Reflect on movement and space with yoga in Slovenia’s historic Javorca church

Slovenian architect and performer Anja Humljan has collaborated with photographer Primož Lukežič to explore the connection between architecture and the body. In this photo series, Humljan investigates and reflects on the architecture of the historic Javorca church through physical movement within the sacred space.

Also known as the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit, Javorca is deemed a cultural monument of national importance for its art nouveau style, which is unique among religious sites in Slovenia. Built by soldiers during the First World War, the church’s architecture reflects its purpose as a memorial to fallen comrades in its wood-clad walls, where the names of the 2,565 deceased are engraved as if on the pages of a book.

In her contemplation of the building through her body, taking on an array of positions in relation to the space, Humljan investigates the relationship between the human body and Javorca as a symbol of both war and reconciliation.

Anja Humljan is the founder of The Urban Yoga, a platform that considers humans’ connection to space through the prism of yoga. She has described her practice over the past years in The Urban Yoga book.