14 January 2026
As winter settled over Ljubljana, something extraordinary was blooming inside the walls of the Liszt Institute – Cultural Center of the Hungarian Embassy. From 5 December 2025 to 15 January 2026, the Slovenian Publishing House brought together artists from across five countries for the international exhibition "Boundless Imagination" — a title that proved, in every sense, to be a promise fulfilled. For six remarkable weeks, the exhibition stood as vivid proof that creative vision knows no borders, and that the ability to paint with the mouth or foot is no limitation on the scope of imagination, only a different path to reach it.
A Gathering of International Talent
What made "Boundless Imagination" so special was not only the quality of the art on display, but the sheer breadth of the artistic community it brought together. Painters from Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina all contributed original works, turning the exhibition into a true celebration of international collaboration and shared artistic purpose.
The participating artists included:
Slovenia
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Vojko Gašperut (Full Member)
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Željko Vertelj (Associate Member)
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Dragica Sušanj (Scholarship Holder)
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Eric Pibernik (Scholarship Holder)
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Dominik Lozar (Scholarship Holder)
Croatia
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Stjepan Perković (Associate Member)
Hungary
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Ferenc Deák (Associate Member)
Serbia
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Dejana Nežić (Scholarship Holder)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Mladen Sekulić (Scholarship Holder)
Together, these ten artists represented a rich cross-section of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists community in the region — full members and associate members working alongside scholarship holders, each bringing their own distinct voice, technique, and artistic history to the shared exhibition space.
Landscapes Without Borders
In their works, the artists creatively explored a shared visual vocabulary rooted in the geography and spirit of Central Europe: the cities of Hungary and Slovenia, sweeping natural landscapes, the timeless presence of the sea, and the shimmering waters of Lake Balaton. These themes gave the exhibition a sense of cohesion even amid its stylistic diversity — as though the artists, though separated by nationality and language, were united by a common love for the places they called home and the landscapes that inspired them.
Visitors moving through the gallery encountered a total of 48 paintings, each one a distinct interpretation of these shared themes, rendered through the individual technique and personal style of its creator. The result was an exhibition that felt both intimate and expansive at once — intimate in its focus on familiar, beloved places, and expansive in the sheer range of artistic voices brought to bear on them.
A Ceremonial Opening
The exhibition was officially opened by His Excellency Dávid Ferenc Andor, the Hungarian Ambassador to Slovenia, whose presence underscored the diplomatic and cultural significance of the event. As part of the opening ceremony, the Ambassador was presented with a very special token of appreciation: the painting "The Beautiful Ljubljana" by artist Željko Vertelj — a fitting gift that captured, quite literally, the spirit of the city hosting this remarkable exhibition, and one that will now carry a piece of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists' legacy into the halls of Hungarian diplomacy.
The gesture spoke volumes about the deeper purpose of exhibitions like this one: not simply to display art, but to build bridges — between countries, between institutions, and between the artists and the wider public who so often leave these spaces with a transformed understanding of what art, and artists, can achieve.
A Night to Remember
The opening evening drew an impressive crowd of around 120 guests, who filled the halls of the Liszt Institute to experience the exhibition firsthand. Visitors were visibly impressed by the high artistic quality and international diversity on display, moving from painting to painting with evident admiration for both the technical skill and emotional depth of the works before them.
For many attendees, the evening offered more than an opportunity to appreciate beautiful paintings of familiar landscapes — it offered a chance to reflect on the extraordinary dedication and resilience behind each brushstroke. Every painting in "Boundless Imagination" was created by an artist painting with their mouth or foot, a fact that added profound depth to the experience of viewing the collection. What might, at first glance, appear to be simply a well-curated regional art exhibition revealed itself, on closer engagement, to be a testament to human determination and the boundless creative spirit that gives the exhibition its name.
A Fitting Close to a Remarkable Season
Running for six weeks through the heart of winter and into the new year, "Boundless Imagination" gave the people of Ljubljana — and visitors to the Hungarian Embassy's cultural center — an extended opportunity to engage with the exhibition at their own pace, returning if they wished to revisit favourite pieces or discover new details in familiar scenes.
As the exhibition drew to its close on 15 January 2026, it left behind more than empty gallery walls. It left a renewed appreciation, among all who attended, for the way art can transcend physical limitations, national boundaries, and language alike — connecting Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina through a shared celebration of landscape, imagination, and the enduring power of creative expression.
"Boundless Imagination" was, in every respect, true to its name — a vivid reminder that the only limits on artistic vision are the ones we choose not to see past, and that the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists community continues to prove, exhibition after exhibition, that imagination truly knows no bounds.
Source: VDMFK News