Trough Of 700 Bronze Faces

Ljubljana is a small capital with a large number of artworks in its streets, and many of them are not in museums but built into the fabric of the old town: statues in squares, carved masks on facades, ornamental ironwork and pieces of modern sculpture set among medieval and Baroque buildings. The city has a long tradition of treating its public spaces as a gallery, helped greatly by the architect Jože Plečnik, whose work in the 1920s and 1930s gave the centre its unifying character, and by a stream of later sculptors who added their own pieces. The Trough of 700 Bronze Faces is one of the more unusual of these works, and it is described as an installation along a street in the old town in which a very large number of small bronze faces are set into a stone trough.

An artwork on this scale, a swarm of individual faces, works in a particular way. Each face is small, and the effect comes from the accumulation, so that a passer-by sees a crowd of expressions that range from calm to joyful to troubled. Faces are among the oldest subjects in art, and the idea of gathering hundreds of them into a single work invites you to look closely and to compare. Some visitors enjoy searching for a face they like or one that seems to resemble someone they know. Because the faces are in bronze, a durable material, they will weather over time, taking on a dark patina and being polished bright by the hands of passers-by. The artist's name and the exact number of faces are best checked locally if they matter to you.

The streets of Ljubljana's old town are named after the crafts and trades that once filled them, and the area has a tradition of metalworking and small workshops, so a work in bronze fits naturally into this setting. The old centre is compact, and the artwork is a short walk from the main squares and bridges. It makes a pleasant detour on a walk through the old town, particularly if you enjoy discovering small works of art rather than ticking off major monuments.

The piece is outdoors and free to view at any time, though it is better seen by day. Walk slowly, look closely and do not climb on the work.

Close by are many of the city's best-known sights. Ljubljana Castle looks down from its hill, the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation faces Prešeren Square, Dragon Bridge and the Butchers' Bridge cross the Ljubljanica, Ljubljana Cathedral and Ljubljana Central Market lie on the riverbank, Congress Square, Križanke, the City Museum of Ljubljana and Cukrarna offer culture, and the Free Walking Tour is a good way to learn more. The Abandoned Military Barracks (art Squat) and the Cemetery For Slovenian Notables show other sides of the city.

It suits art lovers and curious walkers. Allow ten minutes. Culturally, Ljubljana’s street art says much about Slovenia’s pride in craft. The street name Kovaška ulica refers to smiths, and Street names in the old town often recall trades.