We must mention a few exceptional situations which have changed the artist's view of the world. In 1995, he came across the story of the extinct Tasmanian wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus) for the first time, and only after two years, after enormous conceptual efforts he brought this breed of animal back to life and showed it to the public. It is interesting that his industry in reviving this extraordinary animal has found emulators in the world of genetics who attempt to bring species back to life through cloning.
The artist came into contact with cloning in 1995, when he created a clone of himself which he represented superbly at exhibitions and other events .

In 1999, after series of conceptual approaches , the artist finally managed to interview a trout, with a scientific name Salmo trutta marmoratus. In 2000 the artist re-elaborated the last missing elements of project "The first Slovenian autochtonal fonts". The characters bearing this name consist of delicate and mobile bodies of proteus (Proteus anguinus), which the artist had found in the dark subterranean areas of Slovenian Karst. (www.tol.sik.si/d.k/fonts.htm).

Among his pioneering efforts is also the transformation of a gallery in a Zoo, imposing quarantine for animals from non-EU countries in one of European Community galleries.(www.glu-sg.si/kracina/kracinaWG.htm).

In 2000 The Mother nature took everything good from an artist of human kind and some elements from other intelligent species in purpose to create Mr. Spag - the newest model of a human evolution.

For further information about the artist, see web site (www.kracina.com).

ZOOspective is a video-document about this story...

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Presentation of cast

Proteus anguinus

The Slovenian cave salamander Proteus anguinus is a tailed amphibian which can grow up to 30 cm in length. It lives in subterranean waters of the Dinaric karst from Slovenia to Herzegovina. It is extremely well adapted to its natural habitat.
Its skin is colourless, it breathes with gills, although it also has and uses lungs. Its slightly outlined eyes at the beginning are gradually entirely covered with skin, for in the cave environment characterized by complete darkness there are other
sense-organs that count. Its front legs have three and its hind legs only two digits each. It breeds by laying eggs and in exceptional cases by giving birth to live youngs.The Proteus anguinus is an endemic species of the Dinaric karst and
Europe's only real cave amphibian. It is a remnant of the fauna of the past a living fossil and therefore one of the treasures of our natural heritage. Although it has been a subject of research for almost 200 years, it still keeps a number of secrets.

Salmo trutta marmoratus (The marble trout, Soca trout)

The Soca trout is one of the most threatened fresh water fish in Slovenia. It belongs to the trout family and is very interesting for angling.

It is an endemic fish of the Adriatic river system. It lives in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. In Slovenia it lives in the river Soca's tributary streams. It grows to an average of 50 to 70 cm, but can reach 140 cm. It can weigh up to 24 kg. This trout can be distinguished from other trout living in Slovenia by the olive green or olive brown marbled pattern on its body.

It is a predator, feeding on other fish. It spawns in the winter in gravel areas where there is fastflowing water.

Pharaoh ants

Video about living in urban environment. Video is taken with miniature video camera.
Ant is urban animal and shares our living space in urban environment.
Video is document of last seven minutes of ants life.

Pharaoh ants are one of the most persistent and difficult ants to control. They are small (1.5 to 2 mm) and yellow or pale reddish-brown. Unlike most other ants, pharaoh ants adapt well to nesting indoors. They spread their colonies throughout a building and readily split into smaller colonies when disturbed.

Pharaoh ants like a wide range of food, which includes syrups, jellies, grease, cake, and pet foods. They are a serious pest in hospitals, dormitories and apartments.

The pharaoh ant's nature of being scattered about, living in walls and other well protected areas makes them difficult to exterminate.

Pharaoh Ant Elimination - Indoor Treatment

Pharaoh ant elimination can only be accomplished through an extensive indoor baiting program. Indoor treatments with residual insecticides will not eliminate an infestation of these ants. Only about 5% of a Pharaoh ant colony's workers are out foraging for food at any one time. By attempting to kill ants with a spray, the remaining 95% of the workers will become stressed and split into two or more new colonies. This splitting of colonies among ants is known as budding.
Baits must be place in every area where ants are known to forage. You also must bait areas where they may possibly forage. In wall voids and attics, use granular bait. This will ensure that foraging workers from all colonies within the structure will contact and feed on your bait. The mobility of the colony and its queens as well as multiple colonies in one building demands multiple baiting sites.
In severe infestations of larger buildings, total elimination of Pharaoh ants has been known to take up to a year. Because of the particular habits of this pest, your baiting program should extend for several months. Even after the ants seemed to have been eliminated, continue to place fresh ant bait in areas known to have been frequented by them.
Because Pharaoh ants tend to trail along edges, place baits in corners and along edges of door moldings and baseboards. This precise bait placement ensures that the ants are more likely to find your bait. Placing baits in the middle of cabinets or walls reduces the chances of the ant pests finding the bait.
Although the active ingredient and attractants in Maxforce bait are practically non-toxic to mammals, make sure that children and indoor dogs and cats cannot get to your bait. Children and pets could possibly choke on the plastic station. Simply place the bait stations out of reach of children and pets.

Domestic Cat (Image from Kracina TV)

Thylacinus Cynocephalus (Tasmanian Tiger, Tasmanian Wolf).

"The multimedial instalation Thylacine, set in a natural scene as if standing in a field of dry grass in front of a rocky out crop will be a poignant reminder of the loss of this extraordinary animal. "The multimedial instalation will put them in a totally new and revealing context. They will no longer simply be stuffed animals, but appear as they were." The Thylacines will be fore-runners of many extinct and endangered animals, including Australia's megafauna - giant wombats, kangaroos, emus and goannas - to be converted to digital, Mr.Kracina said. more (images, links....)

Landscape, South Island, New Zeland (1998)

Damijan Kracina- artist
I was very happy and satisfied. I was with love of my heart...and the wind was blowing.
(The Nut - Stanley, Tasmania (Australia), feb. 1998)

Mr.Spag likes to live in environment which is not poisoned and polluted with contemporary art disasters. He lives his own life, independ of achievement of a new technology, rush of shallow communication, brutality of globalization, daily news terrorism and contemporary art boredom. Mr. Spag is the newest model of a human evolution. The Mother nature took everything good from an artist - human kind and some elements from other intelligent species. The mix is absolutely adapted to a new environment. The environment is located in the hidden places of an old obsolete system. Mr.Spag deals only with things which have some meaning and have useful positive value for other personalities in his society. more about MR.Spag...

For further information about the artist, see web site (www.kracina.com).