Ivan Čobal was a painter, graphic artist, and stage designer who authored several wall compositions in Maribor public spaces. His artistic expression is characterized by stylized figures and geometrical shapes.
The metal relief at the main entrance of the Maribor University Medical Centre was commissioned by its predecessor, the General Hospital Maribor. The relief comprises the inscription “BOLNICA” (“Hospital”), Maribor’s coat of arms, a caduceus, the traditional symbol of pharmacy and medicine, and three figurative scenes. The scenes depict hospital activities: the admission of a patient into hospital care, a patient on an operating table surrounded by medical staff during surgery, and a patient’s release from the hospital. One of the more interesting details is the Greek letter omega, the last letter in the alphabet, with which Čobal chose to complete the composition. The letter could be interpreted as a symbol of a patient’s return to life.
(Nejc Lazar, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual guide; The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)
