Manja Ristić and Mario Kolarić have collaborated numerous times in the field of experimental audio-visual arts, including performative interventions, exhibition works, and digital releases. Their new collaboration is symbolically inspired by the synaptic space — a scientific model of synapse function where "communication" between two neurons occurs, a space for information exchange essential for most subsequent functions of the nervous system. Ultimately, the context of their work relies on the concept of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who extensively studied the state of ataraxia — a state of lucid calmness. This complex ancient philosophical concept has various interpretations, and "Synaptic Reveries" aligns with those that bring mental-emotional balance and support sensory ecologies opposing the cacophony of everyday life, informational saturation, and the commercialization of human perception and attention.
What happens in the synaptic space and how does it function?
"During a chemical synapse, the neuron transmitting the information (presynaptic) releases a substance, in this case, a neurotransmitter, through the synaptic knob, releasing it into the synaptic space, also known as the synaptic cleft. Following this, the postsynaptic neuron, equipped with specific receptors for each neurotransmitter, receives the information through dendrites. The electron microscope has revealed that the communication between neurons does not involve direct contact but rather occurs in a space where neurotransmitters are released. Each neurotransmitter has different effects that further influence the functioning of the nervous system.”
Manja and Mario's creative approach meets in synesthetic minimalism — her spontaneous need to "sound" his drawings and his deep dedication to the resonant nature of the image. Observing Mario's works, Manja perceives them without hesitation as graphic and/or abstract scores; listening to Manja's music, Mario effortlessly creates illustrations. Their collaborative work "Synaptic Reveries" aims to create an audio-visual piece that generates a sensory experience, counteracting robust auditory and visual saturation of contemporary lifestyle. Additionally, it addresses the potential of audio-visual installations in working with neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive individuals and explores the sensorial qualities of minimalism in inter-media artistic practice.
"Synaptic Reveries" contribute to the anxious discourse about the Anthropocene, highlighting the importance of sensorial and spatial ecology and questioning what inter-species interaction—and even further, human-technological interactivity based on daily artificial intelligence use—brings to the "space" of exchange, and more importantly, what it leaves behind.
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Mario Kolarić is a visual artist, born in 1984 in Belgrade, who grew up in Osijek and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb in 2010. He has been a member of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists in Zagreb since 2010. Since 2022, he has been a member of La Maison des Artistes, France. He works in the field of drawing, objects, and installations, examining the relationship to the image, written record, and time. He has had ten solo and several group exhibitions in the Balkans and Europe. He currently lives and works in Paris, France.
Manja Ristić and Mario Kolarić have been collaborating since 2019.
All sounds recorded & composed by Manja Ristić
All visual content by Mario Kolarić
Text by Manja Ristić
Mastering by Goran Simonoski / La Plant Studio
The project is supported by the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Department of Education, Culture, and Sports.