Client: Ethnographic Museum Zagreb
Year: 2018
Curator: Marija Živković
Exhibition design: Katarina Perić; Graphic design: Iva Hrvatin; Production design: Marita Bonačić
Photography: Marija Gašparović
An exhibition about the lives of Seljan brothers and their explorations in Africa and South America. The museum space is transformed into a poetic landscape, a fusion of reality and imagination. Visitors find themselves transported to the heart of the brothers' expeditions, surrounded by artifacts, maps, and immersive storytelling elements that bring their journeys to life.
As visitors step onto the treadmill, they're greeted with the names of the cities written onto its surface. Each step taken translates to a metaphorical passage through these cities, symbolizing Mirko's arduous trek from Paris to St. Petersburg. This treadmill, with its simple yet evocative design, encourages visitors to embody Mirko Seljan's expedition in a symbolic and contemplative manner, forging a connection between physical movement and the exploration of the cities that defined his remarkable journey.
A rowing machine stands as a tribute to the brothers' aquatic expeditions. As visitors hop on, they're not merely exercising; they're navigating the brothers' recorded diaries. With each row, the machine plays prerecorded excerpts from their journals, recounting gripping tales of survival, encounters with diverse cultures, and the awe-inspiring landscapes that unfolded during their river exploration. The rhythmic motion on the rowing machine becomes a conduit to experience the brothers' challenges and triumphs, making history tangible through physical engagement.
