Talum aluminium company is known as a significant patron of the contemporary fine arts in Slovenia. The art works purchased by Talum exceeded the basic intention of the collection - namely to ennoble the working environment in the Kidričevo administration building. Today's collection of over 200 pieces originated in 1991 when the first artists' colony was organised by the factory's management at Štatenberg Castle. Artists' colonies continued there up to 1999, when improvised studios were set up at Ptuj Castle. In 2003 the organisers gave up organising art colonies and started to purchase selected works presented in exhibitions.

The Talum Art Collection includes photographs by Stojan Kerbler, a great name in Slovene photography who was employed at the aluminium factory up to his retirement in 2000. In 2002 photographers gathered in Ptuj and the pictures they took of the factory buildings at Kidričevo were added to the collection. In recent years Talum has added to its collection works by 50 artists of the 1990s, from Slovenia (including Metod Frlic and Dušan Kirbiš) and also from neighbouring Croatia and Austrian Carinthia. The latest purchases have been made even further afield in countries such as Norway.