— Tullio Vorano
Art historian
And so we arrive, more than happy and beyond all expectations, at the twentieth edition of Ex Tempore in Grožnjan.
The late Prof. Sergio Molesi, one of the initiators of the event and assiduous member of the Jury Committee, during its fourth edition in 1997 described its extraordinary growth as “crazy” and triumphantly exclaimed: “Hallelujah!” In fact, the balance of this singular festival of painting and of art in general, and various other collective activities, is truly impressive; so far, there are more than two thousand participating artists with at least four thousand works on display! It is obvious that the organisers (the Italian Union of Rijeka, the Università Popolare di Trieste, the Italian community of Grožnjan and the Municipality of Grožnjan) can be proud of the results achieved, and hope that Ex Tempore will continue with as much success.
The exhibition of the two best works, awarded in all previous editions of Ex Tempore, is supposed to be a moment of pause and reflection. Mathematically speaking, we were supposed to display 38 art pieces but for various reasons, ‘only’ 34 will be shown to the public. We must reflect on the causes of this missed appointment, to be able to take effective measures in order to avoid such omissions in the future. However, we have before us an impressive collection of contemporary Istrian art, but also cross-border art – created before the borders were torn down – by the artists from three neighbouring countries: Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Thus, the collection represents the most authentic expression of visual and spiritual multiculturalism. Regardless of the mentioned and completely valid connotation, the collection, in each individual piece but particularly in its whole, has a high artistic value and absolutely must be maintained and safeguarded. It is therefore necessary to carefully consider and find the most suitable solutions; in my opinion, the idea of a permanent collection functioning as an art gallery should not be discarded.