East of the capital Ljubljana, Slovenia stands the Zapornica na Ljubljanici, the Ljubljanica Sluice Gate. Designed by architect Jože Plečnik in 1939, the concrete and stone-clad gate with three towers was designed as a triumphant farewell to the river Ljubljanica as it exits the city as well as a functional device to regulate water levels. Two towers stand on each side of the bank of the Ljubljanica and one in the middle. Three stylised human heads carved into the top of three low Ionic columns watch over the water as it falls off the edge of the gate and moves eastward. At the constructed edge, the water and gate interact, establishing new conditions of the river. Motion in Division itself does not follow the flow of the Ljubljanica from west to east (i.e. starting at the gate and moving down the river) but instead examines the structural forces that influence its movement and direction, and qualities of the water’s resistance.
Motion in Division is inherently focused on the tension between two opposing forces: the solidity and permanence of concrete, and the fluidity and constant change of water. These elements interact throughout the film, each influencing and shaping the other in turn. At times, water is depicted flowing around the concrete, carving out new shapes and contours; at other times, the concrete stands firm against the rushing water, creating eddies and currents that swirl around its surface, an interplay that hints at the deeper philosophical implications of the relationship between concrete and water. On the one hand, we might see concrete as a symbol of human power and control: a material that allows us to shape and manipulate the world according to our own designs. On the other, water represents the uncontrollable forces of water: a fluid, dynamic element that resists our attempts to harness it.
