The exhibition from the Technical Museum of Slovenia (TMS), titled “Us and Them without Frontiers,” continues its tour across the USA. On Friday, September 13, 2024, it moves to the Slovenian Museum and Archives in Cleveland, Ohio, where it will be displayed as a permanent exhibition. This exhibit is a condensed version of the original TMS project titled “Knowledge without Borders,” which explores the fascinating connections between the Slovenian and American peoples and the benefits arising from shared knowledge.
The “Us and Them without Frontiers” exhibition focuses on individuals with strong connections to the USA, either directly or indirectly. It features astronaut Sunita Williams, Voyager engineer Anton Mavretič, experimental physics professor Anton Peterlin, planet hunter Marija Strojnik, electronics professor Aleš Strojnnik, Silicon Valley pioneer France Rode, and inventor Peter Florjančič. It also includes Herman Potočnik Noordung, who, although he never visited the USA, inspired future generations of scientists in the field of space technology as a pioneer in this domain.
The exhibition explores the fascinating connections between Slovenian and American individuals and highlights the advantages of spreading knowledge without borders. It underscores the role of migration in the achievements of Slovenian descendants in the USA and highlights the fruitful collaboration between the USA and Slovenia.
“Us and Them without Frontiers” was first presented to the American public in September 2021 at Cleveland City Hall, marking Slovenian Days and the 30th anniversary of Slovenia’s independence. Over the past three years, it has been hosted by eight institutions in the USA. After Cleveland, it continued in December 2021 to the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, D.C., where it celebrated Independence and Unity Day. It then moved to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus in April 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of American recognition of Slovenian independence and was hosted by the Bethlehem City Hall in Pennsylvania. In 2023, it was showcased at three locations in Pueblo, Colorado: the Pueblo Convention Center, the Steelworks Museum, and Community College. From December 2023 to May 2024, it was hosted by the University Library in Denver, and from September 13, 2024, it will become a permanent exhibition at the Slovenian Museum and Archives in Cleveland.
The exhibition was made possible by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the General Consulate of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland, and the Slovenian Museum and Archives in Cleveland, with curators Irena Marušič and Dr. Estera Cerar from TMS.
Photo: Luka Zibelnik
