The fact that architecture is eminently a fine art discipline is being increasingly less recognised and included into the majority of economic and sociological reflections and their respective technological and constructive premises. And yet, it has occupied an important place in all artistic traditions, especially within the so called le arti del disegno, where it also often clustered painting and sculptural elements. Their common origin in drawing as both an intuitive/intellectual and affective/manual discipline is evoked especially in the instances of architects' involvement in various "non-construction" projects, such as stage, interior, ambience and exhibition design.
By using the term stand as an important element of many spatial interventions and most exhibition events, architect Nenad Fabijanić applies the pars pro toto method as a basis of his solutions regarding the tasks linked to visual arts and his extensive collaboration with artists utilizing other media and techniques (painters, dancers, choreographers). Namely, apart from considering the arrangement of paintings and statues, or persons and characters in certain spatial conditions, it is necessary to occasionally introduce some specific new items into the scene, designed to allow the aforementioned agents of spatial intervention (i.e. paintings and statues; persons and characters) to gain prominence, become more visible and significant, engage the eye and the mind. Those newly-created items serve as a stand for an exhibited object or as a platform for theatrical action. Metaphorically, they also imply a standpoint towards an object or action, allowing their greater affirmation and valorisation.
When choosing the term stand, Fabijanić has rightly decided against the seemingly synonymous "pedestal" or quasi-analogue "plinth". The latter term is more appropriate in an exclusive reference to the base of a column, while the former serves primarily to describe the support of famous persons' statues, of idealised and even deified proportions. Fabijanić, however, does not want his stand to be perceived as a monument, but rather as an argument in a better, more appropriate presentation of the exhibited objects and, generally, of a more comprehensive and coherent articulation of the space they are intended for.
As an accomplished author of a number of creative projects, Nenad Fabijanić does not need to assert himself in encounters with other artists – he does not need to be obtrusive, boisterous, ornamental or excessively playful, but can rather consciously subject himself to the visions and creative universes of the artists close to his concepts. In other words, he can adapt to the needs and goals of the work his participation is related to. His particular esteem for painters such as Ivo Šebalj and Josip Vaništa or the choreographer Milko Šparemblek is evident, as well as his consistent focus on fathoming the integrity of their works and actions and his commitment to emphasising their achievements and individual traits.
Fabijanić's stands are therefore always in a dialog with specific things that need to be highlighted (exhibited, but with a delicate accent) and the specific ambiences they blend into (unmistakeably elevating their energy potential by a certain degree). Be it a local square or a theatre scene, art gallery nook or a museum building – he has always felt the need to find a true correlative to the desired show or representation while keeping the objects' accentuation within measure and never falling into the trap of a subjective self-promotion.
Tonko Maroević
