opening of the photography exhibition on Wednesday, November 30, at 7 p.m
People think that they know nature intimately. With our human view, we observe the world around us, analyze it and thus consider that our perception is the one that is correct and all-encompassing. But we rarely realize that our view is only one of many and that it is not necessarily holistic. Humans cannot deny that nature is our primordial beginning. Over the millennia, however, we lost our compass in places and forgot about it. We have distanced ourselves from nature and forgotten our inseparable connection with it.
Ilona Mrgola's new photo exhibition lifts the veil of awareness of our smallness and imperfection. Before us are photos of elements of the forest, in a form that the human eye cannot perceive in their "natural" environment.
Since childhood, Ilona has been in intense contact with nature, she is fascinated by the exploration of the environment and the changes that take place in it. Above all, she is fascinated by the fact that nature does not know precisely defined (perceptible to humans) rules for its smooth "functioning". Everything works there, each actor has a purpose of his own, which piece by piece is assembled into a wonderful and almost unbelievable whole.
The photography exhibition offers us a look into what is hidden from human eyes and feelings. We see a mysterious world completely unknown to our physical features. Over the years, the author learned and came to the realization that insects and certain types of mammals see the world completely differently than we do. Survival is key, and that's why some species see colors in the UV spectrum. The latter is the heart of the exhibition. While roaming and poking around in the woods, Ilona collected various objects and carried them into the darkness of the studio. There she illuminated them with UV light. A completely new world opened up before her - a world of colors unaided by human senses. The magic of nature unfolds before us in all its beauty, revealing a completely new (forest) dimension.
At the exhibition, we metaphorically transform into insects and see their perception of the world view. What our eye otherwise sees as green is perceived at the exhibition as a conglomerate of other colorful palettes. Green recedes into the background and leaves its space to vivid and glow-in-the-dark shades.
We are reminded of our stepmotherly attitude towards nature, which we only intensify due to our sensory limitations. In nature, everything is connected - fauna and flora - so it makes sense to say that our health is connected to the health of the entire planet. It is ultraviolet radiation that shows us a different view, and at the same time reveals the health of organisms - the colors change and through this we can observe the changes that are taking place. We can attach special importance to the forest underworld, where connections that are not yet fully known to us take place, from which we can learn many things and without which we probably would not exist. In this way, we see human smallness and insignificance. The exhibition lets us know this clearly without any words.
The author shows us nature in a fragment of its perfection and establishes a moment of communication. Connection is what will preserve us as a species, and we can learn a lot from the processes that take place in the forest. This is precisely why the title of the exhibition is still appropriate - once upon a time, the word gmajna denoted uncultivated land owned by the common village. It's about community; a space that is available to everyone. A place where everyone can find something for themselves. A space of connection where we are all equal despite our different roles.
The exhibition establishes a relationship between man and nature, where the individual is not hierarchically equal to it. Nature is all-encompassing and irreplaceable. However, we must become aware of this and realize that by interfering with nature and causing ecological disasters, we are harming ourselves the most.
Welcome!
The exhibition will be on view until Sunday, December 4, between 5 and 7 p.m. in the premises of the Kamnik Photo Club (Fužine 10, entrance from the west side of the Kamnik House of Culture).