Monument Keep the Dreams Alive

Sculptures in the City series – a collaboration between HIT and the Ministry of Culture

The final contribution by HIT to the city’s open-air sculpture collection is the sculpture Preserve the Dreams (2004) by Mirsad Begić. Like the other works in the series, it is situated within the historical context of a city built on the site of a former cemetery. Fascinated by the archaeology of place and the messages of the past, the artist conceived the work as a fountain—a homage to life and death.

As Begić explained in an interview for Primorske novice: “The overall concept of the project is an archaeology of life and death. It is a sacred space marked by strong symbols—the ship, representing departure, and water, symbolising eternity, birth and growth. The composition includes water that does not spray but resonates, suggesting the eternal source of life.”

The space addresses the viewer directly, demanding a more engaged response. The fountain can be understood as a reconstruction of the site’s past—a link between history and contemporary life, a passage from the worldly to the otherworldly, from the physical to the spiritual, from the conscious to the unconscious.

The sculpture also sparked debate in the city, which may be attributed not only to the viewer’s limited engagement with its deeper meaning, but also to questions regarding its spatial placement.

Regardless of differing opinions, it is important to note that Nova Gorica is enriched by works of leading figures in contemporary Slovenian sculpture, whose originality and expressive power stand alongside contemporary European production.

Avtor: Pavla Jarc

Kraj: Nova Gorica

Vir:

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/)

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