Grand Prix Goes to Aljoša Potokar for Quo Vadis

Aljoša Potokar, a young painter from Ljubljana and a student at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, has won the Grand Prix at the 61st international Ex-tempore Piran. His painting, Quo Vadis, earned the €4,000 prize awarded by the Coastal Galleries of Piran.

The award has already prompted discussion, and perhaps some reservations, in artistic circles. But the international jury said it had no doubts about its decision. The panel comprised Mojca Grmek, curator at the House of Culture in Pivka, Rachele D'Osualdo, a producer of contemporary and visual arts from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Croatian painter Igor Eškinja.

The jury said Potokar deserved the Grand Prix "for his ability to question on multiple levels." The award places the young artist at the center of a festival that serves both emerging painters and experienced artists.

Ex-tempore Piran is presented as a major painting celebration, known for its large participation and its long tradition in the region. This year’s winning works were described as environmental studies, while Anja Kočar received the Young Artist Award for her painting Kopalčki.

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for his ability to question on multiple levels