Since the Renaissance, cabinets of wonders have stirred people’s imaginations as symbols of intellectual and cultural importance. In special rooms, which were actually the precursors to museums, collectors housed various objects, works of art, herbaria and stuffed animals, particularly peculiar specimens.
Some enthusiastic collectors composed fantastic beings out of stuffed animals.
In the 21st century, art is moving to the virtual word of computer software, where new technology enables creators to manipulate images further than with any earlier technology. A new aesthetic of digitisation has entered the traditional fine arts practice, but the collage concept remains ubiquitous in artistic creations.
In the Cabinet of Curiosities project, BA and MA students of painting and printmaking at ALUO explored and then virtually collaged and put together images of humans and animals where human and animal body parts intertwine.
Students created collages of peculiar creatures digitally, later translating them to analogue works of art in classic printmaking techniques, which they performed in the printmaking atelier.
They looked for images of various animal species, including extinct species, combining them with pictures of contemporary creatures. In doing so, they underlined the importance of respecting every living being, reflecting on how every living being has an important role and how our attitude towards animals shapes the world.
The exhibition was on view to the public on Friday, 30 September 2022, from 5 pm on in the ALUO building. After opening the exhibition, the creators invited the audience into the ALUO printmaking workshops, where they presented a part of the process of printmaking
Coordinator: Zora Stančič, MA, Academy of Fine Arts and Design
Work of art: Dog, author: Valentin Radulović, student of Year 2 of Painting, Academy of Fine Arts and Design
