TERRACED CITY SELF-SUFFICIENCY GARDENS
(2024-2025)The project involves the restoration of terraced city gardens, which are part of the most important view of Piran and part of the green belt of its medieval core. They are located under the cathedral, a monument of national importance, and are part of the most important view of Piran from Tartini Square. From the 16th century until 2023, the gardens were intended for the self-sufficiency of the residents. The garden area is formed into 9 terraces supported by walls built of sandstone in the dry stone construction technique (UNESCO intangible heritage). Many sections of the existing stone retaining walls are demolished or in very poor condition. The project is in the final phase of preparing the implementation plan.
TOMATO PROJECT
BUILDING TOOLS TO EDUCATE WHILE HAVING FUN(2022-2025)
TOMATO (Technologies for an Open Museum Accessible To All) is a European initiative aimed at breaking down cultural and social barriers that limit access to museums and cultural spaces. Funded under the Erasmus+ programme, the project involves 16 partners from 8 EU countries.
The Tomato Manifesto which has as its purpose aim to improve the audience of cultural spaces, increase the circulation of work of arts and involve marginalized audiences through an innovative, environmental friendly and educational tool.
Abakkum has created a kit that includes board games related to the contents of the sea and the necessary to build a model of the Rt Madonna lighthouse in Piran.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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MEDSALT
UNCOVERING THE MEDITERRANEA SALT GIANT (MEDSALT) COST ACTION CA15103(2016-2020)
In COST Medsalt the role was to disseminate of the project on the salt giant on the Mediterranean seabed through artistic expressions. The sea salt crystal was chosen as a vehicle to communicate the project.
The knowledge about the sea salt crystal was communicated through three short videos: Cosmos in the sea salt crystal, Life in the salt crystal and Sea salt crystals in space. The contents of the videos visualize the geometries of the salt crystal, the life inside it and the hypothesis of the presence of the salt crystal in the Universe.
Finally, the video The Universe shines in the salt crystal was created to express the strong bond between salt and man in the cultural landscape of the salt pans.
The role of intermediary between researchers and artists requires knowledge of both science and artistic language and the ability to dialogue and interact.
MEMORIAL “WAITING FOR THE LIGHT”
45°32´292”N 13°33´134”E”(2023)
At the Piran cemetery, in the most hidden corner were is a beautiful view of the sea is a memorial for those who wanted their ashes to be scattered in the Mediterranean Sea.
The memorial follows the desire of the deceased to connect with the sea and allows relatives to worship and remember them. It consists of two parts, a circle with the poem, which symbolically represents the transition between the individuality of an individual's life and universal Life, stands on a wall, just above the cliff face and a sparkling surface of the letters of names that are associated with the sea surface.
CONNECTING LANDSCAPES
TOGETHER FOR COASTAL FOOTPATHS(2023)
The exhibition of Marjetica Potrč Water and Land in 2023 presented at the Piran Coastal Galleries was accompanied by two workshops were held in the public space, namely the repair two interrupted sections of the Štorta footpath - a stone staircase and a part of the trail. The staircase of stone stairs was repair by installing missing stones in the steps and the trail was repair by re-paving the path with stones laid on the ground. In collaboration with the Faculty of Pedagogy recommendations for a Manual for joint management of paths between Piran’s gardens was created.
The purpose of the workshop was to use our joint efforts to repair a path and thus ensure the walkability and to make students, citizens and employees of public companies aware of the co-management of common space and the knowledge of dry construction.
The Pot Štorta workshop is an example of good practice in times of climate change. We proposed the restoration of vertical and horizontal permeability. A preserved and maintained network of public footpaths provides access and connects rural territory with the city. By repairing these trails, the informal workshops focus on preserving the trails for future generations.
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“SANDSTONE AND IDENTITY IN THE ISTRIA” EXHIBITION
DRYWALL CONSTRUCTION IN SLOVENIA BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE(2025)
Scientific and professional conference at Škocjan Caves Regional Park, April 10, 2025.
A selection of graphics presented in exhibition format with the text of two publications outlines the importance of sandstone and the traditional dry stone building skills in shaping identity in the Piran region, a part of Slovenian Istria.
“THE STONE CARPET OF PIRAN” (Romana Kačič, Mojca Fabbro, Josephine Mair, Noemi Zonta, 2020) shows sandstone as a basic natural building block of the Slovenian cliff landscape and coastal city centers.
The publication “THE BEAUTY OF STONE POETRY, ISTRIA”, Cultural Landscape of Piran from Sea to Countryside (Romana Kačič, Barbara Škarja, Sara Mušič, 2022) shows numerous and diverse stone buildings that represent a valuable example of the heritage of the Istrian region, which has been preserved from generation to generation through the transfer of knowledge.
The exibition showed the diverse richness of stone pavement and stone architecture and emphasize the importance of preserving this heritage, which is key to preserving the identity of the Istrian space.
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COASTAL LANDSCAPES FROM PROTECTION TO PRODUCTION
NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS & SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES Conference in Rome, May 9th 2025
Bauhaus4Med and IFLA Europe (IFLA EU Med_net + IFLA Agricultural Landscapes Working Groups)
The participation was with the speech “The Value of the Landscape of the White Gold” about the uniqueness and importance of the salt pan landscape, especially the Sečovlje salt pans in the Northern Adriatic. The questions regarded the management of the cultural landscape and the solutions of how to maintain the salt production and the salt pans landscape in the future when the sea water level will be higher.
More info here
GUIDED TOURS & EXCURSIONS
ON ISTRIAN RURAL LANDSCAPE (2023-2025)Guided tours and excursions in the landscape of Istria with the aim of raising awareness of the quality and specificity of the Istrian area, walks and excursions on the theme of the natural and cultural landscape of the coastal strip of Slovenian Istria are organised. For the past three years, excursions on the theme of the rural landscape have been organised in cooperation with the Italian community, where local farmers invite us to their fields, olive groves, vineyards, orchards and gardens. Agriculture has always been an important economic sector for Istria and is the activity that can ensure the undeveloped nature of rural areas.
ABAKKUM PIRAN.
Activating new thoughts, ideas and connections related to landscape, space, art, culture and science is a challenge for the institute.
The aim is to create projects, actions, events or products related to the characteristics of the territory and the artistic interpretation of a wide variety of specific contents of a single place.
In the creative process, the connection between man and nature is sought in the local and global context to discover the values and uniqueness that form the identity of the single place, part of the acqua (sea)-scape or land-scape.
Romana Kačič is internationally active landscape architect specialised in integrating landscape with art, culture, and science, from small to vast scales. Leads the actions of various titles to affirm or rediscover the elements that create the identity of singualar place. She is particularly experienced in projects concerning the Mediterranean marine and coastal landscape. She organises actions involving students and the local community, aimed at sustainable development, and is active in raising public awareness on territorial policies and strategies that concern coastal landscape heritage.
Leninova ulica 1, Piran/ Pirano, Slovenia
+386 70 500 445
abakkumpiran@icloud.com
ABAKKUM Zavod za krajino, kulturo in umetnost | Istituto per il paesaggio. la cultura e l’arte | Institute for Landscape, Culture and Art