Barbara Sterle Vurnik
V OBJEMU VESOLJA

Boštjan Kavčič spada med zanimivejše in inventivnejše mlade slovenske vizualne umetnike. Nekateri ga bolj poznajo po njegovih ambicioznih interaktivnih delih povezanih z računalniško tehnologijo, spet drugi bolj kot odličnega kiparja. Vsekakor gre za avtorja, katerega ustvarjalno polje še zdaleč ni omejeno le na eno ali dve področji. Kavčičevo delo je povezano z mnogimi različnimi ustvarjalnimi strategijami, zlasti tistimi, preko katerih lahko kar najbolj učinkovito ter kar se da večplastno in
transparentno reflektira svoj pogled na vlogo vizualne umetnosti v kontekstu novonastajajočih (družbenih, prostorskih, tehnoloških…) sistemov. Kavčičeva najnovejša postavitev na vrtu ZDSLU tematizira obstoječa izhodišča na konkretnem primeru
vrtnega okolja in njegovih notranjih zakonitosti in pravzaprav ni naključna. Avtor je namreč že vseskozi fasciniran z naravo in z, iz nje izhajajočimi fizikalnimi vprašanji, te izkušnje pa potem posledično projecira tudi v polje sodobne tehnologije. V vrtni ambient se je odločil umestiti en sam, posebej zanj izdelan kiparski kos - kamnito satelitsko anteno v povsem klasični kiparski maniri in s tem skušal na čimbolj »prvinski« način kompleksno aktivirati celotno okolje vrta in širše okolice. Osredotočil se je zlasti na spremljanje ter detektiranje tistih starodavnih, od nekdaj obstoječih energetskih polj in univerzalne kozmične energije, ki so še vedno v domeni narave. Zapletenega sistema, znotraj katerega avtorja zanima tudi dinamika prevajanja energije v materijo, pa Kavčič ne podaja le na konceptualno poglobljen ampak tudi na humoren način. Funkcijo satelitske antene pri ustvarjanju elektromagnetnega valovanja in s tem umetnega energetskega polja avtor tu, kljub vsej razpoložljivi sodobni tehnologiji in siceršnji izjemni naklonjenosti do nje, namenoma ironizira. Posluži se namreč principa paradoksa in skuša vizualizirati ta sodoben tehnološki izum na popolnoma nenovodoben način - preko govorice starodavne kamnite materije. Transformacija slednje v nov prefinjeno oblikovan organizem naj bi ravno obratno kot satelitska antena, na popolnoma naraven način povzročila prav tako močne vibracije materije navzven in navznoter, le da na nekem drugem nivoju. Ob vsem tem se zdi, kot bi avtor želel vrniti primat ustvarjanja energetskih silnic, ki ga na poti nenehnega napredka družba rada pripisuje zlasti sodobnim tehnološkim izumom, preko paradoksa nazaj tja kamor spada, k naravi….. Da bi izpostavil pomen njenih večnih zakonitosti po katerih že od nekdaj, ko še nikjer ni bilo satelitov, funkcionira naš bivanjski sistem in od koder pravzaprav izvira sleherni napredek. Takšna umetniška pozicija je na nek način blizu teoriji francoskega matematika z začetka 20.stoletja. Henri Poincare je namreč v kontekstu razglabljanja o razvoju in napredku dejal »… pri novih odkritij in izumih pravzaprav ne gre za neke nove stvari ampak le za nova razmerja med stvarmi, ki že od nekdaj obstajajo…« Izjava je kasneje med drugim vplivala tudi na konceptualista in video umetnika Nam June Paika, ki je v zvezi s tem leta 1984 dodal » …zdaj smo v post industrijskidobi, a vendar ponovno na prelomu stoletij, le da zdaj odkrivamo nov softwer… stvari niso nove, nove so le misli…«. Seveda tu ne gre iskati nekih neposrednih povezav s Kavčičevim ustvarjanjem toda stališča se zdijo vendarle podobna. Kavčičeva tovrstna umestitev kiparskega kosa v vrtni ambient se približuje dvojnemu učinku. Kipar namreč skuša ustvariti intenzivno in popolnoma naravno medsebojno (energetska in vizualna) interakcijo oziroma komunikacijo z mikro in makro okoljem ter nenazadnje s celotnim našim univerzumom, hkrati pa vse skupaj povezati v resnično kompleksen artefakt. Postavitev je nedvomno plod avtrojevega vrhunskega kiparsko-vizualnega jezika, intenziteta percepcije pa je seveda v celoti odvisna od gledalčeve sposobnosti večplastnega branja umetniškega dela. Kavčič je nedvomno eden tistih umetnikov, ki se zavedajo izkušenj, ki jih je človeku dala zgodovina, hkrati pa tudi priložnosti, ki jih ponuja naš čas. Pri tem ne izgublja energije za boj z modernizmom ali za tekmo z postmodernimi trendi, v njegovih delih je vsega po malem. Energijo raje usmerja v odprt in pluralističen umetniški dialog z vsem, s čimer lahko artikulira svoje, pogosto presenetljive ideje. Umetnost, ustvarjanje in nenazadnje tudi življenje namreč razume predvsem v kontekstu zakonitosti vesolja, kjer je že od nekdaj vse v dinamičnem ravnovesju.

