Interview with Korcula based artist Edita Pecotic

Korčula artist Edita Pecotic’s Temporary Internet Files are a testament to the beauty and tranquillity of the Croatian island.  The time-lapse videos are all shot from the same perspective with a heavenly view through the trees and over the sea.  The files are meditations on the seasonal changes in Korčula, and as video works the medium nods at our contemporary perception of time.  Watch the undulating water and changing sunlight of the most recent videos as a meditation, a reflection of Korčula’s winter tranquillity.

How has your life in Korčula influenced your work?
I received my art degree in London, where I have family and live for part of the year. Working daily on “Temporary (Internet) Files 2” is a soothing and satisfying experience, as it is some form of escapism from the constant bustling of London.

You work mostly with video, are you working in other mediums as well?
In last few years I’ve worked with video, but I also work with other media such as painting and photography.  The paintings I particularly like are series of acrylic painted maps with reference to Korcula.  Fishbone (in the Throat) is one of the paintings, which represents the map of Korčula’s Old Town, where its’ cobbled streets are structured in the shape of a fish skeleton, a technique of town planning that was applied to trap the sea breeze for the purposes of natural air-conditioning in medieval towns. By reshuffling and muddling up the streets on a town plan, this work refers to the suffocating experience of a closed community existence.

I also work with photography and I have few ongoing series of photos that I eventually intent to exhibit as 2 separate bodies of works.

Why have you decided to exhibit your current videos on the Internet, as opposed to a more traditional gallery setting?
The “Temporary (Internet ) Files 2” web exhibition was presented last year as a solo show.  It was screened at the Korcula Museum as well screened at Tabor Film Festival (in Zagreb, Croatia).

The reason I decided to go for a web exhibition this time is due to the nature of the work – a web video diary made by photos collected online via webcam.  As this is a diary, I find it ideal that it should be shown almost daily, accessible for a long time and any time.  The web offers that possibility – it is instant, continuous and (almost) free.

Where do you find inspiration?
The architecture of Korcula Old Town, the beauty of nature around the island, the seascape, the village of Zrnovo and the Pupnatska Luka Bay.

What are some of your favourite places in Korčula?
My favourite places in Korcula are Mandrac (a small harbour close to my house), next to Sveti Nikola Church and Monastery, where I like to spend time watching sunsets and chatting with people.  If there is no Maestral wind, I like to watch the sunset, drink coffee and eat chocolate palacinke (pancakes).  My life generally evolves between Korcula Old Town and Sveti Nikola Promenade. It is a small world, I know everybody there, which is very satisfying and, for part of the year, sufficient.

What’s the best time of year to be there?
Korčula is beautiful and inspirational at any time of the year. In the summer it gets warm, crowded and vibrant, with a lot of people visiting from all around the world. Cafes and restaurants are full. In spring and autumn is less crowded, and not as hot, so it is good time for walks, hiking, cycling and similar activities. In winter, it is almost deserted, it feels like nobody is around, but it also has its charm, that is a good time to spend indoors, watching over the Channel through the window, going for walks, reading books, writing or creating art.

What do you have planned for the future?
I intend to continue with “Temporary Internet Files2” in from of web video diary for at least a year, to complete a circle of 1 year and all seasonal transformations.  There might be a gallery exhibition of the work in summer 2011 in Korčula.  While I’m working on this project I am also working on photography projects and I hope that perhaps I will be able to prepare photographs for an exhibition within next 2 years.  My work generally covers long periods and daily, obsessive activities, so I am busy as always…

Check out the film and get more information on the “Temporary Internet Files 2″ and see images of Edita’s paintings on her website at: www.editapecotic.com

Sample the delights of Korcula for yourself by staying at the Lesic Dimitri Palace.

All Images Courtesy of the Artist

Contributing writer and interview by: Alicia Reuter

Categories: Korcula – Croatia, Art, Interviews