— Eugen Borkovsky
Artist and art critic
Grožnjan has been known as the ‘City of Artists’ since 1965.
Once a colony of fine arts, it became a town where figurative artists live and work and later, musicians too. Subsequently, theatre events began to take place. During a period of almost fifty years, much has changed in Grožnjan; some artists have left, and others arrived. The civic gallery Fonticus is continuously displaying recent figurative arts productions. Ex Tempore of Grožnjan, organised by the Italian Union and the Università Popolare di Trieste for the last 19 years, brings to life the idea of the City of Artists. During the event the artists go out onto the streets, and they can be immediately noticed. Unlike musicians, who can be heard while practicing and can dominate with their sound during concerts, figurative art activities tend to be silent, unnoticed. It takes place in ateliers, studios and workshops. The creative action is hidden and isolated, while the exhibition is the only moment of appearance, contact and presentation.
Thus, Ex Tempore attracts artists by allowing them to come and meet their public. It is always exciting to be in Grožnjan during those days. The town is filled with creative people, muses, companions and observers and the facades of the streets and squares are full of artistic displays. Being on a jury is always a great responsibility, especially when it comes to assessing the results of a creative piece. In sports it is easier and simpler – the first one to hit the target is the winner. But when you have 586 art pieces by about 500 artists, like in Grožnjan in 2012 for example, the task is not easy at all. Similar to a short but intense figurative arts colony, Ex Tempore produces pieces pertaining to a wide qualitative dimension, ranging from the beginners and amateurs to impressive, relevant and recent works. From the point of view of the jury, the pieces must be seen as a presentation cycle, and important achievements are sought within. You are overwhelmed by the amount of information because the artists do not sign the front of their pieces. You have to forget about the style characteristics of an artist you may otherwise recognise and focus on comparing it to other pieces. The liveliness can divert you and the different approaches to the piece may astound you. Being a curator and having worked in art criticism for a long time makes the selection easier, as the experience directs you towards the figurative quality of each piece. An esteemed artist at Ex Tempore may be indisposed, and the level of receptive intensity of his piece may be lower. An artist who is an amateur or at the beginning of his career may succeed in the pretext of creativity. Putting a name to the piece is sometimes impossible. This is evident after the selection when the names of the artists are disclosed. The difference is the venue because it is not the calm whiteness of a gallery, but a colourful setting full of architecture and history, where the artefact is presented in daylight. The responsibility of the jury is therefore even greater. It makes you happy that, after a few strenuous rounds of evaluation when the prizes are awarded, you feel no doubt about a correct assessment. The honesty, the experience and the perspicacity of the jury members is always on trial. You cannot fool real artists, and you cannot fool a high-quality artistic production.