PURPOSE by Lela B. Njatin
Kočevje through contemporary art
Lela B. Njatin je vizualna umetnica in pisateljica, po izobrazbi pa filozofinja in literarna komparativistka. Prebiva v Kočevju in Ljubljani. Svoj prostor pod soncem je našla s pisanjem romanov, pravljic, zgodb, ustvarjanjem instalacij ter socialnih projektov, ki opozarjajo na kompleksne človeške odnose. Leta 2014 in 2015 je izpeljala umetniško akcijo Beseda velja, kjer je na slikarsko platno naslikala besedo SMISEL in jo izobesila na oknu svojega ateljeja, medtem ko se je vsak dan z mimoidočimi pogovarjala o smislu bivanja v skupnosti.
V projektu je po njenih besedah izbrala besedo SMISEL, ker je po pomenu abstraktna, ne veže na nekaj konkretno zaznavnega in je pojmovna. Beseda je na prvi pogled medla in brez pomena, a nam vzbudi razmišljanje, kar je tudi namen. Velik del projekta je bil pogovor z mimoidočimi s pogledom na okno njenega ateljeja in platno z napisom. Sogovornike je izbirala naključno, ne glede na spol, starost, izobrazbo in poklic, saj je tako dobila različna mnenja najrazličnejših ljudi. Prav to je tudi želela, saj vsak človek razmišlja in tudi doživlja svet okoli sebe drugače.
Njatinova je v okviru istega projekta leta 2019 v Kočevju in Ribnici preko ceste izobesila bel transparent s preprostim rdečim napisom SMISEL. Beseda SMISEL tudi krasi športno dvorano v Kočevju. V galeriji Miklova hiša v Ribnici je pripravila zanimivo in poučno razstavo. Na različnih predmetih, na primer majicah, ležalnikih, plakatih je bila zapisana že prej nekajkrat omenjena beseda SMISEL, s čimer je želela pri ljudeh vzbuditi razmišljanje.
SLIKA 1: Odprtje razstave https://www.galerija-miklovahisa.si/razstave/lela-b-njatin-ker-mi-nismo-le-podobe-smo-ljudje/#gallery-7
Beseda SMISEL, ki je rdeča nit projekta, je na prvi pogled enostavna, a ko začneš razmišljati o smislu življenja, ljubezni, šoli, denarju, o smislu vsega, dobiš nov pogled na svet. Včasih se nam zdijo stvari brez pomena in brez globine, v njih ne vidimo pozitivne plati in v nekaterih stvareh celo ne vidimo več smisla. Na primer tudi ta projekt je za marsikoga nesmiseln, a ko spoznamo ozadje in globino le-tega, na koncu vse dobi SMISEL. Prav tako vsak človek išče SMISEL svojega življena, skozi različna obdobja, stile in tudi z različnimi ljudmi ob naši strani, ampak bolj kot iščeš SMISEL, prej ugotoviš, da smisel pravzaprav sploh ni pomemben. Pomembno je to, da znamo živeti, zajemati življenje s polno žlico in samo uživati.
VIRI:
– Wikipedia.org. (2020). Lela B. Njatin.[Online]. Čas zadnje spremembe: 21. december 2020; 10: 25. [Citirano 10. novembra; 17:40] Dostopno na spl. naslovu: https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lela_B._Njatin
– M.K. (2020) »SMISEL« – nova arhitekturna pridobitev športne dvorane v Kočevju. 16. 11. 2020 pridobljeno s: https://e-utrip.si/smisel-nova-arhitekturna-pridobitev-sportne-dvorane-v-kocevju/
– Njatin, Lela B. (2019) Lela B. Njatin: Mentalni ambienti urbanega spominjanja. 10. 11. 2020 pridobljeno s: https://outsider.si/lela-b-njatin-mentalni-ambienti-urbanega-spominjanja/
Besedilo: Živa Šilc, 3. b
Strokovni pregled: Marjana Dolšina Delač
Jezikovni pregled: Nina Papež
Marec 2021
Lela B. Njatin is visual artist and writer. She is a philosopher and literary comparativist by profession residing in Kočevje and Ljubljana. Lela found her place under the sun in writing novels, fairy tales, stories, creating installations and social projects, which remind the public about the complexity of human relationships. In the years 2014 and 2015 she carried out the art campaign ”Beseda velja” (The word matters), in which she painted the word SMISEL (PURPOSE) on a canvas and hung it on the window of her painting studio. In the meantime she talked with passers-by about the purpose of living in a community every day.
According to her own words, she chose the word PURPOSE for this project, because of its abstract meaning, because it is not related tovactual perception and is conceptual . The word is faint and meaningless at first sight, but it makes us think, which is also the intention. A great part of the project was conversation with passers-by, while overlooking the window of her painting studio and the canvas with the inscription. She chose her co-speakers randomly, regardless of gender, age, education and profession, and this way got various opinions from many different people. This is exactly what she wanted, because every person thinks and experiences the world around them differently.
As part of the same project in 2019, Njatin hung a white banner across the road in Kočevje and Ribnica with the simple red inscription SMISEL (PURPOSE). The word PURPOSE also decorated the sports hall in Kočevje. In the art gallery Miklova hiša in Ribnica, she prepared an interesting and educational exhibition. On various objects, such as T-shirts, deckchairs, posters, the previously often mentioned word PURPOSE was written, in order to stir people’s thinking.
PICTURE 1: Exhibition opening https://www.galerija-miklovahisa.si/razstave/lela-b-njatin-ker-mi-nismo-le-podobe-smo-ljudje/#gallery-7
The word PURPOSE, which is the main theme of the project, is simple at first sight, but when one starts thinking about the purpose of life, love, school, money, the purpose of everything, one gets a new view of the world. Sometimes we find things meaningless and shallow, we don’t see a positive side in them and in some things we don’t even see the purpose anymore. For example, many people may find this project pointless, but when we get to know the background and depth of it, we recognise its PURPOSE in the end. Also, every person seeks the PURPOSE of their life, through different life stages, styles and with different people by their side, but the more we seek PURPOSE, the sooner we realize that purpose doesn’t really matter at all. It is important that we know how to live, live our life to the fullest and just enjoy it.
SOURCES:
– Wikipedia.org. (2020) Lela B. Njatin.[Online]. Last refreshed: 21 December 2020; 10:25. [Cited 10 November; 17:40] Accessible online: https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lela_B._Njatin
– M. K. (2020) »SMISEL« – nova arhitekturna pridobitev športne dvorane v Kočevju. 16 November adapted from: : https://e-utrip.si/smisel-nova-arhitekturna-pridobitev-sportne-dvorane-v-kocevju/
– Njatin, Lela B. (2019) Lela B. Njatin: Mentalni ambienti urbanega spominjanja. Adapted 10 November 2020 from: https://outsider.si/lela-b-njatin-mentalni-ambienti-urbanega-spominjanja/
Written by: Živa Šilc, 3.b
Reviewed by: Marjana Dolšina Delač
Reviewed by: Nina Papež
March 2021