Silvan Omerzu

Silvan Omerzu’s installations welcome us to each exhibition venue, entering into a dialogue with each space, its history and significance, as well as with the whole of The Oracle. As a sculptor, puppet designer, and director, Omerzu’s work is based in storytelling, masterfully navigating between addressing children or adults, never underestimating his audience, and delivering complex messages in his signature visual style.

The installations linger between the theatrical and the sculptural, frozen in motion or left to their automated movements. Even so, their expressiveness and the scenographic quality of the scenes are relatable and legible. Observing them feels like taking in lines from a book, or almost hearing the spoken words of a theatrical performance.

The basis of the final installation at the City Art Gallery is Ljubljana’s ancient past and its mythology, connected to the nearby Ljubljanica River. The legend says that Ljubljana was founded by Jason, who, together with the Argonauts, sailed along the Ljubljanica River. Omerzu draws upon this and other myths and legends, all revolving around the idea of power, the price for flying too close to the sun, the isolation it unavoidably brings, and the inevitability of fate.