A.G.E. Nov-Dec 2012

ARTGUIDEEAST Albania

19 Bratislava 21 Riga 26 Bucharest 418 Bucharest 0 gms Sofia 35m2 Prague 3x3 Liberec A Panevėžys A.M.180 Prague acb Budapest Ad Astra Kuřim Agency Art Moscow Agra

Belarus

Ana Cristea Cluj – New York Anaid Bucharest Anca Poterasu Bucharest Andreiana Mihail Bucharest Ann Kiev Anna Nova Saint-Petersburg AnnArt Bucharest Arhipelag Cluj

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia

Art Warsaw Aidan Moscow Aiurart Bucharest Akademija VDA Vilnius AL Saint-Petersburg Alis Bucharest Alkatraz Ljubljana Alma Riga AMG Prague AMT Project Bratislava Arka Vladivostok Ars Aevi Sarajevo ARSkontakt Brno Art Depot Sarajevo Art Market Vilnius Art re.Flex Saint-Petersburg Art Today Plovdiv Art Yourself Bucharest Art4. ru Moscow ArtConsulting Prague – Brno ArtDepoo Tallin Artinbox Prague Artmark Bucharest Artnewscafe Plovdiv Artpro Prague ArtXpert Bucharest ASA Art Sarajevo Asymetria Warsaw Atelier35 Bucharest Aukso Pjüvis Kaunas AV17 Vilnius AVS Kiev Baltic Tallin Barbarian Zurich Baroti Klaipėda Barrel Zagreb Bazis Cluj – Berlin BB Kraków – Wroclaw Belart Minsk BlackBOX Sarajevo Bochenska Warsaw Boris Smoje Sarajevo Bottega Kiev Brucie Collections Kiev Bulart Varna BWA Warsaw Caesar Olomouc Calina Timisoara Cargo Děčín Ćarlama Depot Sarajevo Cin Cin Bratislava Collection Kiev Colors Bucharest – Paris CT Bratislava Cypriána Majerníka Bratislava Czarna

Czech Republic

Warsaw CZD Prague D137 Saint-Petersburg Dailininku mené Vilnius Dea Orh Prague Desa Modern Warsaw Desa Unicum Warsaw Diehl Moscow – Berlin DOM Warsaw

Estonia

Petersburg etc. Prague Faica Bratislava Faur Zsófi Budapest FF Lódz Fine Art Moscow Foksal Warsaw Fotograf Prague Fotografic Prague Fotografija Ljubljana Fotoloft

Hungary

Dovin Budapest DOX Prague Duplex/10m2 Sarajevo Dvorak Sec Prague Elena Vrublevskaya Moscow Enter Bratislava Entrance Prague Equrna Ljubljana Erarta SaintMoscow FPSW Warsaw Freta Warsaw Frolov Moscow Futura Centre Prague Galateea Bucharest Gandy Bratislava Garage Center Moscow Gary Tatintsian Moscow Gate Prague Gelos Moscow Gisich Saint Petersburg Glaz Moscow GMG Moscow Godot Budapest Goldart Bucharest Gregor Podnar Ljubljana – Berlin Grinberg Moscow Guelman

Kosovo

Moscow H’art Bucharest Haus Tallin Heppen Transfer Warsaw Hest Ljubljana – Maribor HIT Bratislava Hunt Kastner Prague Ideas Belgrade Inda Budapest Iragui Moscow

Latvia

Kálmán Makláry Budapest Kapelica Ljubljana Kapsula Ljubljana Karas Kiev Karas Zagreb Karol Winiarczyk Vienna Karousel Bucharest Kauno Fotografijos Kaunas Kauno

Ivan Bucharest Izolyatsia Donetsk Jaroslava Fragnera Prague Java Sarajevo Jecza Timisoara Jeleni Prague Jiri Svestka Prague – Berlin Juskus Vilnius Kabinet Moscow

Lithuania

Langas Kaunas Khankhalaev Moscow KIBLA Maribor Kisterem Budapest Kodl Prague Kogart Budapest Kolonie Warsaw Konstant Oradea Kontseptsiya Minsk Kontura Zagreb Korners Kiev Kournikova Moscow Kressling Bratislava Krokin Moscow Krokus Bratislava Kuda Novi Sad Kyiv Fine Kiev Kytka Prague La Femme Prague Laboratoria

Macedonia

Moscow Laboratorio Prague Langhans Prague LaSandr-art Minsk Lateral Cluj Lazarev Saint Petersburg Laznia Gdansk Le Guern Warsaw Leica Prague Léna & Roselli

