Batič and the Sea

Stojan Batič (1925–2015) worked at Švicarija from 1954 to 1959. During its renovation, his studio was reconstructed, based on the one he later had at Svetčeva ulica in the Rožna dolina district. Marking the centenary of his birth, students from the Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts and Design at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, under the mentorship of Boris Beja, explored Batič’s artistic legacy and his works in the art collection of the shipping company Splošna plovba Piran.

In the text for the exhibition, Boris Beja wrote: “In eight years, Batič created a remarkable body of work, which is now kept in the depot of the Splošna plovba shipping company. In addition to his artistic décor for ships, he also worked on various other public commissions and competitions at the same time, which only confirms his selfsacrificing work ethic! In his works, he used motifs that referenced the ship’s name, depicting scenes linked to specific places and enriching them with lyrical Greek iconography. Of particular interest are the connections between his reliefs for ships and his public sculptures across Slovenia. /…/ Through the visual interpretation of the black-and-white material, we wanted to recreate a part of the interior of the ships that can no longer be experienced today. The three-dimensional visualisations and animations are an attempt to walk through the spaces that were once home to Batič’s art and the many sailors who sailed the world’s seas with the rich art collection. Interpreting the past thus entails interpreting and translating a two-dimensional medium into a spatial virtual form, as well as transforming Batič’s personal pictorial language and style into objects reimagined through contemporary technologies and tools.”

AUTHORS:

Stojan Batič, Boris Beja, Žiga Ceglar, Lan Fabjan, Eva Lap, Tis Loris Lavrič, Marko Stražar

EXHIBITED WORKS:

Stojan Batič, Anchor and Dolphin, 1964. The work was part of the artistic décor of the Ljubljana (II) motor liner for the transport of general cargo in service from 1964 to 1986. From the collection of Splošna plovba d. o. o., Portorož.

Stojan Batič, The Kiss, 1968. The work was part of the artistic décor of the Trbovlje motor ship for the transport of general cargo in service from 1961 to 1973. From the collection of Splošna plovba d. o. o., Portorož.

Eva Lap, 3D model, 2025. After Stojan Batič, Naiad (1964) and Bathres (1968).

Lan Fabjan, Marko Stražar, Tis Loris Lavrič, Eva Lap, Žiga Ceglar, Eva Lap, Interiors of Slovenian ships with Stojan Batič, 3D video animations, 2024/2025.

PRODUCTION:

International Centre of Graphic Arts in collaboration with Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering in Ljubljana, 2025.

THANKS:

Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering in Ljubljana, Splošna plovba Portorož, d. o. o., Center Rog, Jerneja Batič, Tauan Bernardo, Duška Žitko.

Stojan Batič, The Kiss, 1968. The work was part of the artistic décor of the Trbovlje motor ship for the transport of general cargo in service from 1961 to 1973. From the collection of Splošna plovba d. o. o., Portorož (inv. no. 0007846).

Photo: Jaka Babnik. MGLC Archive.

Stojan Batič, Anchor and Dolphin, 1964. The work was part of the artistic décor of the Ljubljana (II) motor liner for the transport of general cargo in service from 1964 to 1986. From the collection of Splošna plovba d. o. o., Portorož (inv. no. 0008294).

Photo: Jaka Babnik. MGLC Archive.