You are warmly invited to the premiere presentation of the artist'S book "Crows in Dead Olive Groves", created by artists Jatun Risba and Franco G. Livera. The event takes place as part of the 4th edition of Ljubljana Art Weekend and the ongoing exhibition SKRB: When Rivers Weep …. (curator: Jernej Čuček Gerbec)

The book emerges from the eponymous art project, which delves into the devastated landscape of Apulia, Italy, where olive groves were first struck by the Xylella fastidiosa bacteria after 2013, and later destroyed by wildfires. In this scarred environment appears the figure of the human-crow – a messenger of death, but also of transformation.

Crows often symbolize death and the passage into the spiritual realm. Yet death, in this context, is not only physical – it also represents transformation, transitions, endings, and new beginnings. The crows serve as a symbolic warning system, inviting reflection on climate change, ecological ethics, and care. At the same time, the book contemplates the role of art in cultivating sensitivity to the silent yet decisive changes occurring in our environment. One of the two published artist books will be available for purchase at the event.

Y Gallery | Ljubljana Art Weekend  Friday, 23 May 2025, at 4 pm.

Photo: Katarina Kolenc