{"id":5000,"date":"2021-06-22T17:05:31","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T15:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.obalne-galerije.si\/?page_id=5000"},"modified":"2026-06-18T07:22:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:22:16","slug":"forma-viva","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.obalne-galerije.si\/en\/forma-viva\/","title":{"rendered":"Forma viva"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A glimpse of the past<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nDuring the second half of the 20th century, the international sculpture symposium Forma viva was one of the few examples of figurative art expression in the local environment, renowned for always being updated with the art avantgardes of the time.<\/p>\n

Based on the sculpture symposium held in St. Margarethen, Austria, in 1959, the international approach of Forma viva helped the artists expanding their networks, thanks to the connections they had the opportunity to develop while working together.<\/p>\n

These factors facilitated the evolution of sculpture towards the trends of contemporary art, combining traditional materials with innovative techniques.<\/p>\n

It is not a coincidence that two of the key contributors of the first edition of Forma viva were Janez Lensassi and Jakob Savin\u0161ek, Slovenian sculptores.<\/p>\n

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The name<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nThe idea behind the name \u201cForma viva\u201d came to the sculptor Jakob Savin\u0161ek for the first edition and has since gained recognition and popularity. The title of the event wants to convey the way the artist interacts with its creative activity and the vitality he puts in the research of new forms of expression.<\/p>\n

Over time, \u201cForma viva\u201d became an expression of common use to describe every kind of sculpture placed in an open space.<\/p>\n

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An event in the name of territorial specificities<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nAmong the sculpture symposia held around the world, Forma Viva emerges thanks to its distribution between four different areas, located at the extreme borders of Slovenia and divided for materials, which were already available in the local territory – Kostanjevica na Krki (wood), Portoro\u017e (stone), Ravne na Koro\u0161kem (iron), Maribor (concrete) \u2013 which defined since the beginning the planning of the event.<\/p>\n

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Open-air art workshops<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nThe Symposia are genuine open-air art workshops, which gathers together national and international sculptors who capitalize the opportunity to work on large-scale pieces.<\/p>\n

The international environment draws the attention of locals, art lovers and passers-by, turning these locations in fascinating melting pots. Even though the Slovene Symposium is largely attended by European sculptors, over the years has also managed to host artists from every other continent (except Australia).<\/p>\n

Alongside the prevailing share of Slovene artists, there is also a considerable amount of Japanese attendees.<\/p>\n

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The Symposium's decay and a new impulse<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nAt the end of the 80\u2019s, after almost thirty years of continuous activity, there was a sharp decline of this international event. Since 1991 the Symposium continued its activity solely in Portoro\u017e, continuously. After a ten-year hiatus, the example of Portoro\u017e was followed by Kosntanjevica, where in 1998 the wooden sculptures activity restarted.<\/p>\n

The Carinthia Museum in Ravne reorganized the group of iron sculptures realized during the years and took the responsibility of the protection and preservation of the artworks.
With these initiatives, some centres showed their interest in bringing the symposia back to life.<\/p>\n

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The open-air sculptures collection<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nForma Viva, thanks to the particular physiognomy of its four different locations and the specificity of the materials, created a unique set of collections of contemporary sculptures placed in the open air. The symposia encompass artworks of artists coming from different parts of the world, each displaying his different background and his own creative input. The considerable heterogeneity of forms and subjects that characterizes the collections offers a valuable source of study for the conception and design of open-air sculptures.<\/p>\n

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Forma viva today<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\nThe stone sculpture collection of Portoro\u017e amounts today to more than one hundred thirty pieces: most of them are placed on the green peninsula of Se\u010da, while the others are located in the city centres and in the parks of the Slovene Littoral. The connections with the international art scene and the long and continuous tradition of the event are the elements that made the sculpture biennial a staple inclusion into the art lovers\u2019 itinerary, resulting in one of the most ambitious and fascinating examples of dialogue between contemporary art and local environment.<\/p>\n

