S svojimi zadnjimi projekti se Urša Vidic vse odločneje podaja v svet narave, pri čemer jo zanima upodabljanje njene neupodobljivosti, poustvarjanje njene skrivnostne lepote, nekakšno utopično iskanje nedosegljive točke, ki bi razodela in pojasnila duhovno bistvo tako nas samih kot sveta okoli nas. Narava je v njenem delu razumljena predvsem kot zrcalo, ki omogoča spogledovanje s človekovim sebstvom. V umetničinih skrbno izdelanih mikroambientih se objektivnost umika neoromantični intuiciji in domišljiji, s čimer se ustvarja pomenljiva igra iluzij, ki s simulacijo narave in atmosferskih učinkov zarisujejo avtoričino fascinacijo nad naravo, njeno željo po zaobjetju in posredovanju tiste presežne transcedentalne izkušnje, ki jo ta omogoča.

Umetničini objekti so namensko skonstruirane vitrine, katerih zapletena, a domiselna tehnološka oprema omogoča vzpostavitev atmosferskih učinkov v zaprtih mikroambientih, kjer se narava in naravno manifestirata skozi prisotnost emblematičnega objekta. V nekoliko starejših delih se v vitrinah skrivajo pomanjšani, a še kako naturalistični fragmenti arktične krajine, tokrat v galeriji Kresija pa je umetnica kot središčni element izbrala drevo, obdano s skrivnostno meglico, ki se izmenično poraja in izginja med vejami njegove krošnje. Pomanjšano, v stekleno vitrino ujeto drevo postaja tako vidno in obvladljivo, hkrati pa tudi nedosegljivo, »ločeno od sveta«. Drevo prevzema mesto simboličnega bistva narave, postane središčni označevalec nevidne krajine, spremenjene v tehnološki habitat in pospremljene z zvočno spremljavo, ki naglaša njeno poetično vrednost.

Umetničin novoromantični »obrat k naravi« zadeva predvsem raziskovanje vidnega prostora narave in možnosti njene reprezentacije, hkrati pa tudi analizo duhovnih konceptov, ki jih ta poraja. Urša Vidic se pri svojem delu spogleduje s tradicijo romantike, ki je v novejši umetnosti naravo prva povzdignila v subjektivistični izraz (umetnikovega) duhovnega sveta, v prostor, ki omogoča doživetje sublimnega. Umetnica je razvila minimalističen in sodoben vizualni besednjak, ki omogoča gradnjo specifičnega konteksta, v katerem je narava predstavljena skozi simulaker, kot očitno skreiran muzejski eksponat, ki je skrit za steklom in tako odmaknjen od gledalca. Narava, ki nam jo predstavlja umetnica, je tako namerno in očitno sfabricirana, pa tudi že muzealizirana, njena fantazmatska prezenca terja delovanje zahtevnega tehnološkega aparata. Zdi se, da avtorica s tem opozarja na ambivaleneten odnos človeka do narave: ljudje si jo že od nekdaj prisvajamo in izkoriščamo, jo vztrajno klasificiramo in analiziramo, da bi si jo tako še učinkoviteje podvrgli, medtem ko jo na drugi strani brezpogojno občudujemo ter preko nje in njenega nedoumljivega bistva iščemo predvsem pot do samih sebe. Tako se zdi, da drevo v vitrini nastopa kot opomnik človekove nesposobnosti, da bi naravo, s tem pa tudi sebe ubranil pred  ̶  samim seboj.

Matjaž Brulc

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With her latest projects Urša Vidic is stepping into the world of nature with ever greater decisiveness. In her work she is interested in depicting nature’s non-depictability, recreating its mysterious beauty, utopically searching for an unreachable point that would reveal and explain our spiritual essence as well as that of the world surrounding us. She sees nature as a mirror through which one can flirt with the human essence. In her carefully created micro environments objectivity is replaced with neo-romantic intuition and imagination that create a meaningful play of illusions, and through the simulation of nature and atmospheric effects show the artist’s fascination with nature and her desire to capture and mediate those extra transcendental experiences that nature enables.

The artist’s objects are purposefully constructed display cabinets with complicated and well thought out technological equipment which enables the creation of atmospheric effects in closed micro environments, in which nature is manifested through the presence of the emblematic object. In her somewhat older display cabinets she hid small, but very naturalistic fragments of the arctic landscape, but this time she chose a tree as her central element. The tree is surrounded by a mysterious mist, which appears and disappears from and into the tree’s canopy. A minimised tree, trapped in a glass display cabinet, thus becomes visible and manageable, while remaining unreachable, “separated from the world.” The tree assumes the position of the symbolic essence of nature; it becomes the central signifier of the invisible landscape, changed into a technological habitat accompanied by sound which emphasizes its poetic value.

The artist’s new romantic “turn towards nature” mainly focuses on the research of nature’s visual space and the possibilities of its representation, and the analysis of the spiritual concepts that nature evokes. In her work Urša Vidic flirts with the romantic tradition, which was the first art period in the modern times to raise nature to the subjectivist expression (of the artist’s) spiritual world, to a place that enables the experience of the sublime. The artist has developed a minimalistic and contemporary visual vocabulary, which enables the construction of a specific context, in which nature is presented through simulacra, as an obviously created museum exhibit that is hidden behind the glass and thus distanced from the viewer. The nature that the artist presents is thus deliberately and obviously fabricated and turned into a museum piece, while its phantasmal presence demands the operation of a demanding technological apparatus. It seems that the artist uses this to point towards the ambivalent relation between man and nature: people have been appropriating and using nature from the beginning of time, we persistently classify and analyse it, so that we could subdue it even further, while on the other hand we unconditionally admire it and use it and its unfathomable essence to constantly search for the path to ourselves. Thus it seems that the tree in the display cabinet appears as a reminder of the human incompetence, so that we could protect nature – and with this also ourselves – from ourselves.

Matjaž Brulc

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Zvrst / Genre: Exhibition

Kje / Where: Galerija Kresija / Kresija Gallery, Ljubljana

Kdaj / When: 7. oktober 2016 ob 19. uri / 9 October 7 2016 at 7pm

Zasnova / Concept: Urša Vidic

Izvedba in načrtovanje / Realization and planning: Zoran Srdić Janežič, Urša Vidic

Avtomatizacija objektov / Automatisation of the objects: Martin Podlogar

Izdelava dreves / Making of trees: Polona Černe

Steklopihaštvo / Glass blowing: Zvonko Drobnič

Tehnična podpora in oblikovanje luči / Technical support and light design: Borut Cajnko

Tekst ob razstavi / Text of the exhibition: Matjaž Brulc

Prevod / Translation: Sunčan Stone

Performans:

Pendulum / Trilogija Dinamike prostorov – nihanje, 2016-2018 – I

Zasnova / Concept: Urša Vidic, Nina Fajdiga

Koreografija in ples / Choreography and dance: Nina Fajdiga

Avtorica razstave / Author of the exhibition: Urša Vidic

Dramaturgija / Dramaturgy: Barbara Novakovič Kolenc

Kostumografija / Costume design: Urška Recer

Glasba / Music: Davor Herceg

Vokal / Vocal: Mia Marija Herceg

Oblikovanje svetlobe / Light design: Hotimir Knific

Oblikovanje zvoka / Sound design: Boris Petovar

Fotografija / Photography: Nada Žgank

Produkcija razstave / Production of the exhibition: Zavod Gulag

Produkcija performansa / Production of the performans: Muzeum Ljubljana

Podpora / Support: Mestna občina Ljubljana – Oddelek za kulturo, Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije

Zahvala: MARU d.o.o.