The Big Bang was not as we imagine it – dazzling like fireworks, accompanied by celebration and fanfare. On the contrary – its light took hundreds of thousands of years to break free and illuminate the universe, and living beings were not yet there to celebrate their own existence.
During the Big Bang, stars were born thanks to the force of gravity that sufficiently united their molecules. These same stars, after depleting their nuclear energy, began collapsing in on themselves, giving rise to black holes – pockets in space where gravity is so strong that it even swallows light. Darkness – the absence of light, and therefore color; whiteness – the dominance of light and the presence of all colors in one.
This orchestration of events, this cosmic drama, unfortunately, is something we did not witness. The dance of molecules, a centuries-long flash, the implosion of stars, and the suction of matter like a sudden decrescendo are depicted, at least for a moment and at least in one aspect, in the symbiosis of the works of two artists – Tončica Jelača Marijančević and Dražen Pejković.
Seemingly opposite, Dražen’s and Tončica’s sculptures have much in common. It could be said that they are crafted from the same cosmic matter. Both build sculptures starting from a wire skelet. Tončica carefully constructs her sculptures from fine paper and delicate cotton. However, Dražen’s coils of darkness are actually tender despite the initial impression of sharpness and bristliness – made from black threads, meticulously woven like lace around a plaster-wire skeleton.
These are two sculptural styles that collide and create new life and a new interpretation. Without their opposition, there would be no such new life.
The dramatic, black sculptures by Dražen Pejković stand out at three points in the gallery space. The central “cosmic egg” embodies the Big Bang – dramatic and black. However, from it emerges a beam of light, the “Great Pod” by Tončica Jelača Marijančević, penetrating and pouring out of it, spreading through the gallery. Its soft, cottony interior is the womb of life. It is the light that emerged from the big bang and thanks to which numerous stars and the seeds of future life were born. This suggests that even in the midst of cosmic darkness, light will find a way to break through.
Tončica’s winged “seedlings” scattered on the floor – sculptures made of delicate papier-mâché – are the opposite of Dražen’s seemingly rough, black totems that appear to protect the “cosmic egg” in the rear part of the gallery space. Tončica’s seeds, scattered on the ground like stars in the sky, seemingly reflect the celestial heavens that we gaze upon with so much admiration.
These small but powerful white shoots dance around Dražen’s black totems, as if teasing them for not being able to engulf them, resembling black holes that swallow light.
The cosmic dance is orchestrated, and the gallery has become a universe in miniature.
We are given the opportunity to witness the Big Bang – a truly emotionally charged moment. On one extreme, we may feel a sense of insignificance in the face of the vastness of the universe, and on the other, a sense of belonging and gratitude for the gift of life…
Curator: Dora Derado Giljanović
Location: Studio 21 Gallery, Split, Croatia
Time: 27. 2. – 13. 3. 2024.
