You are kindly invited to visit the retrospective multimedia exhibition which commemorates 20 years of the Pride Parade in Ljubljana, testifying to the hard work and importance of LGBTIQ+ activists. It highlights the most important elements of each parade and carries a strong message of the fight for the rights of LGBTIQ + people and the fight for human rights in the local environment.

The Pride Parade symbolises a struggle that asks “Country, do you know your debt?”, and a fight involving hatred, phobias, politics, social and health care. The march against intolerance has been driven over the years by constantly evolving and relevant demands. It has become a march against the phobias of everyone within the LGBTIQ+ community. They all come together in the fight for equal rights, regularly interrogating from year to year precisely whose and which rights. However, Pride is not only the fight against phobias and the demand for equality, it is also a strong reminder of one’s own existence. It is a march of pride, acceptance of oneself as well as those different from us. A warning that silence is dangerous, deadly, suffocating. It is therefore the opposite of  the perpetually enforced silence, concealment, oppression. It is a space that opens up space for diversity that is still not self-evident. A space for expression. A place for celebration, kisses, friendships. A sense of community belonging and connection. The Pride Parade is a response. Every year a different one, but intertwined with a rainbow thread.

The exhibition consists of 147 photographs on 30 boards, 20 video installations, 20 posters, invitations and everything else that can be connected with the events at the nineteen Ljubljana Pride parades. It is an overview of the last 19 years and a vision of the future, starting with the 20th Pride Parade in Ljubljana.

The video installation, prepared by Petra Hrovatin and Rob Noon, shows different moments of the Pride Parade processions from the first parade in 2001 until today. Through several simultaneously-playing television screens in a varied composition, the story of development and struggle for equality is displayed from the public, social and political spheres to the streets.

The photographic part of the exhibition, prepared and edited by Jasna Klančišar and Maja Ličen, highlights a selection of 147 photographs by various authors through 30 panels. Each panel tells its own story of the Pride Parade, unites the recent and distant past and concludes all 19 Ljubljana Pride Parades into one. These two decades, captured through a photographic lens, are recorded with the view of documentary photography, which creatively, politically and artistically captures the parade in a distinctive way. Over the years, photographs have recorded, archived and documented the parade, while at the same time capturing what makes the celebration of the parade unique.

The Pride Parade is in itself ultimately a political exhibition. Stepping through a city with one’s head held high, accepting oneself in all one’s being. The occupation of space: both the physical occupation of city streets and the symbolic struggle for space in society. A celebration of connection, community, brotherhood, sisterhood, companionship. The kisses – a record of love and friendship in all its grandeur. Relatives, strangers, entertainers, politicians, organisations all connect. There are flag colours, LGBTIQ+ community symbols; there are passers-by who can barely perceive what is happening right next to their world, there are workers and police officers. All this and more is a pride parade, the parade that takes to the streets of Ljubljana one day a year, and every piece of the puzzle of this exhibition tells their story.

The exhibition therefore addresses the theme of the parade in multimedia. Through the two sister media of photography and film, as well as archival material – leaflets, invitations, posters, and T-shirts – each pride parade is presented separately. It is transparent, but at the same time extensive and insightful. It answers the question, “What is a pride parade?”, and goes a step beyond the obvious to uncover that which is not always exposed, but is at the same time important. Throughout the 20 years of the Pride Parade in Ljubljana, it’s procession has expanded significantly, changing its energy, concentrating on various issues and waving more flags every year. It has rejuvenated and matured, but retained kisses, some faces, colors, and a strong voice. It “married” the first lesbian couple and “registered” a gay man two gay men in cars. Its messages, invitations, and slogans always highlighted the response to social events. The latter, however, represented a constant drive for the parade.

The exhibition is on view from 5 to 21 June, in the Right Atrium of the Ljubljana’s City Hall (the main part of the exhibition) and Pritličje (posters of all 20 Pride parades).

Organiser: Pride Parade Association

Production: Jadry Kokot

Curators of the photographic part of the exhibition and preparation of photo panels: Jasna Klančišar and Maja Ličen

Photos: Nada Žgank, Nika Vidnjevič, Borut Krajnc, Niki Lapkovski, Urša Čuk, Nika Belcijan, Maja Ličen, Rebeka Bernetič, Maša Gojić, Eva Simetinger, Viki Kern, Jasna Klančišar, Jani Klemenčič, Tina Zadnik, Nina Hribernik, Tia Avsec Nuša Plazovnik, Nika Zbašnik, Marta Torres, Katarina Blažič, Trio adijo, Linn Julian Koletnik, Petra Božnik, Ana Benje, Katja Pildek, Anja Bergoč, Roberto G., Roman Kuhar archive, Suzana Tratnik archive (or Škuc LL, Škuc Magnus and Pink Club archives)

Video installation, preparation and video editing: Petra Hrovatin, Rob Noon

Videos: Pride Parade Association archives, Legebitra archive, Društvo DIH archive, Studio City archive. Personal archives: Suzana Tratnik, Mitja Blažič, Simona Jerala, Eva Simetinger, Petra Hrovatin, Valerie Wolf Gang, Tomas Ponsteen, Heli Pekonnen, Nacho Quintana Vergara, Marta Torres

Accompanying text: Maja Ličen

Special thanks: Roman Kuhar, Suzana Tratnik, Barbara Rajgelj, Petra Salaj, Tadeja Pirih, Borut Krajnc, Mitja Blažič, Eva Gračanin, Legebitra, Škuc Magnus, Škuc LL, Roza klub, MSUM, Moderna galerija in galerija Alkatraz, Aljaž Blatnik, Katja Štefanec, Hana Gärtner, Mateja Morić, Lovro Centrih

Thanks also to everyone else who helped us relive the memories of 20 years of pride.