Trbovlje in the Lens: Photographer Captures Mining Town's Spirit

A new exhibition and photo book in Trbovlje delve into the soul of the Zasavje mining region through the lens of photographer Jože Suhadolnik. Titled "Trbovlje in the Lens: Comradeship Below and Above Ground," the project is a culmination of Suhadolnik's twenty-year engagement with the town.

Suhadolnik, a former photographer for Delo, intentionally focused his lens on the mining colony, a still-recognizable area of Trbovlje that once housed miners. He described the social conditions there as difficult. The exhibition aims to capture the spirit of Trbovlje and the wider Zasavje region, which includes the towns of Zagorje and Hrastnik, all interconnected by their underground mining networks.

The project seeks to convey the essence of the city and its inhabitants, rather than detailing every aspect of life. Suhadolnik's work revisits the town over two decades, with plans to extend the exhibition to the Delavski dom, a cultural center in Trbovlje. The exhibition is presented at Galerija Fotografija.

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More than showing all the details of life in Trbovlje, of the people of Trbovlje, I wanted to show or capture the spirit of the city. The entire Zasavje region, connected by Zagorje, Trbovlje, and Hrastnik, is captured in this in its own way.