Mad Hatter's Wardrobe by designer Hranitelj on display in Brussels

The exhibition, prepared in cooperation with stage designer Marko Japelj, was opened on Tuesday by Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti.

Hranitelj's exhibition takes us on a journey through a rabbit hole all the way to a fascinating world of imagination and mad creativity, the minister said at the opening, adding that creativity was not limited to arts but was also welcome in other areas, including politics.

Hranitelj's wardrobe features a plethora of colourful works of art with a fairytale-like or psychedelic effect, Simoniti said, wishing some other wardrobe, a joint European wardrobe, would house positive and progressive ideas, common values and democracy and would never be locked away.

"I wish that all member states could equally add to and take from all that it is good out of this joint European wardrobe. Because all that it is good for one country should be good for the other and for the entire Europe. That is also the idea of the European Union," he said.

Simoniti praised Hranitelj as a superb artist with rich imagination who excels at presenting Slovenian interests as well as himself.

Pandemic-wise, the exhibition is also an important step in efforts to return to normal, said Secretary-General of the Council of the EU Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen.

He highlighted that the presidency stint was an opportunity for the member state currently at the helm of the Council of the EU to remind everyone of its priorities, including through cultural events.

Hranitelj, who was on hand in Brussels last week to help set up the exhibition, missed today's opening due to other commitments, the Slovenian Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels said.

Mad Hatter's Wardrobe comprises a part of the designer's oeuvre that spans more than 30 years and has been dedicated to theatre, opera and dance performances, films and exhibitions.

One segment of the exhibition is displayed in the Justus Lipsius building, and the other in a venue where EU leaders arrive at sessions.

The display belongs to a series of cultural events that are part of the second Slovenian EU presidency. Simoniti also opened in the European Parliament building on Monday an exhibition of contemporary Slovenian visual art titled We Live in Exciting Times.

Cultural events held in Brussels under Slovenia's presidency spell will continue on Wednesday when the Europe Readr project will be formally launched in Citizens' Garden. The digital platform will provide free access to literary works of various genres by all EU countries. A literary event will follow on Thursday.

To mark its first EU presidency Slovenia set up a marble monument at Schuman Roundabout in Brussels in the first half of 2008. The monument carries the first line of the Slovenian national anthem, God's Blessing on All Nations, written in 23 official EU languages.