10/3/2024
Wilhelm Heiliger is a versatile artist, whose work is shaped not only by fine art, but also by literature, literary history, philosophy, and psychology.
Born in 1944 in Ljutomer, he studied Slavic languages and literature, philosophy, and graphic arts in Ljubljana, Graz, and London between 1964 and 1970. In 1975, he moved to Washington to work at the Stanford Research Institute, and a year later to California, where he conducted research at Stanford University. Alongside his academic career, he has translated numerous books into German, English, or Slovene, including works by Friedrich Nietzsche into Slovene and Edvard Kocbek into German. In 1970, he completed his dissertation titled Nostalgia in Ivan Cankar.
In his artistic journey, Heiliger has experimented with a variety of media and materials, including Chinese paper, Plexiglas, and acrylic on canvas. He has exhibited his works in China, India, the USA, and across many European cities. After decades of travelling the world, he has returned to his roots, now living in Nova Gorica while regularly crossing the border to visit Gorizia. "When I first heard that the ECoC was coming back to Slovenia, and learned that Nova Gorica was a candidate, I knew immediately it would be chosen," he told GO! 2025. "That's why we started the Metaphysics of Colour project two years ago. With the timing shift, everything came together perfectly during that period."
Metaphysics of Colour is a monograph recently published by the Nova Gorica Arts Centre, with co-financing from GO! 2025. A retrospective exhibition is currently on display at the Nova Gorica City Art Gallery until 18 October. From 8 October, another exhibition by Wilhelm Heiliger will open in Gorizia at the Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre, running until 8 November 2024.
"I am truly pleased to contribute, even in a small way, to a positive vision and to give a hopeful pulse to the future of this region," Heiliger concluded.
photo: Tatjana Pregl Kobe
