Nevena Aleksovski and Helena Tahir in conversation with Ilija Prokopiev

Join artists Nevena Aleksovski and Helena Tahir in conversation with curator and publisher Ilija Prokopiev on Wednesday, December 17, at 7 PM, as they explore their work and themes from the current exhibition “Dear Father”.

Trotoar Talks is a series of discussions with artists, curators, and their guests related to exhibitions from the Trotoar program. Recordings of previous talks are available for listening on our SoundCloud channel.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Nevena Aleksovski (Bor, Serbia, 1984) draws on personal experience in her work. The focal point of her artistic explorations is always rooted in the concept of migration, a phenomenon that has shaped human histories and societies. Her focus expands beyond migrant narratives to address the challenges faced by those labelled as “Others” in new environments, urging viewers to contemplate the human toll of exclusion and advocate for inclusivity. Aleksovski’s minimalist paintings and installations unravel the complexities of stereotypical views, prompting viewers to confront the implications of pervasive biases and fostering a dialogue towards a more inclusive global perspective.
She has showcased her work at numerous solo and group exhibitions, among others at ŠKUC (Slovenia); RAVNIKAR (Slovenia); the Britta Rettberg Gallery (Germany); the MGLC (Slovenia); Cukrarna (Slovenia); the P74 Gallery (Slovenia); PrivatePrint (Macedonia); NADA Villa Warsaw (Poland); as well as at various group exhibitions at galleries including the National Gallery of Macedonia, Skopje (Macedonia); the Zürich Salon, Zürich (Switzerland); DobraVaga, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Stiege 13, Vienna (Austria); and others. In 2022 she published the book Melancholy of the Abandoned Lands, in collaboration with PrivatePrint Publishing, which tells the migration history of her family during Yugoslavia and after its dissolution.
She earned her degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Novi Sad (Serbia) in 2008, and furthered her academic journey with a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) in 2014. She lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Helena Tahir (Jasenice, Slovenia, 1991) primarily works in the fields of printmaking and drawing. Her monumental, rich, and detail-saturated visual narratives require slow and rigorous reading. Thanks to her consistent and thorough exploration of the medium, each drawing presents her with a new technical challenge.
She has showcased her work at several solo and group exhibitions, including the International Graphic Centre in Ljubljana (Slovenia); ARCO Lisboa (Portugal); the Lamut Salon in Kostanjevica na Krki (Slovenia); the International Graphic Centre in Ljubljana; the Ravne Gallery of the KGLU; RAVNIKAR (Slovenia); the Britta Rettberg Gallery, Munich (Germany); and the Migration Museum, London (UK). She was honoured with the Young Artist Award at the International Exhibition of Graphic Art and Artists’ Books in Rijeka.
She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Printmaking and a Master’s degree in Painting. During her studies, she attended the Faculty of Fine Arts in Porto and the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig. In 2024, she entered the PhD program at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. She is an Assistant Professor in the Printmaking Department at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. Her works are part of various private and public collections, including the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the KGLU, Slovenia; the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC), Ljubljana, Slovenia; the Božidar Jakac Art Museum, Kostanjevica na Krki, Slovenia; the RAVNIKAR Collection; Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia; and the Modern Art Museum SLU, Niš, Serbia. Helena lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Ilija Prokopiev (b. 1985) is a curator and publisher based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Skopje, North Macedonia. His work is focused on non-institutional and collaborative art practices, the development of cultural infrastructures, and the promotion of underrepresented artists and cultural workers. Prokopiev is the co-founder of PrivatePrint, a publishing house and interdisciplinary curatorial studio dedicated to experimental and critical discourse in contemporary art.
In addition to his curatorial work through PrivatePrint, Prokopiev has organized several independent projects. In 2023/2024, he served as a guest curator at Ravnikar Gallery in Ljubljana, where he curated exhibitions featuring contemporary Slovenian artists. He also curated the international group exhibitions A Bright Past is Ahead of Us at ŠKUC Gallery in Ljubljana (2025) and Salt in the Wound, Gold in the Vault, which was held across various non-gallery venues in Koper, Slovenia (2025).
Prokopiev is the author of several publications, including Atlas of the Human Body After Aristotle (2015) and Unfinished Monograph: Jelena Risteska (2016). His contributions to the field have been recognized with the DENES (YVAA) Award in 2011 and the Ladislav Barišić (AICA) Award in 2024.