The installation depicts a wave motif in the crochet technique. It is a blend of traditional and modern art, and makes the audience aware of the importance of thinking outside the box by transforming the expected flat textile handicrafts into three-dimensional modern ones. The result is a tactile interactive installation that extends and moves through space, giving visitor the ability to play and create different shapes.
Neglecting certain patterns and rules when crocheting and introducing some new ones gives space for creative expression. Employing such a contemporary approach, the importance of tradition is not forgotten but rather empowered by a touch of modernity. In addition to the wave motif, the installation gives the impression of living organisms, such as corals, which invites the visitor to touch the material, texture and relief. The author tries to show that a similar silent communication occurs between the artist and the visitor, as happens with the mutual telepathic communication between the corals, which many scientists are also trying to explore. In direct contact with a handmade object, the touch becomes a reality and contributes to the formation of opinions about the work, creates an opportunity for silent dialogue and connects the artist with the visitor.
By touching, the visitor can become aware of the complexity of production, the time spent and the importance of manual work, and think about the environment. The tactile interactive installation shows the aesthetic value of the interior, as a work of art that goes into space and moves in space, just like waves and aquatic animals.
Nikolina Holjak graduated in 2020 in textile design at the Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb. In addition to textile design, she is also a graphic designer. In her works, she mostly uses crochet, macrame and embroidery techniques. She has participated in fourteen group exhibitions and received many awards for her work.
Photography: Maša Pirc / BIEN 2021
