FužinePreglov trg 101000 Ljubljana
ARTEINGUENA 2008, International Competition, Italy
"IMPACT - ART" /place + relationships
Now in Arteinguena collection in Brescia
Block was build in 1985, mostly for young families from ex Yugoslavia. Relations between neighbors were alive. Children were playing all days, parents were visiting each other, community events (cleaning initiative, public flat that was used for meetings and as a Club room in winter for the children, where they could play, we made theater events for our parents... ). In 1991, Slovenia becomes an Independent State, and communities begin to change. The changing structure of economy had a big impact on people life style, lot’s of people lost their jobs. Slovenia was a strong industrial country in former Yugoslavia, now we are strong in trade economy and not in industry. This year we are a leading country for European Union, a story of success for a young country. My goal is to see how these positive changes reflect in everyday life in our neighborhood.
We leave under the same roof, and we become complete strangers, almost no relations between neighbors. We have cameras in a public hall, locks on public enter even on floors and benches were removed so that people wouldn’t gather in front of the block and disturb others, now we have marble walls in the public hall, and mirrors in an elevator. Before this was not an option, because of vandalism caused by adolescent boys. Playgrounds are empty.
So, I decided to make a connection with my neighbors, and try to see how they live at home. I send them letters, where I announced my visit in a week or two. I started to work on 8th February 2008 on a national cultural holiday.
I ask them if they would let me to take photos of them in a moment, before I rang on their door. So I had the opportunity to reconnect the relations with me and them. We have 14 flours and 139 apartments, 357 people living in. I made a connection with 30 apartments and 55 people. In my visits I made new friendships and recover a few old ones with my friends from child hood. Almost with everyone we had fillings of nostalgia for old times. A lot of people didn’t even want to open the door they sham as they weren’t at home.
To conclude, that modernity of life reduced relations, now we are much more addicted from TV, shopping and computers. In my visits just one lady said that she love to read books, music was usually from the radio or none, television is in almost every apartment watched even at lunch time, I noted just one flat with art works, and I managed to take a picture of a new one that come in the collection (painting of F. Slana). A lot of young people were in front of their computer playing games, or surfing on the internet. Some spoke with me, but they didn’t want to be photographed.
After I have finished the invasion of privacy, I prepared an exhibition of photographs in a public hall. The purpose was to confront neighbors between each other, and to see if they will connect, if the relations will change, because they were a part of a project. And what kind of a reaction will I get as a photographer. Reactions were positive, some said that I gave them a theme to speak about.
Now when I encounter them in the elevator or in a hall we exchange a small talk, and they are interested in my work. Part of a purpose was to bring a contemporary art to their home, show them that they can be a part of it, and trigger the interest for art events in general.
The result of a final work is a collage, where I poetically connected the materials that I develop during my work. So the final composition is a symbolic platform. In the background is a picture of a block in front is mosaic of shots of my neighbors at home. The composition is pointing out the living side of a standing still building it represents the power of history and infinity to opposite fragile life’s that are constantly changing.
