(1981)
Manca Juvan is a freelance photographer, who along with a BA in Photography has more than two decades of working experience throughout the field and around the world.
She established herself in the field of reportage and documentary photography, in recent years she has developed a special interest in mixed media formats and various audio-visual approaches, with a special passion for books and film as forms.
In collaboration with Oto Luthar and The Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), she’s prepared a photographic monograph that explores the different aspects of freedom of life in a metropolis – Istanbul, Faces of Freedom, published in May 2023.
Manca’s been selected as one of the the participants of the EsoDoc 2023 – European social documentary workshop with her project The Sacrificed Valley, which received the EsoDoc 2023 Movies that Matter award.
In collaboration with Zavod APIS, she’s organized and curated the charity exhibition In Ukraine/From Ukraine (ZRC Atrium) in 2022, which supported Ukrainian artists who fled to Slovenia because of the war and collected donor funds for humanitarian aid in Ukraine. At the same year, her documentary film Glas ljudstva (Voice of the People) premiered in the ZRC Atrium, in 2021 she exhibited in the Galerija Fotografija with the Back to Eden project.
In 2021, her film ALI was presented at the DOKUDOC documentary film festival, and the short film MINT, created in collaboration with the APIS Institute, at the Migrant Film Festival. In the same year she exhibited at the Gallusovo nabrežje embankment in Ljubljana and in the Belgrade Padobrod Gallery with the project Applied Nostalgia. In 2019, she was the concept lead and one of the authors in the art book project about the most multicultural street in Ljubljana, Trubarjeva.
Her short film and photography project Solidarity, not Charity was screened and shown at Angkor Photo Festival in Cambodia, The Bronx Documentary Center in New York, Objectifs Center for Photography and Film in Singapore, as well as the Light House Media Centre at Reclaim Photography Festival in the UK.
Juvan’s recent long term-photo photography book project Guardians of the Spoon, which focuses on preserving memory of Italian Fascist Concentration Camps, won the Award on 32. Slovenian bookfair (2016) for best design among monographic and bibliophilic books and was a winner of 2017 International PhotoBook Award in Los Angeles. In 2016 she was invited to New York to present this photographic project at the “Photography and Human Rights” Conference.
Manca’s other long-term project “Afghanistan: Unordinary Lives” documents the consequences of the Afghanistan War through the stories of ordinary Afghans. Since it was published as a book in 2010 (an English edition followed in 2012) it was widely exhibited around the world, usually accompanied by thematic discussions.
Among other recognitions (she was a participant in the Eddie Adams Barnstorm workshop, a nominee for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass, Foam Paul Huf Award and Keith Harring Scholarship), Juvan was selected Photographer of the Year in Slovenia for her reportage work in 2006, 2007 and 2008. She’s been twice commended – in 2005 and 2006 – for her work on Afghanistan by the Slovenian Association of Journalists and she received two main prizes in the „Lens on Development” photo contest.
Her work was exhibited in Slovene Museum of Modern Art as well as on festivals and different exhibition venues in Luxembourg, New York, Washington, Brussels, Paris, Tehran and elsewhere. Her photographs have appeared among others in The Times, National Geographic, The Guardian, The New York Times and Marie Claire.
She’s been a member of the international photography collective Sputnik Photos, and is a regular collaborator with The Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) and socially engaged APIS Institute. She was a Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Program Fellow in 2011 and a Magnum Foundation grantee and contributor to What Works projects in 2012 and 2016.
She works as a mentor on photo documentary workshops, college and university photography programs.
