The artistic-research programme “Art in Public Space” was held from 20 to 22 May 2026, organized by the Arts Academy in Split within the institutional research project “ART – WITNESS OF TIME: Preservation of Skills and Revitalization of Traditional Sculptural and Conservation-Restoration Techniques of Material Processing through Contemporary Curriculum – UMAS-USV, IP-UNIST-59”.
The programme was initiated by the Department of Sculpture under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Art. Robert Jozić. Through lectures, fieldwork, and a practical workshop, it systematically explored the possibilities of contemporary artistic practice in natural environments, with particular emphasis on context-sensitive and critically engaged spatial interventions.
The first day featured a series of public lectures open to a wider audience. The introductory lecture was delivered by the Head of the Department of Sculpture, Assoc. Prof. Art. Đani Martinić (doc. art.), who presented the aims of the institutional project, the programme framework, and the participants of the research. This was followed by a lecture by Senior Lecturer Ivana Vukušić (UMAS / Department of Visual Culture and Fine Arts Education) titled “The Development of Land Art in the Art-Historical Context of the 20th Century.” Prof. Art. Tanja Ravlić (UMAS / Department of Sculpture) spoke on the topic “Art in Nature – Nature in Art.” Particular attention was drawn to the guest lecture by academic sculptor Andrija Zokić, who presented bonsai art as a specific approach to shaping nature within an artistic context.
The field and practical segment of the programme, comprising artistic research and a workshop, was carried out in cooperation with the Public Institution for the Management of Marjan Forest Park. Students and faculty members of the Department of Sculpture, in coordination with the staff of Marjan Forest Park, visited selected sites and analysed their spatial, visual, and conceptual potential for contemporary artistic interventions. On the first day, selected locations were photo-documented and followed by professional field discussions, while the programme concluded at the Botanical Garden, where participants were welcomed by Marijana Kapa, head of the Botanical Garden.
The final day of the programme was dedicated to the artistic workshop and the realization of a site-specific intervention on the northern side of Marjan Forest Park. The intervention was executed according to the conceptual design by Assoc. Prof. Art. Robert Jozić and involved the shaping of broken tree stumps caused by last year’s storm. The finishing process was carried out using traditional hand tools and ecological pigments, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and the reversibility of the intervention.
The realized intervention aimed to reflect on and affirm the role of art in public space, while further raising awareness of the preservation and enhancement of Marjan Forest Park as a unique natural and cultural landscape.
Photographs: Andrija Zokić
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