“I met the lady last October at the art fair in Zagreb. She told me that she had her own gallery, it was the second time she had been to the fair, I was exhibiting for the first time. She was extremely nice, she invited me to stop by for coffee when I next time in Ljubljana. I couldn’t believe it when I read in the media what it was about. I would never have suspected that it was about something like this. It’s terrible,” said Croatian artist Mirjana Vajdić in a telephone conversation with Siol.net.
Croatian artist Mirjana Vajdic at the Zagreb Fair (Art Fair in Zagreb), which was held at the beginning of October 2022, she met Mario Rosa Mayer Munozaccording to unofficial information, an alleged Russian spy who was arrested in Ljubljana last December.
As we revealed, together with her husband Ludwig Gisch worked for the Russian secret service or intelligence agency. According to unofficial information, the discovered cell of spies from Ljubljana is said to be conducting operations not only in Slovenia, but also abroad.
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Croatian artist about an alleged Russian spy
In a telephone conversation, Vajdić said that Maria was extremely nice, thin, with black hair. “She told me that she was married, that she and her husband had a gallery and that they lived in Ljubljana. She was alone at the fair, she was extremely kind and made friends with the artists who were exhibiting near her. She was the first to approach me and we started talking. We communicated in English. She represented artists from all over the world at the fair. She represented good, well-known artists. If I remember correctly, she was the only one from abroad, the rest of us exhibitors were from Croatia,” explained Vajdić.
As she also said, she later applied to participate in the online exhibition and paid ten euros for the membership fee. After that, they didn’t communicate anymore. However, the interlocutor experienced a surprise after the new year, when she realized that the Art Gallery 5’14 website no longer exists.
“I couldn’t believe it when I read in the media what it was about. Nothing seemed suspicious to me. I would never have suspected that it was something like this. It’s terrible,” Vajdić said.
Communicated with artists via e-mail
Also a Slovenian designer Romeo Strakl is one of those who cooperated with the Art Gallery 5’14, through which the alleged Russian spy allegedly operated. As he explained to us, two or three years ago he received an email with an offer to participate in the online gallery Art Gallery 5’14. He agreed to this, but did not get any feedback afterwards.
“When they started working, two or three years ago, I agreed to publish some of my things, then there was no demand for my works and I didn’t even know if it was still active,” Štrakl told us, adding that communication took place exclusively via e-mail.
Retar outletan artist and professor at the University of the Coast, who was also among the exhibitors in the online gallery, did not remember the name Art gallery 5’14. “I don’t remember ever working with said gallery, usually they just ask artists if they can publish their work on their website and I guess I agreed. I would definitely remember the name Ludwig as that was my father’s name,” said Retar.
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