Moldova

Moscow Luxfer Prague M Kharkov M17 Kiev Madl’ Belgrade Magma Sf. Gheorghe Magnum Ars Moscow Marisall Zagreb Mastatstva Minsk Medium Bratislava MeetFactory

Montenegro

Budapest Leonid Lerner Moscow Leonid Shishkin Moscow Lessedra Sofia Leto Warsaw Lietuvos Aido Vilnius Little Yellow Bucharest Lokal30 Warsaw Lumiere Brothers Prague Meissner Prague Melenia Bucharest Meno Nisa Vilnius Menu Tiltas Vilnius Mihai Nicodim Bucharest - Los Angeles Millennium Prague Mironova Kiev Miroslav Kraljevic Zagreb Miroslava Kubíka Litomyšl Mission Art Budapest Mono Budapest Nadja Brykina Moscow – Zurich Nautilus Krakow Navrátil Prague Next Art Budapest NF Ústí nad Labem Nova Bratislava Open Moscow Open Bratislava Ostoya Warsaw P74 Ljubljana Pál Miercurea Ciuc PANEL contemporary Budapest Paperworks Moscow

Poland

Passage Ljubljana Pecka Prague Peles Empire Cluj Peron Prague Photon Ljubljana Piekary Poznan Pies Poznan Pinchuk Kiev Pintér Sonja Budapest Plan B Cluj – Berlin PM

Romania

Zagreb Pobeda Moscow Polina Lobachevskaya Moscow Polswiss Warsaw Pop/off/art Moscow – Berlin Posibila Bucharest Prinz Prager Prague Prodajna Belgrade Proekt

Russia

Fabrika Moscow Profile Warsaw Promenade Vlore Propaganda Warsaw Prospekto Vilnius Proun Moscow Public Room Sarajevo Quadro Cluj Raster Warsaw Recyclenest

Serbia

Cluj Sam83 Třemošná Sariev Plovdiv Satelit Bratislava Simultan Timisoara SIZ Rijeka Školská 28 Prague Škuc Ljubljana Sofa Druskininkai Soga Bratislava Sovcom Moscow

Slovakia

The Chemistry Prague Tifana Riga Tobacco 001 Ljubljana TR3 Ljubljana Trafačka Prague Triumph Moscow Tsekh Kiev Új Kriterion Miercurea Ciuc Upper Town Minsk

Bucharest Regina Moscow – London Remont Belgrade Rempex Warsaw - Cracow – Sopot Rigas Riga Ring Zagreb Roman Petrovic Sarajevo RuArts Moscow S Prague Sabot

Slovenia Ukraine

Space Bratislava SPZ Prague Starmach Cracow Starter Warsaw Stella Art Moscow Stereo Poznan SVIT Prague T Bratislava Temnikova & Kasela Tallin Terra ecognita Vilnius Václava Špály Prague Vartai Vilnius Vernon Prague VIA Art Prague Victoria Samara Viltin Budapest Vintage Budapest Virág Judit Budapest Visconti Ljubljana Vltavin Prague Vostochnaya Moscow Wannieck Brno Winzavod Moscow X Bratislava XL Moscow XX Panevėžys XXL Louny „Y” Minsk Ya Dnipropetrovsk Ya Kiev Zacheta Warsaw Zak Branicka Berlin Zdeněk Sklenář Prague – Litomyšli Zderzak Cracow Zeta Tirana Zezula Brno Zona Zagreb Zorzini Bucharest ZPAF i S-ka Cracow Zvono Belgrade

VOL.2. Nov – Dec 2012 bi-monthly contemporary art guide of the CEE region by RadaR

Takashi Kuribayashi Forest from Forest, installation from 2010, japanese paper (Mediations Biennale 2012)

FREE

Curators Talk

nale, was aiming at deconstructing the no-

kinds of representations, especially in bien-

tries which play a rather problematic politi-

tion of knowledge or of a representation of

nials in which foreign policies are represent-

cal connection with them, such as artist from

Interview with Denise Carvalho,

knowledge in ways that are typically explored

ed through artists who are nationals in that

Ukraine or Georgia representing Russia, a

brazilian born curator

in biennials, with works represented by art-

country, which I think is very much about the

Venezuelan or Iranian artist representing the

ists from the countries that are representing

tendencies of today’s foreign policies, more

US, a North Korean artist representing South

„The structure of Mediations Biennale aimed

them. I was pleasantly surprised at the Ven-

centralized and harder on foreign expansion.

