The work made by Maja Živko during her In from the Margins residency at MGLC, Ljubljana, explores the living space as a psychological environment - in particular, how space influences our psychological state and emotions. The tactile part of Maja's research is pursued in the traditional form of a graphic sheet. By experimenting with different techniques from several matrices she arrives at the final version of the print. This project has opened up new perspectives within her practice, both on a technical and expressive level.
Her month-long exploration of this subject in intaglio techniques resulted in 6 final prints each representing different perspectives on the space. The technique is combined, resulting in different textures and depths in the final print. The artist used different types of printmaking techniques on the same plate and combined two or more plates for each print, with the final result being 6 versions of the print with changing perspectives and motifs. Her prints are divided in two cycles: the first is brighter in colour, and the motifs are more enhanced; the second is darker with abstracted motifs and more depth of space.
As part of her residency, Maja Živko met with school groups, children and families from different ethnic nationalities, for whom she conducted workshops on printmaking, presentations of her work and a Studio Doors Open Day. At the end of her month-long residency, she presented a pop-up exhibition of her work. In total, the artist made contact with more then fifty young and old art lovers during her stay.
Residency dates: 3 - 30 May 2022
Maja Živko was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she graduated from the Department of Printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts, before continuing her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. In recent years, she has been exploring the concept of liminal space in her own vision as well as the meaning of people in certain spaces through the feelings she experiences in daily life around certain people and the meaning and influence these people have on the space she feels deeply connected to.
Honesty is the most important artistic statement for her. She says:
"I am interested in the project In from the Margins because all my life I have been told stories about people who migrated during the war in Bosnia. And after the war, most people tried to migrate, and even now people of my generation are just waiting for an opportunity to leave the country. Living in a country where the only future is the future of immigrants, I think I can explore this issue with empathy and understanding."
