Eva Lap, Žiga Ceglar, Lan Fabjan, Marko Stražar, Tis Loris Lavrič
Mentor: doc. Boris Beja

In 2024, we marked 70 years since the Primorska region was reunified with its motherland, 70 years since the establishment of the maritime company Splošna plovba, and 70 years since the purchase of the first ocean-going ship. The heroic times of our recent past -reflected even in our national coat of arms – are defined by our seafarers, who once conquered great distances aboard Slovenian ships.

In 2020, the Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum in Piran prepared an exhibition project titled “Slovenian Ships: 6 Ships of Splošna Plovba,” conceived by art historian Duška Žitko. In addition to the technical heritage, the exhibition also shed light on the art collection that once adorned the ships’ interiors.

Splošna plovba, founded in 1954, sold its last ship a few years ago. Plans and photographic materials have been preserved, which we used to design virtual experiences of the interiors of Slovenian ships. From the six ships, we selected Portorož (IV) and Ljubljana (III).

The ship Ljubljana was not just a cargo vessel. From the plans, we learned that it was also used for transporting the general public. It sailed across the Mediterranean and to the west coast of the USA and Canada. While Ljubljana was the first ship owned by Splošna plovba, Portorož was the last new build and today sails under foreign ownership under the name Patmos John.

Together with students from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Textiles, Graphics, and Design, we researched the artistic legacy of Stojan Batič in public spaces and in the art collection of Splošna plovba Piran. The project explored maritime heritage and challenged us to transform photographic material into a virtual spatial experience for the modern museum visitor.

Today, museum presentations of artifacts and exhibits are enhanced by animations, including simulations that supplement the displayed material. On one hand, we researched the interiors and the companies that built and co-designed them. On the other hand, we aimed to highlight the rich art collection of Splošna plovba, shaped by Slovenian artists. Among them, aboard Slovenian ships, we find sculptural works by Stojan Batič, who equipped the ships Ljubljana, Bela Krajina, Ljutomer, Kras, Postojna, Portorož (I) and (II), and Trbovlje with his distinctive sculptural style.

While artistically interpreting the black-and-white material, we experimented with surface treatments of 3D objects, explored material and color choices, and sought to connect our realizations with the aesthetics of the 1950s and 1960s. In doing so, we studied the design solutions of the companies Stol Kamnik and Meblo Nova Gorica, later assisted by color photographs provided by Splošna plovba.

Modern 3D technologies today also serve as tools for restorers. 3D digital capture of various relief or sculptural forms is used to create copies or reconstruct missing parts. In this project, we included Batič’s sculptures in the interior, which we recreated using 3D capture and data processing. This allowed us to enhance the virtual walk-through with recordings of real objects.

The design and architectural heritage was lost with the sale of the ships. The 3D visualizations, which offer the public a video walk-through of the ship’s interior, are an attempt to preserve the memory of our nation’s maritime past. We offer viewers entry into spaces that no longer exist – what remains are the artworks that remind us of the rich legacy of Slovenian seamanship.