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Neretva Delta, the cultural and natural abundance of Croatia, reserve appropriated by the Ramsar Convention contains the greatest and most valuable remains of Mediterranean wetlands in Croatia and is one of the few remaining in Europe. The wetland habitat as a diverse ecosystem at the pathway of permanent water surfaces and dry land always had a significant part in the development of civilization as they foremost developed in the river valleys and floodplains*. Ana Gizdic’s artwork RAMSAR art-in-progress participates in perceiving the moral paradigm of the cultural and natural heritage preservation as a public good where it is very important to educate citizens about nurturing and dealing with cultural and natural heritage in the public and private property through cooperation with the museums and cultural and state institutions. The title RAMSAR directly refers to the Convention which grounds its activities on so-called „three pillars“: 1) Working towards the wise use of wetlands 2) The Ramsar List - a contribution to the establishing a global ecological network and 3) international cooperation in the delivery of wetland conservation and its wise use*. RAMSAR is an art in progress, artwork that consists of sculptures – kite-boards which carry portraits of the professional kiteboarders from all over the world and the recordings of their kiteboarding. This is permanent logging of the chosen kiteboarders who have touched the Neretva Delta and became its devotees enjoying the beauty and the intact nature. The first video is performed in collaboration with the kiteboarding instructor Blazka Udir, a Slovenian. During her kiting, she's wearing the Ramsar Convention's colors. The other kiters presented in this gallery are Stanko Musa, the instructor @ Kiteboarding Komin (the documentation of a video making), Ivan and Renata, Blazka's students and Lovre Suman, a kitesurfer (the portraits). These portraits were exhibited on the boards of the kitesurfers.

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The art concept happened in 2016, at Kiteboarding Komin. This concept was displayed during the Larpourlartism events - the sketch was presented at Kiteboarding Komin during the whole summer in 2016 while the performative part with filming happened from 27th till 29th of August, the same place. Later was exhibited at the DIVINE HERITAGE exhibition at the Natural History Museum view here >>  and at A Most Unusual garden view here >> 

In 2017, the performance of RAMSAR happened from 29th July till 10th September on the Neretva Delta and was exhibited at the POWER PROGRESSIVE ART ON THE ROCKS and NATURA ET CULTURA at Izidor Krsnjavi Gallery.

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RAMSAR vehemently and wisely gathers all three pillars of this Convention together with all of the protagonists of the Powerweb. The Powerweb grids power and progressive individuals and collectives who ennoble the society and the world within their framework by - staying tuned. 

(intro by Ana Gizdic and Marija Srsen)

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Others who have contributed to RAMSAR art-in-progress are Dusko Milanovic, a cameraman (in 2016), Jaksa Babic, a photographer (in 2016 and 2017) and Maja Prgomet (the official photographer of Powerweb Delta in 2016).

 

Since 2017, RAMSAR art-in-progress is sponsored by Lohmann&Rauscher

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RAMSAR art-in-progress was conducted through Powerweb. 

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*References are from the web-pages of the Croatian Agency for Environment and Nature Protection and the Ramsar Convention.

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