Vevar | ZSPA
29. september
Marathon guided tour of the exhibition with the curatorial team: Linda Gusia, Jasna Jakšić, Vida Knežević, Nita Luci, Asja Mandić, Bojana Piškur, Biljana Tanurovska-Kjulavkovski, Ivana Vaseva, Rok Vevar, and Jasmina Založnik.
2022
12. januar
Presentation of ZSPA for dramaturgy students AGRFT | MSUM
9. - 14. marec
Multi-day working meeting of dance archivists within the (Non)Aligned Movements project regarding the establishment of a digital database at project partner Tanzfabrik in Berlin.
17. - 20. marec
Visit to the German Dance Platform in Berlin.
23. in 24. november
Rok Vevar: Along the Urban Paths of the History of Slovenian Contemporary Dance and Theatre – CoFestival | Ljubljana
2023
2. - 4. marec
Invitation to participate in the presentation of the BAD Co. archive at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka..
26. marec
Rok Vevar: Introduction to Performing Arts Criticism (DGKTS and TSD), PG Kranj.
4. - 10. maj
Archival team of the project (Non)Aligned Movements residency in Skopje (partner: Lokomotiva), developing the NADA digital database.
24. maj
Lecture for the group Critical Practice (Stanica Belgrade, Lokomotiva Skopje) and presentation of the Temporary Slovenian Dance Archive at MSUM.
28. maj
PERFORMANCE | Wilhelm Groener: Performing the Archive | at ZSPA and MSUM | DOPODO, NDA Slovenia.
30. maj
Guided tour Along the Urban Paths of the History of Slovenian Contemporary Dance and Theatre (Slovenian)
31. maj
Guided tour of the same programme (English).
ZSPA at the summer meeting of the project (Non)Aligned Movements titled To Keep in Touch at Tanzfabrik Berlin, presenting the archival collective’s working results.
8. september
The photographic legacy of Igor Delorenzo Omahen arrives at ZSPA .
13., 27. oktober, 10. november in 1. december
WORKSHOP | Introduction to Contemporary Dance | led by Rok Vevar and Jasmina Založnik | ZSPA, MSUM.
20. oktober, 3., 17. november, 8. december
WORKSHOP | Analysis of Contemporary Dance | led by Rok Vevar and Jasmina Založnik | ZSPA, MSUM.
2024
Pomlad - poletje
Preparations for the exhibition at MSU Zagreb, the accompanying publication, and optimisation of the NADA digital database.
10. februar
Publication of the book Taking Space: New Performance Art Practices in Yugoslavia by Jasmina Založnik | Maska, NDA Slovenia, ZRC SAZU.
18. april
Presentation of the book at the forum Katastri začasnosti prostorov, Kino Šiška.
6. oktober
Presentation of the book at the MOCA Skopje Performance Festival.
8. oktober
Lecture and presentation of ZSPA for members of the international performing arts network ENICPA at the Slovenian Theatre Institute (SLOGI).
9. oktober
Archive visit for ENICPA members at SLOGI.
Installation and finalisation of the exhibition Dancing, Resisting, (Un)working – Aspects of Dance as Cultural, Political and Art Work in Yugoslavia and After at MSU Zagreb.
20. november
Opening of the exhibition at MSU Zagreb within the programme of CoFestival.
20. november
Publication of the book Bodies of Dance: Aspects of Dance as Cultural, Political, and Art Work in Yugoslavia and After (eds. Nika Arhar, Jasmina Založnik).
21. november
Guided tour of the exhibition at MSU Zagreb
5. december 2024 - 31. maj 2025
EXHIBITION AND DANCE PERFORMANCE | 30 Years of Beauty, Sweat and Blisters | Marking the 30th anniversary of the Association for Contemporary Dance Slovenia (DSPS) | ZSPA, MSUM.
2025
18. februar
Accompanying events of the exhibition at MSU Zagreb:
Mateja Bučar – V izvrstnem redu (dance performance) and guided tour of the exhibition (Tia Kantoci, Rok Vevar, Jasmina Založnik).
19. - 23. februar
First meeting of the EU project DanceMap: Innovation Pathways and Policies to Promote European Dance Heritage at Home and Abroad (HORIZON Innovation Actions Grant) at STUK arts centre, Leuven, Belgium.
20. marec
Guided tour of the exhibition Dancing, Resisting, (Un)working – Aspects of Dance as Cultural, Political and Art Work in Yugoslavia and After and presentation of ZSPA for MG+MSUM staff and journalists.
20. marec - 1. junij
Opening of the exhibition at MSUM.
25. marec
Guided tour and presentation for members of the European Dancehouse Network.
Guided tour and presentation for students from the Institute for Applied Theatre Studies, Justus Liebig University Giessen | Prof. Dr. Bojana Kunst.
10. april
Guided tour for students of SVŠGUGL (Contemporary Dance and Theatre programme).
18. april
Screening of the documentary film Tala To-gether (2021) by Aleksandra Janeva Imfeld.
22. april
Series of guided tours and presentations of ZSPA for various audiences (general public, seniors, AGRFT students, cultural professionals).
25. april
Dance in Defiance – conversation with Dr. Aldo Milohnić (AGRFT), moderated by Rok Vevar (MSUM seminar).
14. maj
DANCE PERFORMANCE | Accompanying event of the exhibition: Mateja Bučar – V izvrstnem redu | MSUM.
Between 2 March and 1 June 2025, a total of 262 participants attended the various guided tours of the exhibition Dancing, Resisting, (Un)working – Aspects of Dance as Cultural, Political and Art Work in Yugoslavia and After.