It is well known that the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, stretching beyond Edinburgh, exert a soothing effect on the mind, even alleviating mild migraines. More than the empirical observation itself, what is of interest here is the perceptual quality of these places: diffused and constantly filtered light, hazy skies, green hills almost entirely free of visual interference, and a persistent atmospheric mistiness. This remarkable balance of conditions seems to suspend visual effort and, with it, to induce a temporary quieting of the nervous system: the heart rate slows, breathing deepens, and attention is reconfigured. However anecdotal or legendary it may appear, this observation is corroborated by numerous firsthand accounts and offers a useful point of departure for a broader reflection on the relationship between meteoropathic sensitivity and the artistic research of Živa Drvarič.

The practice of Živa Drvarič (Ljubljana, 1988) unfolds along unstable perceptual thresholds, where what appears familiar gradually loses its reliability and the elements shaped by the artist elude clear realist references. From this emerges a recurring characteristic of her work: an unintentional yet effective pursuit of aniconism. Drvarič certainly presents recognizable forms, yet she often approaches form asymptotically, establishing with the viewer a relationship of almost atomic proximity. This is why some of her works can leave us momentarily disoriented: we sense their meaning without ever fully arriving at a satisfying interpretation.

Often elusive, Drvarič’s works require the suspension of sophisticated logic in favour of more elementary perceptual instincts. This does not entail abandoning the intellect, but rather relinquishing the need to define and circumscribe what is perceived, in order to approach a more authentic engagement with the work, whose meaning emerges gradually, suspended between intuition and contemplation.

Within the play of vision, every detail simultaneously recedes and attracts, every surface invites attentive exploration. Perception extends beyond sight, engaging an apparent sense of touch, sensory memory, and inner rhythm. Here a holistic, synaesthetic experience takes shape, one in which signifiers accumulate and overlap, transforming the artwork into a field of possibilities: not an immediate truth, but a stimulating synaptic experience capable of provoking both wonder and reflection.

It is equally evident that Drvarič does not seek auxiliary ornamental effects. Her works convey a kind of implicit declaration of non-adherence, an almost unsettling interest in a formal neutrality that rejects emphasis and rhetoric. This tension toward restraint is not confined to the visual surface; it manifests itself in a tonal neutrality in which colours, materials, and forms interact without dominating or seducing the viewer, leaving room for a freer and more reflective mode of perception. It is within this attitude that one can identify the third foundational aspect of her practice: an aspiration toward a neutrality that is at once visual, emotional, and conceptual, capable of focusing attention on the quality of the experience itself rather than on immediate decorative flourishes.

Aniconism, synaesthesia, and neutrality constitute the founding principles of Živa Drvarič’s practice. It is this combination that lends her works their distinctive strength, making them works that both require and sustain prolonged contemplation. To encounter her work is to enter into a cognitive experience that operates far beyond the visual realm.

Reading, in this context, is never passive: it is an act of listening, surrender, and activation of the subtlest senses, an invitation to allow oneself to be traversed by the work in its entirety. Within this sensory dialogue, every detail, every tonal variation, and every vibration of the composite material becomes part of a meditative experience in which the mind relaxes and the surrounding space grows indistinct. Each exhibited work is conceived as an autonomous unit, while the space separating the works is carefully orchestrated by the artist in order to enhance their intimacy.

Drvarič’s works do not offer immediate resolutions; rather, they open onto a mode of slow contemplation in which time expands and the senses become more acute. The harmony that emerges is discreet yet profound, almost imperceptible, and continues to resonate within the viewer, leaving behind a silent presence that accompanies and transforms perception long after the direct visual experience has ended.

 — Maurizio Vicerè