Former concrete Solar Clock
Destroyed monumental concrete sculpture
Marko Pogačnik was a co-founder of the neo-avant-garde conceptualist group OHO, which, together with Milenko Matanović, David Nez, and Andraž Šalamun, created the Solar Sculpture in reinforced concrete in 1970, in front of the former Argonavti hotel and entertainment complex in Nova Gorica. Also known as the Solar Clock, the sculpture was part of the visionary architecture of Argonavti. In collaboration with architect Niko Lehrman, the OHO group sought—drawing on the ancient myth of the Argonauts—to revive the expressive power and achievements of ancient, vanished American civilisations.
The sculpture was carefully designed in the form of two lung-like wings, separated by a narrow slit that can also be understood as a trachea, through which air flows as a symbol of life and an all-pervading spirit. In the late afternoon, sunlight would pass through the opening and fall onto a group of stone tables, symbolising human existence in the here and now. The monumental structure, reaching 15 metres in height, drew on the ancient tradition of megalithic solar sanctuaries.
During the renovation of the present-day Perla entertainment centre in 1999, the sculpture was carelessly removed, once again reflecting a disregard and negligent attitude towards the artistic achievements of the region. With its destruction, one of the most impressive sculptures in the area was lost—an artwork that had represented Yugoslav art at the Paris Biennale of Young Artists in 1971.
Avtor: Pavla Jarc
Vir:
From the article:
Pavla Jarc: Javni spomeniki in skulpture v mestu, Razpotja Nove Gorice, št. 29, zima 2017 (https://razpotja.si/razpotja_article/javni-spomeniki-in-skulpture-v-mestu/)