BIEN 2025: AIR
BIEN is the textile art biennial that enlivens various locations across Slovenia, offering an international overview of contemporary textile art. The project comprises a widespread exhibition and a comprehensive program of community activities and knowledge exchange, highlighting the transformative potential of textile practices for individual well-being and social impact.
The 2025 edition, taking place from May 31 to August 14, is dedicated to the central theme of “air” and will involve the cities of Kranj, Škofja Loka, Idrija, Nova Gorica, Gorizia, Tržič, and Jesenice. Recognized as Slovenia’s foremost event dedicated to contemporary textile creativity, BIEN 2025 is part of the official program of GO! 2025 – European Capital of Culture.
Across more than 25 venues dedicated to contemporary textile art, BIEN 2025 will host 80 collectives, artists, artisans, and researchers from Slovenia and abroad, along with over 200 students of textile art and design. The main venue is the Layer House in Kranj, complemented by a network of exhibition spaces including Palazzo Lantieri in Gorizia, the Ravnikar Rotunda at the Nova Gorica Theatre, the Jesenice Market, the renovated mercury mining and smelting facilities in Idrija, the chapel of Škofja Loka Castle, and the Crobath Family House, serving as a welcoming point at the entrance to Kranj’s historic center.
The artistic program is curated by Lovro Ivančić.
Among the invited artists are Eta Sadar Breznik, a Slovenian artist and recipient of the Prešeren Fund Award; John K. Raustein, who creates monumental textile installations imbued with the power of color; Marielle MacLeman, who transforms discarded and compressed fabrics into extraordinary textile and visual installations; Jakup Ferri, who represented the Kosovo Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale with playful textile drawings; Ellen Dynebrink, who integrates digital distortions into her patchworks; and Signe Emdal, who conveys the instinct of self-preservation through her soft sculptures.
Four artists from Škofja Loka, the collective Kreativnice – Nina Vastl Štefe, Lili Panjtar, Anja Musek, and Silva Horvat – are preparing an installation for the mining facilities in Idrija. Also in Idrija, the Dutch collective IPIHAN will present site-specific exhibitions in abandoned buildings, drawing on the history and context of the chosen spaces.
Additionally, participating artists include Marielle MacLeman, Ellen Dynebrink, Patrícia Geraldes, Savneet Talwar, Jasmina Pacek, Signe Emdal, Vera Sešlar Založnik, Jana Zornik, IPIHAN & Maruša Štibelj, Rino Banko, Nika Batista, Mateja Kavčič & Vita Ivičič, Oloop, No-Border Craft, Breja Preja, Oljana Karpus, Brinas Studio, Matija Samec, Ajda Tomazin & Rok Kravanja, Katarina Ekart, Lavoslava Benčić & Žiga Pavlovič, Marija Jenko, Maruša Kranjc, Mateja Golež, Elena Fajt & Alenka More, Helena Tahir, Klara Debeljak, Alexander Sebastianus Hartanto, Amy Lewis, Andrea Kaňkovská & Lucia Horňáková Černayová, Anneke Klein, Barber and Adkins, Bilyana Tokmakchieva, Boris Beja, Claudia Coll, Dieke Venema, Dimitra Stavropoulou, Ela Leko, Eli Herlaug Eines, Estefania Tarud, Gondwana Art Project, Helle Rude Trolle, Izabela Walczak, Jana Visser, Jolanda Linssen, Karl Logge & Marta Romani, Katarina Rus, Kristi Komel, Leonie Burkhardt, Liz Pitta Paredes, Lou Belbeze, Magdalena Kleszynska, Mateja Kavčič, Michael Gah, Mingyes, Moa Bleyner Cederberg, Olga Klimovitskaia, Olga Ulmann, Olivia Géraud, Petra Šabić, Ruta Naujalyte, Sam J Gardner, Sunna Kangas, Theresa Hattinger, Ying-ting Chen, Zixiang Zhang, Žiga Brezovnik, Pamela Whitaker, Maša Pirc & Katja Špiler.
Finally, children from kindergartens and elderly residents from care homes in Škofja Loka, Jesenice, and Kranj will also participate.
Exhibition Openings:
- Kranj: Saturday, May 31, 2025 @ Layer House, Tomšičeva 32, Kranj
- Jesenice: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 @ Stara Sava Jesenice and Dolik Exhibition Hall, Cesta maršala Tita 12, Jesenice
- Idrija: Saturday, June 7, 2025 @ Jožef Shaft – Pr’ Kajzer and Hg Smelting Plant, Idrija
- Škofja Loka: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 @ Loški Museum, Škofja Loka
- Nova Gorica: Friday, June 20, 2025 @ MONG Atrium and SNG Rotunda, Trg Edvarda Kardelja, GONG Gallery, Bevkov trg, Nova Gorica
- Gorizia: Saturday, June 21, 2025 @ Palazzo Lantieri, Piazza Sant’Antonio 6, Gorizia
- Tržič: Summer Museum Night 2025, Saturday, June 21, 2025 @ Tržič Museum – Gašper’s Attic
On Friday, June 20, the biennial invites attendees to experience a textile journey aboard the train from Jesenice to Nova Gorica, where passengers will engage in a textile creation program during the trip.
More information on the full biennial program is available at: https://layer.si/bien/en/program/
Textiles Towards Resilience
The international program for knowledge and experience sharing, WellBIEN, curated by textile artist and art therapist Jasmina Ferček of the Oloop collective, offers a comprehensive schedule of workshops, meetings, conferences, and reflective sessions addressing ethical questions and dilemmas at the intersection of art and health.
The initiative will commence on May 24 at Domačija pr’ Lenart na Belem, with a roundtable titled “Textiles in Resistance” taking place on June 1 at the Škrlovec Tower in Kranj, focusing on the political and social potential of textile practices.
The program includes lectures by internationally renowned art therapists and scholars who will explore textiles as tools for reflection, care, and empowerment. Savneet Talwar, Jasmina Pacek, and Pamela Whitaker will highlight creative practices such as sewing, embroidery, and patchwork, emphasizing their capacity to generate visual narratives that bridge art, therapy, and social activism.
From June 2 to 4, Kranj will host an experiential training across various venues, aimed at enhancing personal and professional skills related to the use of art in caregiving contexts. The intensive three-day program, titled “reTHREAD: Self-Care and Community through Textiles and Nature,” will invite participants to explore themselves, reflect, engage creatively, and express themselves, fostering both individual and collective empowerment.
WellBIEN is part of the Culture for Mental Health project, co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.
About BIEN
BIEN is both an artistic event and an exhibition. It aims to bring contemporary textile art and the benefits of textile work closer to diverse target groups. It is founded on three pillars: heritage, sustainability, and social impact. BIEN is an initiative of Zavod Carnica in Kranj, which manages the Layer House cultural center, organizes cultural and artistic events, and contributes to creating an environment where art has the power to inspire social change.
BIEN is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the public institute GO! 2025 – European Capital of Culture, Nova Gorica, the Municipality of Jesenice, and the Municipality of Kranj. BIEN is part of the Culture for Mental Health program, funded by the Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of Slovenia. BIEN is supported by the Embassy of Sweden, the Embassy of Kosovo, Culture Ireland, the European Union, the Learning Labs program, the Creative FLIP project, and the European Fund for Emerging Artists’ Festivals – co-financed by the EU.
The project collaborates with academic partners: the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the University of Ljubljana, Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts and Design; the Faculty of Design – an independent higher education institution; the Academy of Arts at the University of Nova Gorica; the Department of Art Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana; and the Department of Landscape Architecture, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana.
Contact: bien@layer.si
