Students explored Plečnik’s heritage in October 2022, within the scope of the subject Basics of Artistic Expression, under the mentorship of Boris Beja, ass. prof., who described the project:

With the support of all kinds of electronic devices, visual observation can be, with all of its fast-paced data, a large burden and a test to artistic thinking and observation. Knowing about these fast impulses, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering in Ljubljana students tried to freeze, stop, and focus their view, and think, in their creative time, on the works of Jože Plečnik. Our faculty building, the Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts, and Design, ties in with Plečnik on its western side, where the Roman Wall lies, and on the corner where it meets the Building of Stara tehnika.

Alongside architectural creations, we did not forget about his projects of graphic arts exploration and studies in which he tackled book and typography designs. Within three weeks, we prepared with students a variety of narrations and insights into Plečnik’s work. The results address us with a youthful and experimental narration, with which students tell the tale of space with the complementary component, which art always includes, time.

The last few years offered us several definitions and opportunities for how to think and, especially, realise our community. Every individual, with their path, is a member of the community, which institutions delineated for us during our childhood. Liberations are never self-evident, as they need to be within the contexts of inclusion and delineation and open to their most creative ways. Part of these delineations is also every in-depth study, which creates the opportunity to step from the interior to the external space, but especially the attentive following of occurrences, created during the transition between spaces. This outside-inside transition was also checked during the subject Basics of Artistic Expression. Expressions have multi-layered ways of transferring information, and within the art field, we are, although we might feel we already said everything there is to say, standing before an enigma. How will our work be read by someone else who is also entering into diverse representational and heritage spaces? The starting point for our basis of expression was the work of Jože Plečnik.

Plečnik, someone whom we believe we know everything about, offered us new perspectives during the four terms. Especially important is that we took the time and read his works carefully within a micro-community, alongside students. If we are lacking anything in contemporary communities, it is time and original excuses why there is no time for this and that. Plečnik created without excuses, with self-sacrifice, and with clear goals in mind. As architecture, in its delineated and open space, contains the time of its design, construction, and usage, the video was the correct medium to create a narration of a tale that can also include this art time variable.

The starting image of architecture offered a creative consideration in the audio of the video document. This segment showed great consideration, but also the students' creative ingenuity. How can the hum of the Ljubljanica River, the noise of the city, or a wrinkled piece of paper offer new associations, at times creating support for artwork, while other times simultaneously narrating their own story? Constructed communities and a division of tasks offer us an insight into the time that we spent thinking of Plečnik in the month of October. In his works, which we have internalised and they sometimes feel like they have nothing new to tell, we have discovered something new. However, it was especially the experience through the screen and camera of a telecommunication device that created a dialogue with a wider community that celebrates Plečnik’s year in 2022.

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The original student video recordings are on view in the Plečnik House’s educational room, from 3 to 24 December, every day (except Mondays), from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.

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Participating students:

Nuša Belehar, Ajda Breščak, Evelin Pipan in Katja Urankar. Dovnik Rebeka, Gala Pregelj, Živa Jereb Macur. Dunja Novović, Dominik Černe, Alen Fuks. Špela Goričan, Neja Jug Ana Vidic, Karin Solar. Matevž Nikolovski Lan, Mark Cerkež, Kaja Dovečar, Tine Bertole. Nika Vidič, Tamara Maneva, Leonard Kočman, Nika Pečnik. Ana Grobelnik, Lara Sudar, Eli Kniewald, Maša Podvez. Anika Živec, Vesna Malnarič, Nejc Vrtin, Ema Rom Zupanc, Tea Jenko. Sara Zlobec, Manuela Sprohar, Laura Jugovac, Taša Mir, Urška Jakič. Eva Benedičič, Tosja Macedoni Jakob, Benjamin Horvat, Kementina Peternel. Manca Baša, Tine Mikuž, Lucija Brina Arvaj, Lucija Zorn. Maruša Požar, Valentina Šuligoj, Lucija Pintar, Urska Bernot. Jan Simončič, Marko Verdnik, Martin Prosen, Nejc Kregar in Žan Omers. Blanka Lainšček, Hana Muck, Anja Babič, Živa Može, Laura Škofca. Tinkara Bajrič, Nuša Horvat, Tjaša Jares, Nika Povše, Maša Simonič. Alenka Mavri, Nika Repija, Maša Florjančič, Tinkara Stanonik, Zala Arič. Neža Šunder, Gabi Perc, Miha Porenta Zorko, Naja Zupen. Tara Baumgarten, Lara Skubic, Nina Starman Gombač, Laura Vitežnik. Sabina Oražem, Jure Jelenc, Nela Zupan, Evgenija Todorovska, Tina Fornazarič. Taja Atelšek, David Ahmentović, Manca Blatnik, Lea Lavrenčič. Lucija Lunar, Jakob Grm, Maša Dacar, Tia Flisar. Klara Manca Čanžek, Rina Petričević, Tereza Mugerli, Lara Kosič, Hana Bostner, Enja Alhiasat.

Mentor: Boris Beja, ass. prof.

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The video exhibition was created on the initiative and in collaboration with the Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts, and Design, at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering. Student works were made on the basis of a public call about short films on Plečnik’s architecture, published by the Museum of Architecture and Design.