artist and community activator milenko matanovic was born in 1947 in ljubljana, slovenia (then the republic of yugoslavia).

his unique, art-centric process for uniting multiple voices around a common goal began in the 1960s as a founding member of the slovene neo-avant-garde movement OHO— a collaborative of visual artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and theorists.

using visual poetry, drawings, paintings and objects, milenko challenged the status quo of what art was and how we experience it.

OHO group

 
 

in recognizing nature and landscapes as art in their own right, he realized that everyone, by way of everyday interactions with their surroundings, was an artist.

this viewpoint, which flew in the face of traditional definitions of art and artists, quickly graduated to conceptual projects, actions and happenings where he explored how democratizing art fostered equality. 

his experiences growing up under a vastly different political system were a stark contrast to the American way of life, and these observations were also incorporated into Milenko’s creative process of pushing art into life.

in 1986 he founded the non-profit pomegranate center outside of seattle, washington to use this methodology for helping communities resolve real-world problems.

pomegranate center

he continues to create visual art that represents his principles of collaboration with surrounding environments and people, with daily rituals in watercolor, inks and installations on big and small scales. most recently his work was exhibited at the museum of modern art in ljubljana, slovenia to great acclaim.

get a glimpse into the mind of milenko at his blog

everyday democracy: a collection of musings by milenko matanovic

subscribe to the newsletter.

receive the latest news on events, workshops, blog postings and more.

get in touch

info[at]milenkom[dot]com
(425) 998-7836‬

for more information on hiring milenko as a consultant, mentor or educator in community engagement and collaboration, please visit

www.milenkom.com