Najka Mirkovic inspired by flying residents of the city of Dubrovnik – the pigeons
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10799/1/Najka-Mirkovic-inspired-by-flying-residents-of-the-city-of-Dubrovnik-8211-the-pigeons.html
By Nenad N. Bach and Darko Žubrinić
Published on 02/7/2016
 | The new photographic cycle of Najka Mirković - a lover of photography who belongs to the group of Dubrovnik-based photographers, observes the pigeons, eternal guardians of the city walls. All citizens of Dubrovnik have photographs as little children chasing pigeons by Orlando Column. A photograph with pigeons in front of St Blaise’s Church and in the Open-air Market was part of the city cults in each generation, because pigeons have profound symbolism in Dubrovnik's Judeo-Christian tradition. |
Pigeons dwell in family albums of all Dubrovnik residents...
Najka Mirković, Dubrovnik
LETAČI GRADSKIH KULTOVA Novi ciklus fotografija Najke Mirković - dubrovačke zaljubljenice u fotografiju, jedne u nizu dubrovačkih fotografa stasalih u Fotoklubu Marin Getaldić, u vremenu kada ga je vodila skupina zaljubljenika poput uglednog dubrovačkog fotografa Božidara Gjukića, pruža nam potvrdu njenog stalnog znatiželjnog propitivanja svijeta uokolo nas. Dubrovačka fotografska škola obilježila je hrvatsku fotografiju posljednjeg desetljeća XX. stoljeća sa više uglednih imena suvremene hrvatske fotografije. U sjeni već javno prepoznatih imena na hrvatskoj likovnoj sceni ostaju nenametljivi zaljubljenici fotografije i svog Grada, tihi i ustrajni u bilježenju njegovih mijena. Prateći rad fotografkinje Najke Mirković od izložbe "Šipan", održane 2007. godine u Kazalištu Marina Držića, te inovativne izložbe pod nazivom "Difuzija svjetlosti" 2012. godine u Galerija Living Room u Dubrovniku, nametnuo se njen inovativni pristup. Najka Mirković spada u eksperimentalnu struju suvremene hrvatske fotografije i u svoja gotovo tri desetljeća zaljubljeničkog sustavnog razvoja svojih likovnih sposobnosti došla je do iznimnih postignuća. Njen umjetnički credo izvire iz iskrenosti pristupa objektu svoga interesa. Fotograf Milo Kovač prvi je svojom kultnom fotografijom Gundulićeva spomenika okruženog golubovima u nebu otvorio jedno novo viđenje dubrovačke baštine i njegovih letećih stanovnika - golubova. Na novom valu dubrovačke suvremene fotografije Najka Mirković propituje golubove vječne čuvare gradskih mira. Golubovi su stanovnici svih obiteljskih albuma Dubrovčana. Svi imamo fotografiju kada kao malena djeca trčimo ispred Orlanda za golubovima, bilo da se radilo o starijim ili mlađim generacijama: Foto Berneru, Foto Jadranu ili Foto Kerneru. Dječiji ushit zaleđen na obiteljskim fotografijama, kada djeca odjevena u marinjere svojim rukama pokušavaju dodirnuti gradske letače, ostao je sakriven duboko u podsvjesti fotografkinje Najke. Fotografija sa golubovima ispred sv. Vlaha i na Placi, spadala je u dio gradskih kultova svake generacije, jer golubovi imaju svoju duboku simboliku u judejsko-kršćansko tradiciji Dubrovnika. Golubica koja je kod starih Grka simbol Afrodite, kod kršćana je simbol Duha Svetoga. Poslije općeg potopa, golubica Noi nosi u kljunu grančicu masline postavši svojevrsni simbol mira.Golubica se pojavljuje i iznad prikaza Krštenja na rijeci Jordanu i Silasku Duha Svetoga nad apostole. Golubica koja je simbol vjerovanja u spas, još od Origena i Grgura iz Nisse plemenit je stanovnik ljudskog okruženja u simboličnim prikazima. Golubovi se pojavljuju na kapitelima, umjetninama grada Dubrovnika, a svakog novog dana ispunjavaju opustjelu Placu, gradske fasade, druže se sa sv.Vlahom, alegorijomVjere i Nade na Svečevoj crkvi. Isto tako golubice su bitne tijekom feste sv. Vlaha, odnosno blagdana Svijećnice /kandelore, kada se otvara festa geniusa loci - armenskog Parca Dubrovnika i kada se na temelju njihova leta proriče budućnost Grada za tekuću godinu. Tada njihova krila visoko iznad okupljenog mnoštva tijekom pjevanja Himne i podizanja stijega bivaju najljepšim ukrasom nebosklona. Najka Mirković prati golubove od podnevnog hranjenja i kupanja u lokvicama vode. Poput drevnih umjetnika koji su u svojim bilježnicama crtali golubice, sjetimo se samo Duererova crteža golubice, fotografkinja Najka promatra golubinje pokrete, njihov nebeski ples, svakodnevnicu i golubinje ljubavi. Sitnozorom posvećena segmentu duše Grada, Najka Mirković opominje na gubljenja duše Grada, u kojemu mi sada živimo i kako trebamo propitati sebe, da li golubovi postaju jedini stanovnici opustjelih ulica, nalik na izmišljeni grad Opar iz romana o Tarzanovu životu. Grad bez svojih stanovnika, postaje gradom bez duše, trgova na kojima će rasti trava i ulicama koje će voditi u samoću dekirikovske melankolije, bez dječije cike i trčanja za Kairosom sudbine. Nova prizma humanog i ekološkog pristupanju Gradu kao domu ljudi i ptica, jednoj Noinoj arki koja će pronaći svoju goru Ararat, a ne nestati u vrtlogu sadašnjog otuđenog materijalističkog svijeta - poruka je novog ciklusa Najke Mirković. Dr. sc. Vinicije B. Lupis | THE CITY'S AIRBORNE GUARDIANS The new photographic cycle of Najka Mirković - a lover of photography who belongs to the group of Dubrovnik-based photographers educated at the Marin Getaldić Photo Club at the time it was led by photography enthusiasts such as the renowned Dubrovnik photographer Božidar Gjukić - testifies to her constant and keen exploration of the world that surrounds us. The