Turistica Opens the Exhibition Imagining the Karst Through Images and Words

Turistica Opens the Exhibition Imagining the Karst Through Images and Words

On Friday, 16 October 2026, Turistica hosted the opening of the photographic and literary exhibition Imagining the Karst Through Images and Words in its lobby in Portorož. Through photographs by Rafael Marn and poetry by *Srečko Kosovel, the exhibition invites visitors to discover the Karst landscape, its heritage, and the poet's inner world. The exhibition was organised by the Department of Cultural Tourism at UP FTŠ Turistica as part of the Year of Srečko Kosovel.

The exhibition opening brought together photography, poetry, and the cultural heritage of the Karst region. Initiated by the Department of Cultural Tourism, the exhibition presents a unique dialogue between Kosovel's verses and photographic images of the Karst landscape, creating space for reflection on the relationship between art, place, and people.

The central theme of the exhibition is Kosovel's "little coat of words", which conceals a "warm, bright world" – as a wish, a vision, a destiny, a path, and a stone. The photographs and the poet's words offer visitors space for their own interpretations, encouraging them to create their own unique coat from images of the Karst and poetry, one that is "like no other".

During the Year of Kosovel, the Department of Cultural Tourism has also focused on the poet's rich literary legacy and the Karst landscape that profoundly influenced his work. One of the department's field visits took the form of a literary walk from Sežana to Tomaj, combining a guided tour with readings of Kosovel's poetry. This experience inspired the idea for the exhibition, which, at the beginning of the new academic year, brings together the poet's verses and photographic images of the Karst. It also reflects the department's mission in researching, teaching, and presenting cultural heritage.

Above all, the exhibition is a tribute to the poet, his literary work, and the landscape from which he drew inspiration. It presents a dialogue between images and words in the process of constructing an imaginary – a concept that is also central to understanding travel and tourism. Visitors are invited to engage actively with the exhibition, reflect on the contemporary relevance of Kosovel's work, and explore their own interpretations. Students, in particular, are encouraged to investigate the connections between creativity, photography and literature, walking and observation.

About the Photographer

Photographer Rafael Marn (1968–2016) combined documentary precision with an exceptional sensitivity to people, places, and moments throughout his extensive body of work. He began his professional photography career in 1992 and did not limit himself to any particular photographic genre. The Karst region held a special place in his work. Through his camera lens, he explored its landscapes, architecture, people, and heritage, capturing the details and stories embedded in the region with great sensitivity. His photographs were published in numerous publications, including the monograph Sežana – Sonce nad prestolnico Krasa (Sežana – The Sun Above the Capital of the Karst). In the exhibition Imagining the Karst Through Images and Words, his photographs enter into dialogue with the poetry of Srečko Kosovel, together revealing the Karst as a place of natural beauty, memory, emotion, and creative inspiration.

The exhibition Imagining the Karst Through Images and Words will be on display in the lobby of Turistica (Obala 11a, Portorož) until the end of 2026.

You are warmly invited to visit!

* Srečko Kosovel (1904–1926) was one of Slovenia's most prominent modernist poets, whose work was deeply inspired by the Karst region. The Slovenian Government has officially declared 2026 the Year of Srečko Kosovel to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death and honour his lasting contribution to Slovenian literature and cultural heritage.