Mercurial Threads I , mixed media
Artistic digitization of cultural heritage, a term coined by the artist herself, involves the use of freely available archival photographs, three-dimensionally scanned or three-dimensionally generated objects, and underground scenes, with the help of which the artist depicts the inseparable intertwining of mining, nature, and cultural heritage of Idrija. Through images of industrial Idrija and Idrija life, and the intertwining of lives with raw nature, the artist outlines a holistic heritage landscape and illuminates the invisible but tireless passage of time.
The project "Mercurial Threads" is part of the artist's practice of Artistic Digitization and connects intermedia artistic practices, digitization, and (intangible) cultural heritage. The goal is to preserve cultural, especially intangible, heritage with the help of existing (or new) museum digital archives and present it in a new way, and with the help of new technologies. The project Artistic Digitization deals with the problem of preserving Slovenian cultural heritage in the age of digital media and offers the digitization of (intangible) cultural heritage as a solution.
Presentation
The project has been presented at the solo exhibition Mercurial Threads at the Pri Črnem Orlu Gallery (Idrija, Slovenija, 2025). The exhibition was part of the Festival of Industrial Culture Betrib 2025, part of the GO! 2025 Capital of Culture Nova Gorica/Gorizia.
Mercuriality I-IV, Ph: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
Mercurial Threads I-II, Stone Memories I-IV, Ph: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
Cinnabar I-III, Ph: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
Press
The project was presented in various news outlets as the festival's website and the official Idrija municipality's website.
Gallery View
Mercurial Threads at Betrib Festival 2025, Ph: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
Mercurial Threads at Betrib Festival 2025, Ph: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
Thank You
Matevž Straus and Drejc Kokošar (ID20 Institute), Damjana Bončina (Idrija City Museum). Technical assistance from Bojan Nemec and Jernej Čuček Gerbec. Photography of the gallery view by Jernej Čuček Gerbec. The project Mercurial Threads was created with the help of the working grant JR-DŠ-UM-2024 awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
