Inauguration of the travelling exhibition Matura as a Magic Wand in Brdo pri Kranju
Brdo pri Kranju, 15 April 2025 – we have opened the exhibition Matura as a Magic Wand: 30 Years of the Reintroduction of the Matura exam in Slovenia. The exhibition highlights 30 years of the reintroduction of the Matura exam in Slovenia – from its beginnings, challenges and dilemmas to its development and successes that have shaped its meaning and role in the educational system. The exhibition was conceived by Mag Marjetka Balkovec Debevec and Mateja Ribarič, curators of the Slovenian School Museum.
Mag Stane Okoliš, Director of the Slovenian School Museum, and Dr Darko Zupanc, Director of the National Examination Centre – RIC, gave speeches at the opening ceremony.
EXHIBITION CONTENT
The Matura has undergone various changes, from 1850, when the first grammar school graduates took the maturity test, to the abolition of the Matura in the mid-1980s in the era of career-oriented education. The modern Matura was reintroduced in independent Slovenia in 1995. In the exhibition, the story opens up an innovative reflection on the Matura as a test of maturity, drawing parallels with broader social developments, touching on the specific situation of the COVID epidemic and presenting the innovations of both the general and vocational Matura in the new era of digitalisation and technological progress. To the tune of the eternal hymn Gaudeamus, the exhibition takes us back to a time of stress, a time of prom jokes and quadrilles. Since the matura is a special trial and test for every graduating student, reading the reflections takes us back to our own experience of the Matura. The exhibition concludes with statistics, a chronology from 1850 onwards and a look into the future.
The exhibition is symbolically divided into 30 thematic sections with bold titles (What do the Berlin Wall and the Slovenian Matura have in common?, Why torture students with the Matura?, What if the Matura is not a magic wand?), which provide interesting and sometimes humorous answers. Archive videos, accessible through a QR code, have been added to enhance the content.
The author of the exhibition, Mag Marjetka Balkovec Debevec, commented: “For 175 years, the Matura has been a bridge between the rich heritage of education, changes and the demands of the future in our country. It was removed from the classroom during the period of career-oriented education, but in 1995, in the independent state of Slovenia, it was revived as a blend of tradition, comparisons from abroad and the challenges of modern times. Each of the three decades has brought changes and innovations. But most importantly, over the past 30 years, the Matura has touched each of the almost 500,000 graduates in a unique way. The Matura as a Magic Wand exhibition therefore also highlights the power of the Matura, which holds the threads of life in its hands and once passed, opens new, wide, boundless paths.”
SPATIAL CONCEPT AND DESIGN OF THE TRAVELLING EXHIBITION
The spatial concept and design of the travelling exhibition suggests a world that has moved from the analogue to the digital age. With luminous surfaces encased in light but solid aluminium benches, it invites you to explore the content – like a learning process, like a step towards understanding. The exhibition’s signature – the logo is based on a tight, bold linear typography that conveys determination, precision and academic authority. Its strong verticals symbolise overcoming obstacles along the way and deepening knowledge. The circle, as a symbol of perfection, marks the completed cycle of learning and the decades of the Matura. The architecture of the exhibition was devised by Jure Hrovat, Ana Kreč, Julia Koželj, svet vmes, d. o. o., and the graphic design by Irena Gubanc.
The temporary exhibition Matura as a Magic Wand: 30 Years of the Reintroduction of the Matura exam in Slovenia is a travelling exhibition that will tour Slovenian secondary schools in 2025.
For more information about the exhibition, please visit the website.
Photo: STA