Pahljače / Fans

Fans are forgotten and often lost objects of cultural heritage. A fan is usually associated with fashion, but in reality it has to do with craft, art and practicability that touches the history, art, sociology, socio-economics and restoration.

Once a necessary requisite for bellowing a fire, reducing the heat or turning away insects, the fan got the status of fashion accessory. But the fan as a status symbol always had additional advantages: you could hide behind it, observe the environment through little holes in it, use it as a means for flirting or communicate in your own way.

Kibela, space for art organised a group exhibition “FANS” during 22 and 27 December 2004. The opening took place on 22 December at 8 pm in space for art KiBela.

This time the artists, designers, students and other enthusiasts were invited to make their own fan. There weren't any limitations regarding the shape, size or materials used. The work had to be done until 10 December 2004. Invitations to tender were published in the beginning of November.

We received 49 authorial products. Approximately half of the authors were from Maribor and surrounding, others came from different parts of Slovenia (Jesenice, Novo mesto, Murska Sobota, Ljubljana etc.)

Three out of 49 fans were chosen by an expert commission, that consisted of: Aleksandra Kostič (curator), Tadeja Nedog (organiser of the exhibition), Andreja Jurc Pahor (architect), Peter Tomaž Dobrila (KID Kibla counsellor), Dejan Štampar (designer and architect), Uroš Lehner and Alen Breznik (both designers). At the opening ceremony we also awarded a fan, chosen by the audience, which went to the author Metka Kavčič Takač and a special award for a fan in the shape of a cake by the author Larisa Lah. The first award went to a fan 'Let's blow some spectrum in' by authors Uroš Bogdanovič and Barbara Zemljič, second award went to Borut Popenko and his gardening fan, and the third award went to the fan, chosen by the audience as well.

Invitation to tender was published in daily newspapers, in “Deloskop”, in various electronic media and on printed invitations, and sent to Kibla's mailing list. A large number of invitations were sent to Faculties where it is possible to study art, fine art, art pedagogy...