Dubrovnik photography school left its mark on the Croatian photography of the last decade of the 20th century owing to a number of renowned contemporary photographers. These lovers of photography and their City, who quietly and persistently record its changes, remain unobtrusively in the shadow of names already established on the Croatian visual arts scene. Following the work of Najka Mirković - from her 2007 exhibition entitled Šipan at the Marin Držić Theatre, to her innovative 2012 exhibition Diffusion of Light at the Living Room Gallery in Dubrovnik - one cannot help noticing her innovative approach. Belonging to the experimental stream of modern Croatian photography, Najka Mirković has achieved outstanding results in the course of almost three decades of enthusiastic and systematic polishing of her visual art skill. Her artistic credo stems from a sincere approach to the object she is interested in. With his cult photograph of Gundulić Statue surrounded by pigeons flying in the sky, photographer Milo Kovač was the first to introduce a new view of the Dubrovnik heritage and its flying residents - the pigeons. Following the new wave of Dubrovnik modern photography, Najka Mirković observes the pigeons, eternal guardians of the city walls. Pigeons dwell in family albums of all Dubrovnik residents. All of us have photographs of ourselves as little children chasing pigeons by Orlando Column, both older and young generations by Photo Berner, Photo Jadran, or Photo Kerner. The delight of children captured on family photographs - when, dressed in sailor suits, they try to touch these flying city dwellers with their hands - has remained buried deep in Najka's subconsciousness. A photograph with pigeons in front of St Blaise's Church and in the Open-air Market was part of the city cults in each generation, because pigeons have profound symbolism in Dubrovnik's Judeo-Christian tradition. For Ancient Greeks a dove symbolised Aphrodite, whereas in Christian iconography it symbolized the Holy Spirit. After the flood, a dove carried Noah an olive branch in its beak, having become a peace symbol. A dove also appears in paintings depicting the Baptism of Christ on the Jordan River and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. Ever since Origen and Gregory of Nyssa, a dove symbolising the belief in salvation has been a noble dweller of human surroundings in symbolic depictions. Pigeons appear on Dubrovnik's capitals and works of art, gathering on a daily basis in the empty Open-air Market and on the city facades, and socialising with Saint Blaise and the allegories of Faith and Hope on top of his church. Doves are highly important during the Festival of St Blaise, i.e. during Candlemass, at the opening of the festival of genius loci - the Armenian born Patron Saint of Dubrovnik, when the City's future for the forthcoming year is foretold on the basis of the direction of their flight. Their wings high above the crowd of people - while the Hymn of St Blaise is sung and his flag raised - become the finest adornment of the sky. Najka Mirković observes pigeons during their feeding time at noon and their bathing in small puddles. Like ancient artists who drew doves in their note books - let us mention Duerer's drawing of a dove - Najka the photographer watches pigeons' movements, their heavenly dance, their every-day living and their loves. With the utmost dedication to the City's wellbeing, Najka Mirković warns that the City we live in is losing its soul, and that we should question ourselves whether pigeons are becoming the sole dwellers of the empty streets, resembling the imaginary city of Opar in the novel on Tarzan's life. A city without residents becomes a city without a soul, a city in whose squares grass will grow, and whose streets will lead to the loneliness of Giorgio de Chirico-like melancholy, devoid of childrenâs voices and the run for Kairos of destiny. A new prism of the humane and ecological approach to the City as a home of people and birds, as a new Noah's Ark that will find its Mount Ararat and not disappear in the whirl of today's alienated material world - this is the message of Najka Mirković's new photographic cycle. Vinicije B. Lupis, Ph.D. |
Translated from Croatian by Dubravka Knežević, Dubrovnik
NAJKA MIRKOVIĆ Živi u Dubrovniku, fotografijom se bavi od 1986. godine kada završava tečaj fotografije u Fotoklubu Marin Getaldić. Surađivala je s Dubrovačkim muzejima, Arheološki muzej, na snimanju spomeničke baštine Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije. Predstavljena u časopisu Welcome - zima 2012/2013. godine Turističke zajednice Grada Dubrovnika. Samostalne izložbe:
Grupne izložbe:
| NAJKA MIRKOVIĆ A resident of Dubrovnik, Najka Mirković has been engaged in photography since 1986, when she completed a photography course at the Marin Getaldić Photo Club. She has collaborated with the Dubrovnik Museumsâ Archaeological Department taking photographs of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County cultural heritage. Her work was presented in the winter issue 2012/2013 of Welcome magazine published by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board. Independent Exhibitions:
Group Exhibitions:
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Translated from Croatian by Dubravka Knežević, Dubrovnik
Formated for CROWN by Darko Žubrinić
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