aktivnost pretresla z vidika razvoja lokalne umetniške ideologije, umetniškega trga, institucij za razstavljanje in muzealizacijo sodobne umetnosti, širših kulturnopolitičnih in iz drugih zornih kotov – je lahko naloga obširnejše biografske študije, ki naj bi jo prinesla bližnja prihodnost. Namen tega besedila je bolj specifičen. Osredotočili se bomo na zgodnje obdobje Kržišnikovega delovanja, petdeseta in šestdeseta leta, pri čemer nas bo zanimalo predvsem njegovo mednarodno delovanje, usmerjeno v umeščanje slovenskih umetnikov v zahodni umetnostni prostor. Po kratkem uvodnem delu, v katerem bomo začrtali vzpostavljanje Kržišnikove pozicije na slovenskem in jugoslovanskem likovnem prizorišču, se bomo posvetili njegovemu vstopu v krog vodilnih mednarodnih strokovnjakov, kritikov, kustosov, galeristov. Na podlagi intervjujev in izjav bomo poskušali prikazati njegovo vizijo preboja slovenske umetnosti v tujino, ki je temeljila na pronicljivem vpogledu v mednarodni umetnostni sistem. Predstavili bomo konkretne razstave, tržno usmerjene projekte in druge dejavnosti iz petdesetih in šestdesetih let 20. stoletja, ki ponazarjajo Kržišnikovo sistematičnost pri realizaciji zastavljenih ciljev. —•— Zoran Kržišnik, rojen pred sto leti, se je po mladosti, preživeti v rojstni Žirovnici na Gorenjskem, odpravil v Ljubljano, kjer je obiskoval realko. Sprva bolj tehnično usmerjen mladenič, navdušen nad kemijo, je jeseni leta 1941 sledil svojemu dobremu prijatelju Marijanu Zadnikarju in vpisal študij
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» M e n edžer da sem? Sem.«
Kržišnik’s career, in the 1950s and 1960s, looking primarily at his international work, which was directed towards establishing Slovene artists in the Western art world. After a brief introduction, in which I sketch out the formation of Kržišnik’s position in the Slovene and Yugoslav art scene, I will describe how he became part of the circle of leading international art experts, critics, curators, and gallerists. On the basis of his interviews and other statements, I will try to show his vision for how Slovene art might penetrate the foreign art world – a vision that derived from his insightful understanding of the international art system. I will look at specific exhibitions, commercially oriented projects, and other activities from the 1950s and 1960s which illustrate Kržišnik’s systematic approach to realizing the goals he set for himself. —•— Born a century ago, Zoran Kržišnik, after spending his early years in his native Žirovnica, in the Gorenjska region, went to Ljubljana to attend the polytechnic secondary school (the Realka). In the autumn of 1941, the young man, although initially focused more on technical subjects (he was particularly interested in chemistry), followed his good friend Marijan Zadnikar to university and enrolled in art history.03 He attended classes conducted by France Stelè, Franc Mesesnel, and Vojeslav Molè, but his studies were soon interrupted by his arrest and internment by the Italian Fascist occupying forces. Life revived after liberation, for him as well. As he himself said, he “seized with both hands” any opportunity he was offered.04 Even in school, Kržišnik had loved to sing; he was particularly fond of the French and Italian songs that were then very popular. At the invitation of Bojan Adamič, who right after the war was trying to introduce jazz and popular music to Slovenia, Kržišnik launched his singing career on Radio
03 Marijan Zadnikar, Z mojih poti: spomini slovenskega umetnostnega zgodovinarja in konservatorja, DZS, Ljubljana, 1991. 04 Peter Breščak, “Potret tedna. Zoran Kržišnik”, Delo, Sobotna priloga, 2 June 1973, p. 17.