The relationship between nature and society, the relationship of two art installations – below and above the sea.
Volosko is a place of a long and rich history in which the influences of nature and the specific character of the local community meet. The dialogue between nature, the sea and people who live on the coast creates a metaphorical setting for the collaboration of two artists invited to participate in the project.
Nika Laginja, a young artist from nearby Opatija, is focused on the creation of an artistic underwater structure made up of mosses, shells, sea sponges and other organisms which act as cleaners of the sea. This permanent installation contributes to the restoration of the biodiversity of the underwater world. The project does not intend to achieve change on a global level, but to focus on the engagement of the individual and the taking on of responsibility for the world in which we live.
Jiři Kovanda, a world-renowned artist, responds to the underwater project of Nika Laginja by focussing on ecology and the social context. In the centre of the Volosko community, he presents his minimalistic installation inspired by the local nature and its history, more precisely the prominent Croatian scientist, born in Volosko, Andrija Mohorovičić. The stone sculpture pays homage to the Adriatic Fucus, the rare and endangered endemic species of brown algae that prefers clean waters and that was far more present in 1857. when Andrija Mohorovičić was born.
The beauty of the place and the creative potential of this local community are shown by a combination of two works by the representatives of different generations – Nika Laginja and Jiři Kovanda and their powerful call for a new interpretation of the responsibility to nature and the quality of interpersonal relationships.
Photo: Natural History Museum Rijeka