Jon Derganc: Brezna (Sinkholes)

Series of 11 black and white photographs, 2010 – 2011

The aim of the series of photographs Brezna (Sinkholes)*, is to present the traumatic and divisive historic event of the postwar killings (of war prisoners and civilians during and immediately after WWII) on Slovenian territory, through a natural object which is directly linked to this event. This object was formed by natural processes, which means that the event is foreign to it, that it is completely disinterested concerning the event. That which is essential to this object, that which makes it an object, is precisely that which is missing. In this respect, the sinkhole is very similar to the event as it exists now, after the event. In this way Brezna can offer an all-encompassing view of the event. Brezna have access to the event, as it appears outside of time – as the absolute event – which comprises of the past, present, and future. Brezna are at once entirely open and entirely closed. They show all and nothing. They allow the event to speak through silence.

*The term sinkhole does not adequately convey the deeper meaning of the Slovene term brezno, which also connotes a spiritual abyss.

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Jon Derganc was born on the 4th of october 1986 in Ljubljana, Slovenia (then Yugoslavia). From the age of seven till 14, he lived in Melbourne, Australia. From 2005 to 2009 he studied painting at ALUO (Academy of Fine Arts and Design) in Ljubljana and sucessfuly defended his thesis in 2011. In 2014 he completed an MFA in Graphics at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, India. He lives and works in Ljubljana. 

Artist's web page: www.dergancpetancic.com