Unseen realities (2016)
Essay, Digital art, Mixed media
Space: Abandoned village of Ruskovici, Peljesac Peninsula, Croatia

UNSEEN REALITIES

ABOUT

About

Unseen realities refer to ideas first born as flashes of imagination, untethered from existing reality, and therefore often dismissed as impossible. In the act of creation, however, these imagined elements begin to materialize, transforming into something tangible and emotionally real. They are “unseen” not because they are abstract, but because they represent a new vision, emerging through the creative act as something not yet recognised, but deeply possible.

Method

The concept of unseen realities arose out of a desire to explain my own artistic relationship with digital storytelling, which I dubbed the poetic approach to digital storytelling. I reflected on the fact that, as an artist, I was inspired to use abandoned buildings/facilities/structures as backgrounds for my video works, because I perceived them as empty spaces in which I can integrate my thoughts, i.e. my written works. If I added music to it and narrate it all in my voice, would I not have created some new (future) memory for all those already accustomed to the visual appearance/architecture of this forgotten building? While looking for a backdrop for my texts, I sought an image that would not distract from my text, an image that would not interfere with the amplitude of my words. Such a picture was supposed to be the perfect backdrop for letting my words be heard while still correlating with them in order to create a new future memory of those places we may have forgotten. At the same time, through ''future memory'' we create empathy.

Reflection

The following poetic reflection is a field note and key component of the reflection and documentation process that demonstrates how artistic insights contribute to the creation of new knowledge. It was written in response to an encounter with an abandoned house in the village of Ruskovici, Croatia, and stands as an early trace and proof of a concept explaining how the emotional resonance of space influenced my artistic-scientific practice. Although I did not yet know how to formalize this approach, it revealed that digital storytelling could evolve into a more spatial, emotional, and poetic method. One that I now define as Poetical Digital Storytelling (PDS).

Artistic presentation & Research Contribution

2019 Spatial Belonging, Cultural Heritage Values, and Innovative Educational Engagement through Landscape, Film, and Digital-Based Artistic Interventions. Horizon 2020 EU project proposal. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Malmö, Sweden

2017 Revitalization and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage: Future Potentials. Draft Proposal for Investment Projects in Culture. Matica Hrvatska, Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia.

2.5 Poetics of space: Constructing imaginary worlds

2.7 Spaces as narrative agents

2.10 Holding time: Narrative absence as technique

Writing and rewriting of emotional landscapes (3.5)

Essay/Field Note: A Poetical Reflection on Space and Method

The polarity between public and private spaces, imagination and reality, both urban and rural, has marked my search for all the stories in the future. My search begins at all marked locations in reality and at all unmarked places in my imagination.

The first photo you see is an part of abandoned building in the village of Ruskovici, Peljesac Peninsula in Croatia. Without human presence, the abandoned building is in interaction with nature, interwined, they are both symbols of expectancy. My curiosity to tell the story of this building was not based on facts from the past. Indeed, my desire to build the story which is already living in the future, was even more powerful.

Let's not get confused, writing the story about this exact building means writing a story about me. Almost like rethinking my own identity. Where would I set up this building in my head, in which date and time of the year, and will there be any music? I don't remember colour of your voice. But I can do it all from the scratch....Rethink this story and put all the pieces of my memories into one big box. No, never the box, the story will be screaming out loud. But yes, somehow, we used the box. You can imagine whatever shape you like.

Now, we need something visual. For those who are not satisfied with getting lost in 'Elysées of words' - we will put photos, we will put videos. This time the building you look corresponds to human imagination and its use in the future will be determined by this off-the-cuff human action.

When I tell you my personal story, you will recognize me by the color of my voice. That is the voice of the narrator in the story. And, in the end, you will see how beautifully I stole this building and gave her different meaning. I put my voice, I sing, almost cry, oh, I'm taking you through all areas of my imagination.

©Tina Bikic, 2016

I wondered if, by creating a photograph, I give these lonely spaces a feeling of inner immensity.

-EXCERPT FROM UNSEEN REALITIES

Unseen Realities

Written by Tina Bikic

All of the spaces that captured my attention, I translated into images by fantasizing about them, integrating my thoughts into their walls and surfaces.