Jana Jocif: Hidden Heritage

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Round Tower, Škofja Loka Museum
6 April–5 June 2022

Jana Jocif: Hidden Heritage
Portraits of Centuries Past

Curator: Nina Misson

Photographer Jana Jocif's exhibition, which consists of five series and fifty-two photographs, is dedicated to cultural heritage and its (non-)conservation. All the presented monuments – some of which are included in the Register of the Immovable Cultural Heritage of Slovenia – are examples of architectural heritage from the Škofja Loka area. The captured worlds of abandoned spaces reveal the stories written by centuries-old buildings, houses and homes. The images are intimate portraits of the spaces that used to be inhabited by people, while today they stand desolate, collapsing into themselves and awaiting either ruin or salvation.

The photographer's oeuvre includes photos of both famous historical buildings and those that are hidden or even unknown. She has created a photographic body of work that is often the only (known) testament to the existence of some buildings. Her Facebook profile serves as a platform for advocating the protection of cultural heritage, where she posts photos of dilapidated monuments and initiates discussions about possible solutions for specific buildings with experts and non-experts alike. In terms of their aesthetics, the exhibited photographs adhere to wabi-sabi, the Japanese concept that roughly translates as imperfect, aged beauty. Such art reflects the transience and imperfection that is a common subject of Jana Jocif's work, especially in the works that show the derelict cultural heritage. Her photographs show centuries of patina, wood scars and plaster cracks. The artist does not view these imperfections as flaws, in fact, she presents them in the light of decadent beauty.