From 1 to 4 October 2026, Villa Vipolže hosted R.o.R+, an international festival of contemporary art and intermedia practices, under the title Blue Shift – What Flows Through Us. The festival brought together art and science, putting water, microplastics and the connection between people and the environment in the spotlight. The festival was organised by Zavod ROR, with IzVRS taking part as an expert and programme partner.
Among the opening speakers was the Director of IzVRS, Neža Kodre, MSc, who pointed out that we often cannot see everything that travels with water: “Water can look clean and still carry traces of our decisions.”
She presented the Institute’s work on microplastics monitoring, which includes carefully planned sampling followed by laboratory analysis of the samples. Every step is important for understanding what is happening in the aquatic environment and for making better decisions.
At the exhibition, visitors could also see the equipment IzVRS uses in its work and follow the path from a question in the field to a sample and to data. The Director highlighted the importance of connecting science and art: research helps us detect and understand what is hidden from the eye, while art gives these insights a new dimension and brings them closer to the wider public.
On Saturday, IzVRS and GLOBE Italia ran MikroLab, where visitors explored the hidden world of waste and microplastics in water through playful experiments and hands-on investigation.
An important part of the Saturday programme was the round table “Soča, Pure Daughter of the Mountains!”. It was opened with a video address by Dr Janez Potočnik, former European Commissioner for the Environment. The discussion that followed focused on the impact of waste and plastics on the Soča River and its sensitive environment, and on ways to manage waste responsibly and preserve the Soča as a clean natural heritage.
The round table was co-organised by IzVRS, the National Institute of Chemistry and GLOBE Italia, and moderated by Štefan Trdan of IzVRS. Dr Tine Bizjak of IzVRS also took part in the discussion.
The round table, MikroLab and other festival events were exceptionally well attended, and visitor feedback was very positive. Visitors were particularly impressed by the direct connection between scientific content, research equipment and data on the one hand, and artistic interpretations of environmental issues on the other.
IzVRS provides expert support to the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (MOP), preparing expert groundwork in the field of water and carrying out public awareness activities. Participation in the festival brought expert knowledge closer to the wider public and showed that linking expertise, art and direct experience can make an important contribution to a better understanding of the aquatic environment and a more responsible attitude towards water.
We would like to thank Zavod ROR for the invitation, the organisation of the festival and the successful cooperation.
