There are quite a few of us in Luxembourg who come from different parts of Goriška. This year we are happy to follow the rich and diverse cultural events in the name of the European Capital of Culture GO! 2025. Because we remain closely connected to our home towns, we actively participate in the Slovenian Society in Luxembourg – Slolux. For this year's National Day, we have therefore prepared a special event that was Goriška-themed.
The gala event, supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Brussels and the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad and Worldwide, took place on 26 June 2025 at the European House – Foyer européen in Luxembourg. The guest of honour at the event was Ambassador Barbara Sušnik. The evening was marked by art, music and networking.
The official part was followed by the opening of the group photography exhibition Ravnovesje, conceived by curator Nataša Kovšca, head of the Gong Gallery in Nova Gorica. The exhibition includes works by four artists from the border area between Slovenia and Italy – Annibel Cunoldi Attems, Danilo Jejčič, Andrej Perko and Carlo Vidoni – who express themselves through photography and spatial installations. The common thread in their works is the exploration of the fragile balance between nature and society and overcoming contemporary challenges, such as the depletion of natural resources, increasing technological alienation and global social and environmental crises.
The musical note of the evening was provided by a piano recital by Miran Devetak, an established pianist from Goriška who teaches at the Sarcelles Conservatory near Paris. The pianist delighted the large audience with a thoughtfully selected program and virtuoso performance. The stage featured works by Slovenian composers – Three Preludes by Lucijan Marija Škerjanc and Six Little Things by Mario Kogoj – as well as top composer achievements of European classical music: Petrarch's Sonnet No. 47 by Franz Liszt, his adaptation of Schubert's Sei mir gegrüsst, and Igor Stravinsky's Lullaby and Finale from The Firebird, arranged for piano by Guido Agosti.
The evening ended with a warm gathering that deepened the cultural connection and friendly contacts between Slovenians in Luxembourg and artists from Goriška.