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Virtual Forma Viva<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\n\t\t<\/i> Click here or on the photo to access the Virtual Guide!\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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Forma Viva collection: the map<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Map of sculptures at Se\u010da, Portoro\u017e<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\n\t\t<\/i> FORMA VIVA COLLECTION: DOWNLOAD\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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Map of sculptures in other locations (Piran, Izola, Koper, Ankaran)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\n\t\t<\/i> OTHER LOCATIONS: DOWNLOAD\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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Istrian stone and olive grove<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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The International Sculpture Symposium Forma viva has connected sculptors from around the world, encouraging the creation of monumental stone sculptures in an open-air setting. The artists use stone from the quarries of the Istrian Peninsula, which significantly shapes the appearance of the sculptures, the identity of the entire collection, and the shared Venetian cultural space. High-quality Istrian limestone, once one of the main materi- als used in the construction of Venice, bridges the gap between the modern era and the ancient tradition of its use in building construction.<\/p>\n

The stone sculpture park is a place where art is interwoven with the distinctive Istrian landscape and the rich natural heritage of the area. Part of this cultural landscape is the demonstration olive grove, featuring all seven indigenous \u00bbPiran\u00ab olive varieties: piranska buga, \u010drnica, mata, komuna, smartel, \u0161torta and \u017ei\u017eola. Olive growing has a long tradition in Istria, and Istrian olive oil was already highly valued in antiquity, as confirmed by the writ- ings of Pliny, Martial, Galen, and Apicius, as Carlo Hugues wrote in 1902.<\/p>\n

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Past Editions: links<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/span><\/i> 2025 \u2192<\/a><\/h3>
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FORMA VIVA 2025: GIORGIO ANDREOTTA CAL\u00d2 & ALDO CAL\u00d2<\/a><\/p>\n

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FORMA VIVA 2025: OPEN DAY<\/a><\/p>\n

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FORMA VIVA 2025: FINISSAGE – DANCE PERFORMANCE<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/i> 2023 \u2192<\/a><\/h3>
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FORMA VIVA 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

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PUBLIC SCULPTURE OPENING IN ANKARAN<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/i> 2021 \u2192<\/a><\/h3>
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FORMA VIVA 1961-2021<\/a><\/p>\n

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FORMA VIVA 2021: FINISSAGE<\/a><\/p>\n

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FORMA VIVA 2021: PRESS CONFERENCE, FINISSAGE<\/a><\/p>\n

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FORMA VIVA 2021: ARTISTS DOCUMENTARIES<\/a><\/p>\n

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FORMA VIVA 2021: MEDIA REPORT<\/a><\/p>\n

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SCULPTURES AND RELOCATIONS: FORMA VIVA<\/a><\/p>\n

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Chronology of the Symposia<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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1961<\/h3>\n

Ana Be\u0161li\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Pat Diska, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Eug\u00e8ne Dodeigne, Francija (F) \u00b7 Yasuo Mizui, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Josef Pillhofer, Austria (A) \u00b7 Carlo Ramous, Italija (I) \u00b7 Ivan Saboli\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Giancarlo Sangregorio, Italija (I) \u00b7 Hajime Togashi, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Olgierd Truszynski, Poljska (PL) \u00b7 Carl Kneulman, Nizozemska (NL)<\/p>\n

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1962<\/h3>\n

Tadesse Belaineh, Etiopija (ETH) \u00b7 Teddy Carrasco, Bolivija (BOL) \u00b7 Nino Cassani, Italija (I) \u00b7 Otto Eder, Austria (A) \u00b7 Jovan Kratohvil, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Janez Lenassi, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Ewelina Michalska, Poljska (PL) \u00b7 Branko Ru\u017ei\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU), Leo De Vries, Nizozemska (NL) \u00b7 Methe Dharmani, Indija (IND) \u00b7 Yoshio Hosoi, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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1963<\/h3>\n

Achiam \u2013 Ahiam Shoshany, Izrael (IL) \u00b7 Aldo Cal\u00f2, Italija (I) \u00b7 Hubert Dalwood, Velika Britanija (UK) \u00b7 Bernard Davis, Velika Britanija (UK) \u00b7 David Hayes, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Olga Jan\u010di\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Henri Lenaerts, Belgija (B) \u00b7 Nakai Nobuya, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Alina Szapocznikow, Poljska (PL) \u00b7 Drago Tr\u0161ar, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU)<\/p>\n

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1964<\/h3>\n

Stojan Bati\u010d, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Stefania Bragaglia Guidi, Italija (I) \u00b7 Louis Chavignier, Francija (F) \u00b7 Magda Frank, Argentina (RA) \u00b7 Shigeto Shimano, Japonska (J) \u00b7 John Skelton, Velika Britanija (UK)<\/p>\n

