Branimir Ritonja dedicated several years to exploring the relationship between nature and humans. His two series, Edge of the City and Remnants of Light, examine the causes and consequences of unnecessary human encroachment into natural areas. The ECHO OF TIME series functions as an answer to these two series, conceived as an immersion into nature itself and its response to human interventions while also encapsulating the essence of the ROCKER OF IDEAS project. The photographs exhibited in the open furniture storage of the Maribor Regional Museum remind us of nature's resilience, especially wood used for practical purposes and art. The images of overgrown railways reveal the adaptability of trees and shrubs, which dominate and overpower even the iron tracks. Undergrowth and bushes conceal the barely visible wagons, erasing memories of their time in operation. Photographs that approach the city present modern buildings and spaces as intruders.

In an era of low-quality, artificial materials, solid wood furniture appears particularly unattainable despite being closest to a respectful relationship with natural resources – environmentally friendly and durable, eventually destined for an inevitable reunion with its origin. By placing the photographs in a highly specific environment, a mental split between product and source is challenged, as there is no boundary between them, just as there is no boundary between humans and nature. The intervention in the exhibition space creates a symbiosis between the natural, the crafted, and the artistic, highlighting the simplicity of a harmless coexistence that preserves natural and material heritage.

With the ECHO OF TIME series, Branimir Ritonja completes a subtle narrative trilogy which presents a profound reflection on the relationship between the artificial and the natural. Through this, the artist highlights his current focus on artistic exploration of the human relationship with the environment, including everyday life and exhibition spaces, and presents an artistic realization of personal meditativeness on the issue of sustainability and respectfulness of living decisions.