Bell towers - heralds of heritage

2009 - art directing, exhibition design, illustration

Every September European countries participate in celebrating "European Heritage Days", a manifestation launched by the Council of Europe with the support of the European Commission. The cause for initiating such manifestation was "Monuments’ Open Doors" project, first held in France in 1984 and aimed at presenting monuments which are closed to wide public throughout the year. The Council of Europe endorsed project’s main idea and extended it to the idea of bringing Old Continent’s citizens closer on the basis of better understanding of one’s own natural and cultural heritage.
This year in Croatia the European Heritage Days focused on bell towers. The church tower " bell tower (fr. clocher, ger. Glockenturm, ita. campanile), represents a distinctive sign of a Christian ecclesiastical building, with the top storey usually containing a bell. Bell towers have often served as watch-towers or even fortifications, particularly in our turbulent and history ridden region. The bells were not only calling the people to the Service or measuring the time, but used to warn them of imminent dangers " fire, siege etc.

"Have you ever climbed up a bell-tower as a child, out of curiosity? What a world you see! �" The world seen by birds! Roofs and chimneys lie underneath you, courtyards and gardens stretch, while people work in them. They can’t see you, but you, hidden inside the bell-tower, watch them like in the movies. Did it take your breath away when the clock mechanism got in motion, the wheels squeaked and the clapper resonantly and blaringly started countdown?? Or " when out of the semi-darkness a little owl, pigeon or bat fluttered off."
- Branko Fučić