Foto: Obalne galerije Piran / Jadran Rusjan, 2025.
At the closing ceremony, held on Tartini Square on Saturday, September 6, 2025, more than 250 visitors attended the award presentation and the opening of the exhibition at the Piran City Gallery. The celebration, directed by Igor Jelen (Iggy), unfolded in a pleasant atmosphere, in the company of this year’s award winners, collectors, numerous participants, and art enthusiasts. The event was enriched by performances of cellist Bernardo Brizani, tenor Žiga Lakner, and violin professor Alenka Semeja-Mežan.
The 60th International Painting Ex-tempore Piran 2025 recorded a high number of applications (241 artists). A total of 213 works were submitted, including 18 children’s works. The international jury (Stephanie Peršić, Croatia; Renzo Grigolon, Italy; Jadranka Plut, Slovenia) selected 100 works for the two exhibitions, installed at the Monfort Gallery in Portorož and the City Gallery of Piran, and awarded the main prizes among 20 purchase prizes and other awards. Among these, two stand out: the Youth Prize (JULIJA BRAJNIK VOLČIČ, Slovenia) and the Grand Prix (SUZANA BRBOROVIĆ, Slovenia), both awarded by the Coastal Galleries of Piran.
The Director of the Coastal Galleries of Piran, Mara Ambrožič Verderber, who formally opened the event, stated:
“The renowned Primorska painter, Zvest Apollonio, the very first winner of Ex-tempore Piran 60 years ago, already predicted a long and prestigious future for this event, which also demonstrates the strength of artistic intuition.
This year, we are also delighted by the increased number of purchase prizes on the occasion of the 60th anniversary, which is a sign of the valuable commitment of local collectors to acquire works of art and support the mission of the Coastal Galleries of Piran. Altogether, this represents a significant contribution to the development of tradition, living heritage, and art in our coastal environment.
My heartfelt thanks go to the team of the Coastal Galleries of Piran, who have been preparing this event with passion and dedication for months. This year, we managed to set up two remarkable and complete exhibitions in just 12 hours – a unique achievement at the international level. We extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to all participants, and above all to the artists, thanks to whom we are here.”
On this milestone anniversary, the Coastal Galleries of Piran warmly thank all public institutions and associations (Avditorij Portorož-Portorose; CAN/SSIN Piran; Giuseppe Tartini Community of Italians in Piran), local communities and public companies (Municipality of Piran; Municipality of Koper; JP Okolje Piran; Portorož Tourist Board), companies and hotels (Gasspar d.o.o. Portorož; Stara Gostilna Piran; Bisturmed d.o.o. Koper; Eurotas Hoteli d.o.o.; Art Hotel Tartini Piran; Belvedere d.o.o. Izola; SURF d.o.o. Portorož; ADET d.o.o. Portorož), as well as shops (Trgovina Art Ljubljana and Clairfontaine), cafés and the winery that supported the realization of this celebration (Kavarna Piran and Capuccino d.o.o.; Golden Loža Koper and Vinakoper d.o.o.).
The project was made possible with the support of the Municipality of Piran and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your cooperation, and sincere congratulations to the award winners!
The list of awards and the minutes are published at this link…
See you in 2026!
