WHISPERING TO ATMs

The exhibition “Whispering to ATMs” is conceived as a composition of a visual element (graphics) and a literary text (micro prose). This relatively unusual combination of two artistic expressions is presented to the audience on multiple levels, communicating both textually and visually, and allowing for various interpretations; the visual stimulus intensifies the emotions carried by the texts.

Meić began the process of creating stains by studying spontaneously formed marks from reality, as well as exploring the possibilities of traditional intaglio printmaking techniques. Through the “beauty of chance” and the harmony of stains, the artist seeks a way to dive deeper—by observing simple visual elements, she reaches a space of feeling, reflection, and experience.

“While reading the stories and browsing through existing prints, I searched for details—zooming in, rotating, erasing, redrawing, and digitally intervening on my own scanned graphics. Sometimes isolating just a single line from the entire sheet, or a millimeter-sized dot next to a large stain. This approach allowed for a freer and more direct transmission of thoughts after reading the story. In the desire not to separate words from visual elements, I reacted impulsively,” explains Meić.

One of the starting points of the collaboration between the two artists was a reflection on the overwhelming amount of information, the sterility of today’s visual stimuli, and the question of how and why we choose or reject certain content. As our gaze wanders across the visual field, we select familiar images, while abstract visual elements—such as a stain on a wall or a worn pedestrian crossing—remain unnoticed, ignored. A similar thing happens with shorter literary forms (poetry, micro prose, short stories), which often go unnoticed in the cacophony of modern communication; they dissolve into the background, as they are inherently quieter and more contemplative.

Additionally, the visual component significantly defines the text: the dynamics of writing, the content, and the imposed framework of the artwork limit the space of the text, yet the micro-story leaves the viewer with an emotion, an image in the mind—not something literally remembered, but something felt.

In this way, the artists “glorify” simple, pure visual content and short literary forms, pointing to the importance of observing, reading, seeing, and experiencing.

Whispering to ATMs is conceived as a traveling exhibition.

Ivan Jozić (1981, Zenica) holds a degree in economics and is the author of the short story collection Male Pig and Twenty Desperately in Love. He has been a finalist and winner of several literary competitions in Croatia and the region. His stories have been included in numerous national and regional anthologies and publications. He participated as one of Croatia’s representatives at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2016. He lives and works in Zagreb.

Vida Meić (1991, Čakovec) graduated in printmaking from the Teacher Education Department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb with Summa Cum Laude honors. She is the recipient of seven awards for artistic work, including the Erste Grand Prix, the National and University Library Print Collection Award, and the MSU Award. She has exhibited in around thirty group exhibitions and three solo exhibitions. She works as an assistant at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb.