Mednarodni graficni likovni center (International Centre of Graphic Arts), Ljubljana

The International Centre of Graphic Arts (Mednarodni grafični likovni center, MGLC) is a museum devoted to printmaking, artist books, and contemporary visual art. Established in 1986, it organises the Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, founded in 1955 and considered the world’s oldest continuously operating biennial dedicated to contemporary graphic art. During the Cold War, the exhibition provided a rare meeting place for artists from the Eastern and Western blocs, while also presenting work from non-aligned countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The centre occupies Tivoli Mansion, a historic residence once used by Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky, the military commander associated with Johann Strauss I’s Radetzky March. Four cast-iron dogs attributed to sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn guard the entrance steps. The animals have no tongues, inspiring a false local legend that Fernkorn took his own life after discovering the mistake.

Exhibitions include prints, drawings, posters, photographs, and artist publications by Slovenian and international creators. The Biennale also helped establish the Ljubljana Graphic School, known for precise printing techniques, colour linocuts, and experimental etching. MGLC remains an active production centre, with workshops and studios where visiting artists work with screen printing, lithography, intaglio techniques, traditional presses, and other graphic processes.