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1965<\/h3>\n

Ren\u00e9 Coutelle, Francija (F) \u00b7 Janez Pirnat, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Jir\u00f4 Sugawara, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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1967<\/h3>\n

Roger Barr, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Mi\u0161a Sari\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 David Thompson, Velika Britanija (UK) \u00b7 Tomita Shinpei, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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1969<\/h3>\n

Leonard Agrons, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Svetomir Arsi\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Luciano Ceschia, Italija (I) \u00b7 Hiroshi Onari, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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1971<\/h3>\n

Ante Jaki\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Jozef Jankovi\u010d, nekdanja \u010ce\u0161koslova\u0161ka (ex CS) \u00b7 Akio Sakai, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Geoffrey Smedley, Velika Britanija (UK) \u00b7 Hisao Suzuki, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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1973<\/h3>\n

Shelley Fausset , Velika Britanija (UK) \u00b7 Jaroslav Kubi\u010dka, nekdanja \u010ce\u0161koslova\u0161ka (ex CS) \u00b7 Shigeru Sugimoto, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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1975<\/h3>\n

Milomir Jevti\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Kazuo Kitajima, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Kirk Newman, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Kazimierz \u0141ukasz \u017bywuszko, Poljska (PL)<\/p>\n

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1977<\/h3>\n

Adam Henein, Egipt (ET) \u00b7 Anamaria Kubach Wilmsen, nekdanja ZR Nem\u010dija (ex D) \u00b7 Wolfgang Kubach, nekdanja ZR Nem\u010dija (ex D) \u00b7 Colette Perazio ltkin, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Dragan Poposki – Dada, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU)<\/p>\n

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1979<\/h3>\n

Atsuchi Masanobu, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Mirsad Begi\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Francisco Gazitua, \u010cile (RCH) \u00b7 Dieter Hastenteufel, Kanada (CDN) \u00b7 Erik Lovko, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU)<\/p>\n

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1981<\/h3>\n

Miloslav Chlup\u00e1\u010d, nekdanja \u010ce\u0161koslova\u0161ka (ex CS) \u00b7 \u0110or\u0111ije Crn\u010devi\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Ivan Ko\u017eari\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Bj\u00f8rn N\u00f8rgaard, Danska (DK) \u00b7 Yutaka Okano , Japonska (J) \u00b7 Leonard Rachita, Romunija (RO)<\/p>\n

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1983<\/h3>\n

Robert Du Bourg, ZDA (USA) \u00b7 Hiroshi Mikami, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Ji\u0159i Bezlaj, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Ante Marinovi\u0107, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 J\u00e3nis A. Karlovs, nekdanja Sovjetska zveza (former SU), Takeshi Tanabe, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Antonius M\u00ffsberg, Nizozemska (NL)<\/p>\n

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1985<\/h3>\n

Adrian lonita, Romunija (RO) \u00b7 Stephan Kamenyeczky, Austria (A) \u00b7 Ljubomir Karina, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Janez Lenassi, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Masayuki Nagase, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Adolf Ryszka, Poljska (PL)<\/p>\n

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1987<\/h3>\n

Mathias Hietz, Austria (A) \u00b7 Harunori Fujimoto, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Jun Ohara, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Zolt\u00e1n P\u00e1l, Mad\u017earska (H), Peter Roller, nekdanja \u010ce\u0161koslova\u0161ka (ex CS) \u00b7 Zmago Posega, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Bata Marianov, Romunija (RO) \u00b7 Masayuki Nagase, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Dim\u0107o Pavlov, Bolgarija (BG)<\/p>\n

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1989<\/h3>\n

Giancarlo Fasoli, Italija (I) \u00b7 Gheorghe lliescu-C\u0103line\u015fti, Romunija (RO) \u00b7 Alois L. Lindenbauer, Austria (A) \u00b7 Joko Sako, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Mustafa Skopljak, nekdanja Jugoslavija (ex YU) \u00b7 Arne-Bernd Rhaue, nekdanja ZR Nem\u010dija (ex D)<\/p>\n

