Ljubljana - Beloved children book's characters in Slovenia, cats named Muri and Maca and their friends, have taken their place in museum, as an exhibition dedicated to the human-like cats has opened at the National Museum of Contemporary History.

The exhibition takes visitors through 35 years of creative work by Mačja Godba (The Cat Band), a music group famous for writing and performing songs for children based on a story about the cats by author Kajetan Kovič.

It shows how it all started over 45 years ago when Kovič wrote the story titled Maček Muri (Muri the Cat) about Muri and his friends, including Maca, living in a charming cat town.

On the 40th anniversary of the release, the book was reprinted in more than 150,000 copies. So far, more than 15 editions have been published.

In the 1980s the Mačja Godba band released a children's album based on the story, which, same as the book, proved to be a great success. The catchy songs were written by composer Jerko Novak and performed by chanson singer Neca Falk.

In the 1990s, Kovič released the sequel to Maček Muri, titled Mačji Sejem (Cat Fair), which also served as an inspiration for another music album.

The display, intended for children and adults, features original photos, video and audio recordings, posters and a documentary film about Muri the Cat made by acclaimed photographer Tone Stojko.

Visitors will be able to learn about various adventures that took place during work on the extensive and popular project that included radio plays, TV musicals and concerts, said the museum.

The exhibition runs until 23 January.