IN THE EMBRACE OF SPACE
Boštjan Kavčič belongs to the class of more interesting and more inventive young Slovene visualartists. He may be known to some by his ambitious interactive works using computer technology, whilehe may be more recognisable to others as an excellent sculptor. In either case, this is an artist whosefield of creativity is by no means limited to one or two areas only. Kavčič' work is connected to manydifferent creative strategies, particularly those that enable him to reflect his gaze upon the role of visual
art in the context of newly arising (socially, spatially, technologically, …) systems, in a manner that ismost effective, and asmultilayered and transparent as possible.Kavčič' latest installation in the ZDSLU garden deals with the existing points of departure in an actualgarden environment and within its internal rules, and is in fact not coincidental. The author is thoroughlyfascinated by nature and those physical questions that arise from it, while he goes on to consecutivelyreflect these experiences into the field of contemporary technology. He has decided to place only oneespecially produced sculptural piece into the garden ambient a stone satellite antenna made in awholly classical sculptural manner, aiming to intricately activate the whole garden and the wider surrounding area in a “primal” manner. He has particularly focused on conveying and detecting those ancient forever-existing energy fields and universal cosmic energies that remain the domain of nature to this day. Kavčič presents this complicated system in which the author's interest encompasses also the dynamics of transferring energy into matter not merely in a conceptual manner, but also with a sense of humour. The author has in this case added an intentional touch of irony to the function of the satellite antenna in creating electromagnetic radiation and thus an artificial energy field despite all available contemporary technologies and his general inclination towards them. He makes use of paradox and aims to visualise this contemporary technological invention in a wholly uncontemporary manner through the tongue of ancient stone matter. The transformation of the latter into a new, refined organism could in an exactly opposite way to the satellite antenna, and in a totally natural manner, cause equally powerful vibrations of matter inwards as well as outwards, only on a different level. In all this it seems as if the artist wanted to return to the primacy of creating energy forces something which society on the path of continual progress attributes to contemporary technological inventions in
his work going from paradox back to where it belongs, to nature… In order to expose the significance of its eternal rules according to which from ancient times onwards when satellites were nowhere to be found our living system has functioned, and from whence all progress originates. Such an artistic position is in a way close to the theory of a French mathematician from the beginning of the 20th century. Henri Poincare said in his musings on the development of progress, “… new discoveries and inventions are not in fact something new, they are merely new relations between established already existing things…” This statement later also had an influence on the conceptual and video work of artist Nam June Paik, who in relation to this added in 1984, “we are in the post industrial age now, but still at the break of the century, only that we are now discovering new software… things are not new, only our thoughts are new…” Of course we are not looking for direct connections with Kavčič' creative process here, however, these viewpoints nevertheless seem similar. This type of Kavčič' sculptural placement into a garden ambient comes close to a double effect. The sculptor aims to create an intense and wholly natural, reciprocal (in terms of energy and visuals) interaction, or rather communication, with the micro and macro environment, and last but not least, with the whole of the universe at the same time, however, linking everything up into a truly complex artefact. The installation is undoubtedly the fruit of the artist's superior sculptural/visual language; the intensity of perception, however, is wholly dependant upon the viewer's ability to read works of art, which are multilayered in their nature. Kavčič is certainly an artist who is aware of those experiences that have been bestowed upon man through history, and at the same time the opportunities offered by today's age. He disperses no energy for battling modernism or competing with postmodernist trends; his works enclose it all in small measures. He prefers to direct his energy towards an open and pluralistic artistic dialogue with everything that he can use to articulate his, often surprising, ideas. For Kavčič, art, creativity and life itself rest in the realm of space, where they have forever existed in dynamic balance.

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