The main topic of the work is the problem of urban spaces in Split that were created during the 1970s and 1980s. Together with Diocletian’s Palace, they play an important role in the present-day city's identity. Master Plan for the new Split area, so-called Split 3, was developed in the late 1960s and represents an important example of a well-designed city planning in Croatia, which was unfortunately only partially executed. The important segment of preparation was archive research of the documentation presently kept at several locations, because the main Urban Planning Office for Dalmatia and main construction companies no longer exist. I decided to use photo documentation of the project rather than photographs of the present-day situation to accent such ideas and show discrepancies with the present-day situation.
The work consists of a digital print of an archival photograph of a destroyed scale model of the winning competition work for the Split 3 project from 1968/69, which is attached to the wall of the exhibition space in a form of a wallpaper. Other works are added to this newly-formed base – objects that further explore the basic motif. Digital prints of archival photographs are used again as a base, but this time they show only one part of the original project that had been realized – Ruđer Bošković Street. On the photographs, isometric drawings of geometric figures are constructed by using thin graphite sticks originally used for mechanical pencils. The use of graphite, primarily a drawing material, conceptually links the object to the creative process of both – architectural and artistic projects. The created object is a hybrid of photography, drawing, and relief.
The work was produced for the solo exhibition
Untitled (Archive ST3) at the
School Gallery, Split, Croatia in 2015.