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Solo exhibitions:
2024 – Istanbul, Faces of freedom, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2021 – Istanbul, Faces of freedom, Atrij ZRC, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Kranj Photo Festival, Layer house, Slovenia
2021 – Back to Eden, Galerija Fotografija, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2019 – Faces of Trubarjeva, Street intervention, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2019 – Last Witnesses, Gallery Principij, Reka, Croatia
2017 – Guardians of the Spoon, Galerija Fotografija, Slovenia
2016 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Whistler Arts Council, Canada
2015 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, Canada
2015 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Motlow College, Tennessee, USA
2014 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Pellissippi State Community College, Tennessee, USA
2014 – The Last Witnesses – remembering fascist camps, Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, Germany
2014 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Emporium Center, Knoxwille, Tennessee, USA
2014 – Afganistan: neobičajna življenja, Dyersburg Campus and Gibson County Center, Tennessee, ZDA
2013 – The Last Witnesses – remembering fascist camps, National Museum of Contemporary History (Ljubljana); Loza Gallery (Koper), The National Assembly, Slovenia
2012 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Gallery MC, New York, USA
2012 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Federal Parliament of Belgium, Brussels
2012 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol, USA
2012 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives part of “An Autre Regard”, CCRN Abbaye de Neumunster, Luxembourg
2012 – 2012 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Gallery of Slovenian Embassy in Washington, USA
2011 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Gallery Stolp, Koroska Gallery of Fine Arts, Castle Dobrovo and gallery of Prezihov Voranc Library, Slovenia
2011- Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Photomed festival, France
2010 – Afghanistan, Unordinary Lives, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2010 – People from the Margin, VIVISECTfest – festival on Human Rights, Kikinda, Mostar, Nis, Zajecar , Leskovac, Vranje – Serbia
2010 – Slovenes in NY, Ministry of Culture, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008 – Afghanistan, Konzorcij, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008 – Afghan women, Zagorje, Slovenia
2008 – Afghanistan (un)Seen, Iranian Arts Organization, Tehran, Iran
2008 – Afghanistan (un)Seen, Melal Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran
2005 – Hidden war wounds (Afghanistan), National house/Narodni dom, Novo Mesto, Slovenia
2005 – Hidden war wounds (Afghanistan), gUF, Maribor, Slovenia
2004 – In vain? Afghanistan 2003, Mala galerija Cankarjevega doma, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2003 – Prisoners of Time, exhibition as part of the Trn Festival, KUD France Preseren, Ljubljana,
Slovenia
2002 – Pakistan’s Image (exhibition and multi-media screening above river Ljubljanica), Ljubljana
city centre, Slovenia
Group exhibitions:
2022 – Varuhinje rek (Guardians of the rivers), park Pečno/Kanal ob Soči; park ob Savi/Litija; Škocjanski zatok/Koper; grad Grad/Krajinski park Goričko; Galerija stolpa Škrlovac/kranj; Pavlovičeva galerija/IlirskaBistrica; Delavski dom Zagorje ob Savi/Zagorje ob Savi2021 – Applied Nostalgia / Manca Juvan in Nemanja Pančić/, Galusovo nabrežje, Slovenia; Gallery Padobrod, Belgrade, Serbia
2021 – On the other side. Slovenian photoreportage. Galerija Jakopič, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2018 – Family of No Man, Arles, France
2018 – Photobook and Photozine, Dobra vaga, Ljubljana; Celje Fokus, Slovenia, Gallery Spot, Croatia (2019);
2018 – What Works / Solidarity, not Charity, Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, Singapore
2018 – Skozi njene oči (Through Her Eyes), Maribor, Slovenia
2018 – Migracije / Migrations, Appolonijeva Palača, Piran, Slovenia
2017 – Afganistan: Unordinary Lives part of larger exhibition Afghanistan – Slovene Views, Slovenian Etnographic Museum
2017 – MUSE Project, Women Photograph Installation/projection during Toronto’s CONTACT Festival, Canada
2017 – What Works Project / Solidarity, Not Charity, Angkor Photo Festival, Cambodia
2017 – What Works Project/ Solidarity, Not Charity, The Bronx Documentary Center, New York, USA
2017 – Solidarity, Not Charity, Light House Media Centre at Reclaim Photography Festival, UK
2017 – Migrations, The National Assembly, Slovenia
2016 – Let’s go Onwards! Slovenian Photography 1990-2015, City Art Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2015/15 – Design (Dis)Ability, Museum for Arhitecture and Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2015/16 – MIGRACIJE/MIGRATIONS, Ethnographic Museum Ljubljana, Slovenia; Gallery of Prezihov Voranc Library, Slovenia
2016 – STAND BY, Month of Photography in Minsk, Belarus
2015 – Examples of Laughter in Art, City Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2014 – MIGRACIJE/MIGRATIONS, Photo Museum Maribor; Spanski borci – center for Culture in Moste, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2014 – PSOPLAAINND. Mapping the Blind Spots – Photoespana 2014
2014 – SPUTNIK , FOTODOK, Utrecht, Netherlands
2013 – STAND BY, Leica Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
