© Boris Pretnar
© Boris Pretnar
© Boris Pretnar
© Boris Pretnar
Pr’ Mrako – homestead and gallery Slavko Oblak
The gallery space offers a place to rest, explore, admire, and, when needed, spend a moment in quiet reflection.
© Boris Pretnar
© Boris Pretnar
© Boris Pretnar
© Boris Pretnar
The gallery space offers a place to rest, explore, admire, and, when needed, spend a moment in quiet reflection.
The Pr' Mrako homestead is the last surviving part of a traditional farmstead in Rečica near Bled, dating back to the 17th century. Its layout reflects the characteristic composition of a traditional Alpine homestead in the Gorenjska region, where the residential and agricultural functions were typically housed in separate buildings. The farmhouse formed the centre of family life, while the barn served the practical needs of the farm, providing space for livestock, hay and crop storage, and farm tools. Today, the former barn has been repurposed as the gallery of sculptor Slavko Oblak, creating a unique space which combines rural architectural heritage and contemporary cultural use.
At the heart of the gallery is the work of Slavko Oblak, which takes visitors into a world of material, process, and form. The sculptor’s deep connection to nature, his home town, and life on the farm throughout the seasons is reflected in the works on display. The traditional gallery presentation is enriched by projections, interpretive displays, and a documentary, extending the interpretation through contemporary multimedia elements. Here, sculpture is not merely a static object but an experiential medium that can be perceived visually, spatially, and through touch. Slavko Oblak’s oeuvre is rich and enduring, a testament to the artist’s lifelong search for what is essential – a balance between humanity, nature, and form.
From the barn, visitors enter the garden, where the exhibition unfolds beyond the walls as an open-air gallery and outdoor learning space. Sculptures, carefully placed within the natural environment, engage in a dialogue with vegetation, light, wildlife, the changing seasons, and the spirit of the homestead. Subtle sounds, sound interventions, and atmospheric elements accompany the works, not merely as a backdrop but as active participants in shaping a living, breathing landscape.
The garden is a place where art, nature, and heritage come together like threads that weave the cultural legacy of the homestead and the surrounding landscape, inviting visitors to engage with the space in a slower, more sensory way. The artworks are not separate from nature; they coexist with it, changing with the wind, light, shadows, and sounds of their surroundings.
The visitor experiences the homestead, sculptures and nature as an interconnected whole – a place of memory, creativity, and quiet contemplation that lives and grows in harmony with its surroundings.
© Boris Pretnar
The gallery housed in the former barn offers visitors an insight into the rich artistic legacy of sculptor Slavko Oblak. In Bled, he is best known for the Slavko Oblak Sculpture Walk, a group of sculptures installed at several of the town’s most prominent locations. Slavko Oblak was born at the farm Pri Klemenovih in Rečica on 25 May 1934. A lively and inquisitive boy, he followed in his father’s footsteps and trained as a carpenter. After completing his military service, he moved abroad to pursue further studies. Having successfully passed the entrance examinations, he studied sculpture under Prof. Heinrich Kirchner and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Bronze soon became his preferred artistic medium. After completing his studies, he became a master student of Prof. Kirchner and later worked as an assistant to Prof. Toni Stadler from 1963 to 1966.
