Art Against the Rifle – Promo video

Art Against the Rifle is an intermedia music-stage project that delves into the indelible marks left by the First World War in the region and beyond, presented through three distinct performances at historically significant locations. These evocative sites, steeped in memory, become stages where the past and present converge in a profound artistic dialogue.

The project offers a contemporary artistic reflection on the meaninglessness of wars and on life and love, and through various creative interpretations opens up new perspectives on history and the human experience associated with war.

9 August 2025 at 19:00, Church of St. Valentine (Sabotin): Songs of War, Work and Love

Artistic Ensemble:
Silvia Tarozzi – viola, vocals
Deborah Walker – cello, vocals
Special guests: Vocal Quartet Slovena Voices
Zvezdana Novaković – ZveN – vocals
Ana Čop – vocals
Patricija Škof – vocals
Incredible Bob – light effects

The Songs of War, Work, and Love event presents a contemporary reinterpretation of folk songs from northern Italy, which have been researched and transformed into an innovative soundscape for many years by artists Silvia Tarozzi and Deborah Walker. The repertoire includes songs of war, work, and love, enriched by the power of female polyphonic singing. This special performance will also feature members of the Slovena Voices quartet from Slovenia, under the artistic direction of Zvezdana Novaković – ZveN. Together, they will intertwine voices and languages into a powerful artistic statement of peace, solidarity, and humanity. The songs included in the project originate from different historical periods: from the early 20th century to the Second World War, with some tracing even further back in time. Through oral tradition, their lyrics and melodies have been adapted to social, geographical, and historical contexts.

The female perspective plays a vital role in the project. During times of war – and beyond – women often take on hard physical labor, replacing men, while also preserving cultural heritage and collective memory through song. Among the inspirations for the project are the songs of the “Mondine”, the women working in rice fields, known for their strong polyphonic singing and expressive power. The sound design goes beyond tradition, grounded in contemporary interpretation and exploration, while still preserving the emotional core of historical heritage.

22 August 2025 at 19:00, Cerkev Sv. Duha Javorca (Polog, Tolmin): Musical-scene performance entitled Slovo Javorovo!

Artistic ensemble:

Svetlana Spajić – artistic director, vocals
Ljoba Jenče – vocals
Ana Kravanja – vocals, violin
Tijana Golubović – vocals, viola
Karin Krivec – vocals
Irena Kovačević – vocals
Jani Kutin – vocals
Oktet Simon Gregorčič – vocals
Incredible Bob – lighting effects

The musical and theatrical event Oj Javore! at the memorial church named Cerkev Sv. Duha in Javorca is a poetic cantata created by Svetlana Spajić in collaboration with renowned Slovenian artists Ljoba Jenče, Ana Kravanja, Jani Kutin, the Simon Gregorčič Octet, Irena Kovačević, and promising young singer Karin Krivec. The ancient Slavic word slovo in the title has several meanings – it refers to a sermon, storytelling, and is associated with the said church in Javorca, with logos, and also with the iconic nature of folk songs themselves.

Songs from various Slovenian regions, prophetic texts by Simon Gregorčič, balladic tales of soldiers from the Great War, and contemporary poetry—mostly performed a cappella—intertwine and merge into a transgenerational past to honor the fallen soldiers of the Soča Front and the creator of the memorial church, Remigius Geyling. Just as their names were carved into the walls of the church in Javorca—together with a fresco of an angel, an image of his wife—in the hope that they would be preserved in memory forever, folk songs also strive to immortalize the events and people of history.

31 August 2025 at 20:00, Krompirjeva jama, Temnica (Kras): Beyond Zero 1914–1918

Beyond Zero: 1914–1918 is a music and film project by Serbian-American composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and American filmmaker Bill Morrison, created in 2014 – a universal artistic reflection that transcends time. This music-film collaboration features a moving film constructed from archival footage of World War I by Morrison, accompanied by an original string quartet composition by Vrebalov. The composer weaves into the music key sonic elements from the era, carrying a clear message: “No more wars!”. For the Art Against the Rifle project, Vrebalov invited the Austrian string ensemble Acies Quartett, who will perform live, and the choir of the Kovilj Monastery.

Artistic ensemble:

Aleksandra Vrebalov – composer (USA/SRB)
Bill Morrison – filmmaker (USA)
Acies Quartett – string quartet (AUT)
Choir of the Kovilj Monastery (SRB)
Incredible Bob (SRB) – lighting effects