Gorenje in Slovenian Ethnographic Museum

Dr. Jože Hudales, professor and ethnologist, mentor of students, has explained that students’ intention of an exhibition is to show the effort of ethnologists and anthropologists for the preservation of consciousness about living in old times and today, and in foretelling of the future living. This contrast is symbolically presented in the installation of a central residential place of past time - smoke fireside, and contemporary designed kitchen appliances from Gorenje Pininfarina Collection. Over the way of a smoke fireside, reconstructed from the Kavčnik home, are placed a kitchen range and a fridge-freezer from Gorenje Pininfarina Collection, which altogether represent a residential contrast of yesterday: today. Dr. Jože Hudales has explained that Gorenje is a company which was in the past the biggest Yugoslavian factory, and is today by its success, innovations and design ranged in a sole world top. “Gorenje has already in its early beginnings endeavoured for a development of authorial knowledge. They have recognised the importance of a complete image of a company and a product development in their own development laboratories, meanwhile most of companies has only copied products. Beside knowledge and innovations Gorenje also makes me enthusiastic for its industrial design. Work of Ciril Cesar, designer pioneer in Gorenje, is a top-most example of Slovenian industrial design,” explained dr. Hudales. In contemporary time Gorenje successfully follows its tradition of excellent design, which is also confirmed in cooperation with designers such as French Ora-Ïto and Italian Paolo Pininfarina, author of the Gorenje Pininfarina Collection, presented in Slovenian Ethnographic Museum.

First museum exhibition, dedicated to the development and achievements of Slovenian ethnology and anthropology, have students prepared in the frame of the events of 10th conference EASA. They presented their views on some forerunners of Slovenian ethnological and anthropological ideas until the end of the 19th century.

Conference EASA, in the frame of which courses the exhibition, represents important movement in the theory of recognizing diversity in Slovenian and wider industrial space. Dr. Jože Hudales: “It is inevitable necessary that the knowledge of anthropologists and ethnologists is transmitted into industry. Gorenje is one of the first Slovenian and world companies, which is aware of importance of such cooperation.”