De-junk Re-junk art from found objects

02/07/2012 art exhibition at Birkenhead visitor centre, UK.
AMAZING pieces or artwork made out of junk are on display in Wirral.Istra exhibited at this the second year at the De-junk, Re-junk exhibition, for which artists have created beautiful pieces out of rubbish, litter and other discarded items.The innovative exhibition is to show how items which otherwise would have ended up in landfill can be transformed into something else with a bit of creativity and skill. More than 30 artists and craftsmen across Merseyside are involved in the show. Artist Alison Bailey Smith organised and curates the show.
Istra Toner's work titled NOSTALGIA has been created from discarder materials including paper, cardboard, clothes and house hold decorating paints. The work questions the meaning of our need for remembering the past. Each piece leads the viewer to remembering their own past, and imagining someone from a long ago hiding their precious mementos of a special relationships under the floorboards for us to rediscover in time.

"Motovun Mon Amour"

"Motovun Mon Amour" German premiere at the Munich International
Short Film Festival, 27 June 2012. Other festivals: Motovun 2011, Trieste 2012, Bozen 2012
Weblink: www.motovun-creative-group.com Among the guests: Brigitte Drodtloff, screenwriter;
actor Johannes Herrschman, Lothar Just, producer/director Peter Goedel.

Production and realisation: Lothar Just, Arnold Trampe and Istra Toner

Synopsis: Motuvun is one of the most picturesque and interesting towns in Istria. Like many other cities in the region, it had a turbulent history. In 1948, almost everybody left, but, in recent years, newcomers (both Croatians and foreigners) have occupied the houses again. An important question is: can these locals and newcomers create a coherent community? This documentary tries to find out by questioning several representatives of the parties concerned

Exhibitions of “Women in Istrian frescoe”

June 2012. Exhibitions in Medulin and Vodnjan, Croatia.

The body of work was shown in Medulin and Vodnjan in Croatia. It was created by a group of International artists on the theme of “women in Istrian frescoes”: from Croatia (Roberta W Nagy, jewellery), Montenegro (Milena Vladisavljevic, painting), Macedonia (Buhran Ahmeti, print), UK (Susan M Sharples, textile; Jan Ejsymontt, painting with music; Istra Toner, glass and painting). Exhibitions were accompanied with a performance on flute by Adriana von Runic, from Australia, and an ensemble of Macedonian folk from Kiril and Metodi group.

Symposium “Women in Istrian frescoe”

May 2012. An international symposium at studio Valeria in Medulin, Croatia.


This symposium was based on the theme of “women in Istrian frescoes” that date from the 13th Century and are specific to the area. Artists gave demonstrations and workshop showing their preferred methods in working: from Croatia (Roberta W Nagy, jewellery), Montenegro (Milena Vladisavljevic, painting), Macedonia (Buhran Ahmeti, print), UK (Susan M Sharples, textile; Jan Ejsymontt, painting with music; Istra Toner, glass and painting), and Australia (Adriana von Runic, music on flaute). Other participants took part in making art. At the end of symposium created body of work was exhibited in Medulin and Vodnjan.

Art-by-Inch

March 2012 - Hoylake and Oxton. As a part of the Woirral Festival of Firsts (FoF) 2012 Istra organized an community interactive art project and workshops in creating the first and the longest original painting. Nine local artists contributed to the first stage of the project. A 10m long painting of local seascape will be completed during the FoF in July with contributions from the public. The painting will be sold at £1 per inch; contribution will be made to a local children’s hospice.

Art from plastic bags

March 2012 - Art from plastic bags. A visit to Bidston Household Waste Recycling Centre

followed by Jo Smith’s workshop in making art from plastic bags at Oxton Green Shop.

Exhibition "Galss fairy tails"

Pula 28/12/2011. Hotel Amfiteatr
In a beautiful hotel situated near the Roman amphitheater in Pula artists from Studio Valeria in Medulin exhibited their work of glass painted and kiln fired images from fairy tails. This exhibition followed exhibitions in Banjole and Medulin. The exhibition was well presented by the regional media.