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1991<\/h3>\n

Villi Bossi, Italija (I) \u00b7 Miloslav Chlup\u00e1\u010d, nekdanja \u010ce\u0161koslova\u0161ka (ex CS) \u00b7 Milena Lah, Hrva\u0161ka (HR) \u00b7 Janez Lenassi, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Gail Clair Morris, Velika Britanija (UK)<\/p>\n

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1993<\/h3>\n

Hartwig Rainer M\u00fclleitner, Austria (A) \u00b7 Yoshin Ogata, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Goran \u0160timac, Hrva\u0161ka (HR)<\/p>\n

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1995<\/h3>\n

Atanas Atanasoski, Severna Makedonija (NMK) \u00b7 Janez Lenassi, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Ljubo De Karina, Hrva\u0161ka (HR) \u00b7 Nobuaki Kanamori, Japonska (J) \u00b7 Richard Perry, Velika Britanija (UK)<\/p>\n

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1997<\/h3>\n

Kiar Me\u0161ko, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Gualtiero Mocenni, Italija (I) \u00b7 Dragan Poposki – Dada, Severna Makedonija (NMK) \u00b7 Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00f3n Villa Sober\u00f3n, Kuba (C) \u00b7 Roberto Stell, Slovenija (SLO)<\/p>\n

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1999<\/h3>\n

Villi Bossi, Italija (I) \u00b7 Erik Lovko, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Graziano Pompili, Italija (I)<\/p>\n

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2001<\/h3>\n

Matejka Belle, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Carlos Monge, Mehika (MEX) \u00b7 Emir Kraji\u0161nik, \u0160vedska (S) 2003 Juan Narciso Quintanilla \u00c1lvarez, Kuba (C) \u00b7 Vladimir Makuc, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Georg Ahrens, Nem\u010dija (D)<\/p>\n

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2005<\/h3>\n

Gail Clair Morris, Velika Britanija (UK) \u00b7 Ljubo De Karina, Hrva\u0161ka (HR) \u00b7 Metod Frlic, Slovenija (SLO)<\/p>\n

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2007<\/h3>\n

Janez Lenassi, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Jozef Jankovi\u010d, Slova\u0161ka (SK) \u00b7 Karel-Heinz Deutsch, Nem\u010dija (D) \u00b7 Makoto Fujiwara, Japonska (J)<\/p>\n

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2009<\/h3>\n

Chris Peterson, Nizozemska (NL) \u00b7 Gorazd Poposki, Severna Makedonija (NMK) \u00b7 Peter Roller, Slova\u0161ka (SK) \u00b7 Li Zhao, Kitajska (CHN)<\/p>\n

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2011<\/h3>\n

Graziano Pompili, Italija (I) \u00b7 Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00f3n Villa Sober\u00f3n, Kuba (C) \u00b7 Donald Porcaro, ZDA (USA)<\/p>\n

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2013<\/h3>\n

Skulptura v naravnem in urbanem prostoru \/ Scultura nel parco e nello spazio urbano \/ Sculpture in Natural and Urban Settings (Konferenca \/ Conferenza \/ Conferences)<\/p>\n

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2015<\/h3>\n

Renzo Durante, Italija (I) \u00b7 Miha Pe\u010dar, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Marko Zelenko, Slovenija (SLO) 2017 Sa\u0161o Sazdovski, Severna Makedonija (NMK) \u00b7 Bo\u0161tjan Kav\u010di\u010d, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Sari \u00c7a\u011fda\u015f, Tur\u010dija (TR)<\/p>\n

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2019<\/h3>\n

Behnam Akharbin Moghanlou, Iran (IR) \u00b7 Laura Marcos, Argentina (RA) \u00b7 Arijel \u0160trukelj, Slovenija (SLO)<\/p>\n

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2021<\/h3>\n

Max M. Seibald, Austria (A) \u00b7 Alberto Scodro, Italija (I) \u00b7 Jure Markota, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 M\u00e1rio Lopes, Portugalska (P)<\/p>\n

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2023<\/h3>\n

I\u0161tvan I\u0161t Huzjan, Slovenija (SLO) \u00b7 Emma J\u00e4\u00e4skel\u00e4inen, Finska (FIN)<\/p>\n

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2025<\/h3>\n

Giorgio Andreotta Cal\u00f2, Italija (I).<\/p>\n

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