2011 – The World As It Is, Miklova Hisa Gallery, Ribnica, Slovenia
2010 – Slovene Photography of the Year, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2009 – Iran 1909 – 2009, Exploring the past and a bid to understand the present: the history of Iran, Screening at Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
2009 – At the border, Transphotographiques, Lille, France
2008 – Documentary photography, Arts Forum Center, Tehran, Iran
2008 – “Venezuela – Socialism Of 21st Century?”, LUMIX festival for young photojournalism, Hannover, Germany
2008 – At the border, Warsaw University Library; Willa Decius; Synteza Gallery; Poland
2008 – At the border, Face to Face Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2008 – Covering the Real, Maison d’ Europe d’ Orient, Paris and La Chaufferie gallery Strasbourg, France
2007 – ”Festival Of The Photograph”, “The Human Condition” slideshow, Charlottesville, USA
2007 – Peace and Existence of the Family of Man, initiated by “WCCP – World Council of Professional Photographers), Belgrade, Serbia
2007 – At the Border, OSCE Conference, Warsaw, Poland
2007 – At the Border, House of Photography, Slovakia
2006 – Slovene Photography of the Year, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2006 – 100 Images of Europe, European Commission, Paris, France
2005 – Slovene Photography of the Year, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2005 – Živeti/2Live, International Photographic Exhibition, Gallery of Fine Arts Koroška,
Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia
2004 – 47 Slovene photographers, Fotografija Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2004 – International Human Rights, conference OSCE, Warsaw, Poland
2003 – Salon of Contemporary Slovene Photography, Gospodarsko razstavišče, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Books:
2023 – Istanbul, Faces of freedom, ZRC Publishing, Slovenia
2019 – TRUBARJEVA, Expressions of A Street in Transition /concept, portrait photography, translation/group/, APIS Institute, Slovenia
2016 – Guardians of the Spoon /solo/, ZRC Publishing, Slovenia
2012 – STAND BY /group/, Sputnik Photos, Poland
2010, 2012 – Afghanistan: Unordinary Lives (Afganistan: neobičajna življenja) /solo/, Sanje publishers, Slovenia
2006 – At the border /group/, Sputnik Photos, Poland
Other:
2023 – Premiere of the documentary “Complicating the Narrative” at TJ Boulting, London, UK
2022 – Curating the charity sales exhibition In Ukraine / Out of Ukraine, Atrium ZRC, Slovenia
2022 – Premiere of the documentary film about civil initiative Glas ljudstva, Atrij ZRC, Slovenia
2021 – Short film MINT, Festival of Migrant Film, Slovenia
2021 – Short film ALI on the projection of the selection of DOKUDOC international festival’s short documentaries in Museum of Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
2019 – Curator of One Day in the Mediterranean exhibition, (Cyprus)
2019 – Short film “ALI” screened as part of 10. Festival of Migrant Film and on the program of international documentary film festival DOKUDOC (SLO)
2019 – Mentor at the project Multivizija : Multimedia, Theatre and Dance Training for Vulnerable Groups (APIS INSTITUTE)
2017 – Finished Pedagogical Studies (PAI), University of Ljubljana
2017 – Guardians of the Spoon book winner at 2017 International PhotoBook Awards in Los Angeles (USA)
2017 – Finished studies in Pedagogy and Andragogy with professional examination
2016 – Magnum Foundation stipend for What Works project
2017 – Curator of One Day in the Mediterranean exhibition, Ljubljana Congress Square (SLO)
2017 – Juror at Photo Marathon / FRAME LIFE photography event
2016 – Magnum Foundation grantee and contributor to What Works project (USA)
2016 – Presenting Guardians of the Spoon at New York Colloquium: “Photography and Human Rights” (USA)
2016 – Guardians of the Spoon book winner at 32. Slovenian Book Fair
2016,2017 – Nomination Keith Haring Fellowship (USA)
2016 – Nomination Foam Paul Huf Award (NL)
2015/16/17/18/19 – Teaching photography at High School for Design and Photography/ SŠOF, (SLO)
2017 – The narratives of survivors: Italian concentration camps, “Narratives of Displacement” International Conference, Warsaw, (PL)
2015 – Photography workshop “Framing Equality” mentor, workshop with migrant women (SLO)
2012 up to now – Teaching private photography workshops for children and adults (SLO)
2014 – BA in Photography, VIST (SLO)
2013 – Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow on Session 502, Power in Whose Palm: The Digital Democratization of Photography (AUT)
2011/2012/ 2013 – Teaching Photography workshops on socially engaged photography and Photojournalism & Documentary Photography course at VIST Photography Department (SLO)
2012 – Selected for Eddie Adams Workshop XXV (USA)
2011/12 – Teaching photography workshop at Famul Suart School of Applied Arts, University of Nova Gorica (SLO)
2011 – NYU/Magnum Foundation Photography and Human Rights Fellow (USA)
2010, 2011 – Juror at Slovenian photojournalistic awards
2010 – An intern at photo agency VII (France)
2008 – Juror at Doorbin.net photo awards (Iran)
2007 – Workshop mentor at Fotopub – festival of documentary photography (Slovenia)
2004 – Selected for Workshop with agency VII and Altemus NGO (France)
2000 – Graduated from School for Photography in Ljubljana, Slovenia
2000 – Participated in Atlanta Photojournalism seminar (USA)
1999 – Participated in workshop on commercial photography (EMZIN)
1998-2001 – Editor of Photography at Women’s magazine Anja (SLO)
