Boris Beja, Jan Češnjevar, Jure Jelenc & Naja Ražem: Cycling Avba
light objects
ZRC @ Gosposka Street 13 – the former Žika tailor shop // until 20 June
OPENING: Tuesday, 26 May 2026, at 9:30 p.m.

Graduates of the Department of Information and Graphic Arts Technology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, carried out an experimental project that applies elements of folklore to practical everyday needs in modern contexts. The result of this collaborative research is a hybrid tool for everyday use, a combination of a bicycle helmet and a traditional ‘avba’ (headdress), further adorned with ‘sicanje’ – a tattooing technique once used primarily by women in the Balkans to adorn themselves with special symbols for protection. The presented prototype, created using 3D modelling and printing, personifies the connection between the traditional craftsmanship and high technology. The modernised ‘avba’ integrates elements of various national identities and links them to the phenomenon of cycling as a manifestation of patriotism or environmental spirit. The project was realised with the financial support of the University of Ljubljana’s HUD fund, dedicated to the implementation of creative ideas in the fields of humanities, arts and social sciences.

The CYCLING AVBA project team, active since 2025, consists of graduates of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana. This interdisciplinary group combines classical (spatial) design with modern technologies. Its members employ foundations of the past to conceive innovative responses to contemporary challenges.

Co-production: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana (NTF, UL), University of Ljubljana’s HUD fund