Joya: AiR / Maja Štefančíková / Slovakia

Arriving at Joya: AiR was significant for me, as I came with the purpose of exploring the correlation between human will and action with atmospheric phenomena. I planned to have the opportunity to observe the spectacle of clouds every day and to devote myself to artistic research. But not every plan or intention can be realized and fulfilled. Only the first two days I encountered the sky covered with isolated, dense clouds with sharply defined edges, which is characteristic of cumulus. But then an unusual phenomenon occurred in January, when temperatures rose by more than 10 degrees, the wind stopped, and the sky turned into a monotonous blue expanse. Suddenly there was nothing to observe in the sky.

Cloud formation is subject to many factors. My study primarily deals with the movement of air, which is one of the key elements in the formation of clouds and drives atmospheric dynamics. However, if the sky is clear and cloudless, then what do I study? This question led me to think about the mutual interactions between myself and the environment in which I find myself. In this artistic research, movement is a key element that defines wind and forms cloud shapes. In a clear sky where there are no clouds, the question becomes: how do you move and exist without creating movement?

Maja Štefančíková