Živi Atelje DK, Living Atelier DK, is an independent, interdisciplinary, non-governmental and non-profit organization that uses art for exploration of identity, healing and community-building. Its main programs are Vera Dajht-Kralj collection, the Wandering Art Tea Academy, the Women to Women collective, the Creative Collective Space.
Vera Dajht-Kralj collection / One of our first principal activities in setting up Živi Atelje DK was the desire to catalogue and make public the legacy of more than 60 years of Vera’s artistic life. The colossal project is a work in progress involving many hours of finding, dating, contextualizing, measuring, taking pictures, describing and organizing each piece of art including sketches, notes, thoughts, poems, correspondence and tools. The work in progress is available for viewing. A major exhibition and thematic monograph on her public works took place in 2018. The latest project focuses on her jewelry.
Wandering Art Tea Academy (WATA) / The academy gathers tea enthusiasts who share passion, knowledge, and experiences of tea, art, and Asia bringing together tea lovers, experts and producers. Tea enthusiasts host presentations, workshops, classes, exhibitions and a library of books and pamphlets about tea. WATA tea enthusiasts view tea and tea culture as part of a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate approach to life and community and happily cooperate with other artists, experts, tea houses, and local non-profit organizations.
The Women to Women collective / The Women to Women collective is a key No Borders program that brings together women who want Croatia to become home with women for whom Croatia is already home, through engaged art to improve well-being, empower and facilitate the integration of all people into an ever-evolving community. Since 2016, through workshops, gatherings, excursions, public engagements, collaborations with other artists, this program empowers participants socially, therapeutically and economically through skills learned.
Creative Collective Space / The Creative Collective Space is a direct extension of Vera’s working and living in her atelier. The space is available to other artists and activities including the Stakleni Svijet (Glass World) with its art of glassmaking on torch section, photography and a nascent analog darkroom, and people exchanging in the mastery of needle arts.
Values
In 2022 and 2023 about 20 people involving at least 5 languages were involved in a strategic planning retreat, trying together to update our mission and vision, and define our values.
The Živi Atelje DK values are:
/ RESPECT – POŠTOVANJE – احترام – توجه – SAYGI
/ SOLIDARITY – SOLIDARNOST – تكافل- همبستگی – DAYANIŞMA
/ HORIZONTAL ACTIVE PARTICIPATION – HORIZONTALNO AKTIVNO SUDJELOVANJE – المشاركة النشطة – مشارکت فعال – AKTİF KATILIM
/ SUPPORT & CARE – PODRŠKA i NJEGA – الدعم والرعاية – پشتیبانی و مراقبت DESTEK & BAKIM
And, as you already know, it is not a finished achievement, it is a process and will go on. However, here are some definitions of those values as summarized, so far, during the strategic planning retreat:
RESPECT. Self-respect as a prerequisite for the respect of others. Encouraging self-esteem means being open-minded, curious and creative. Acceptance of diversity and differences up until the point where this could hurt Živi Atelje DK and its members. Accepting different backgrounds of oneself. Being able to express one’s own boundaries and accept the boundaries of others; knowing that boundaries are flexible, porous and ever-changing. The ability to see those aspects that connect us, not those that separate us.
SOLIDARITY. Being able to exist as one while being cohesive – when someone is in need. Sharing the consequences of living in an oppressive world. Mutual accompaniment is a way of being in the world that recognizes our interconnectivity, our shared and unique struggles.
HORIZONTAL ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. Circular empowerment. Active sharing of responsibilities. Taking responsibility. Collective decision-making. Exchange of knowledge and further dissemination of the same.
SUPPORT AND CARE. Love, togetherness and friendship. We seek and encourage balance between care giving and receiving, and self-care.