Korea, etc. This is the dialogical path of future

at a more open dialogue between distinct

ice Biennale in 2011, when I saw that the artist

I would think that the next Venice Biennale

biennales in my view, if they want to continue

sides of the world and their distinct and

representing Poland was Yael Bartana, from

or other major biennial should do exactly the

being the place for questioning the freedom

somewhat dialogical tendencies. The point

Israel. I thought: this is the way to go. My idea

opposite of what has become praxis in many

of the arts in a time of corrupt and centralized

was, The Unknown the theme of the bien-

would be to continue to decentralize these

biennials, let’s say artists representing coun-

partisanships.” – continued on page 3.

my printing company

with colour

heart

All-inclusive print services

PAUKER HOLDING 1047 Budapest, Baross utca 11-15. +36-1-272-2290 | www.pauker.hu

www.artguideeast.org

Contributors

Anna Keszeg was Born in 1981 in Judit Szalipszki studies Fine Art

Turda, Romania, she graduated with a

EDITH JEŘÁBKOVÁ studied Theory and

Theory at the Hungarian University of

Master degree in Culture and Civilisation

Vladimir Čajkovac is a freelance cu-

History of Art at The Philosophical Fac-

Fine Arts in Budapest. She is the secre-

at EHESS, Paris. She is a lecturer at the

rator who lives and works in Zagreb.

ulty of Palacky University in Olomouc

tary of VIVO | Watershed Visual Educa-

Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca,

From 2008–2012 he worked as curator

and she works within the context of

tion Foundation, a not-for-profit orga-

Faculty of Political, Administrative and

of exhibition production in the Museum

contemporary art. She curated several

nization devoted to foster personality

Communication Sciences, Department

of Contemporary Art in Zagreb and as

shows with Jiří Kovanda and edited his

development through creative thinking

of Communication, Public Relations and

assistant curator in the Kožarić Atelier.

catalogue.

and the appreciative reception of art.

Advertising.

Gallery Event Guide NOV 2012 – FEB 2013 CROATIA Lauba

What: Dániel Karsai

Opening times:

When: 11. 01. 2013–22. 02. 2013

Mon–Fri 11 am–6 pm

IMPRESSUM Editorial and staff contributors

Web: www.starmach.eu

Where: Baruna Filipovića 23a,

Editor- in- chief: Zita Sárvári

10 000 Zagreb, Croatia

Faur Zsófi Gallery

What: Everything is Hanging by a Thread–

Correspondents: Dóra Pelczer,

Opening times:

Where: H–1114 Budapest,

Tadeusz Kantor

Beáta Mesterházi, Noémi Ferenczy

Mon–Fri , Sun 3 pm–11 pm, Sat 11 am–11 pm

25. Bartók Béla Road, Hungary

When: 10. 12. 2012–31. 1. 2013

Contributors: Anna Keszeg, Edith

Web: www.lauba.hr

Opening times:

What: Premiere of new art works

Web: www.galeriafaur.hu

by Lovro Artuković

Jeřábková, Emese Mucsi,

ROMANIA

Mon–Fri 12 am–6 pm, Sat 10 am–1pm

Judit Szalipszki, Vladimir Čajkovac Copy Editor: Izabella Fekete

Club Electroputere

Design: Ágnes Vas

When: 6. 11. 2012 – 6. 1. 2013

What:

Where: 16 Biserica Enei Street, District 1,

–

Fanatics of the deep – Ágnes Éva Molnár

Bucharest, Romania

Directors and publishing

What: Finalists 2012 – Lovro Artuković, Ivan

When: 9. 11. 2012–8. 12. 2012

Web: www.clubelectroputere.ro

Publisher: Pál Szilágyi, RadaR Public

Fijolić, Duje Jurić, Alem Korkut, Kristian Kožul,

–

Ines Matijević Cakić, Viktor Popović, Igor Ruf,

What: Közép–Közép / Middle – European

What: A Tour of Romania in 7 Days 1/2 –

European Art

Marko Tadić, Stipan Tadić, Zlatan Vehabović

Month of Photography – Arion Gábor Kudász

Mihai Barabancea, Tudor Bratu,

Managing director: Zsuzsa Fieszl

,Silvio Vujičić.

When: 8. 11. 2012–8. 12. 2012

Coate-Goale, Claudiu Cobilanschi,

Finance: Bálint Kovács

When: 6. 12. 2012–28. 1. 2013

–

Cristina David, Vlad Nanca

Address: Király utca 51,

–

What:

When: 23. 11. 2012–10. 1. 2013

1077-H Budapest, Hungary

What: Marko Tadic

Zero Visibility Possible – Gergely Szatmári

When: 22. 1. 2013–10. 3. 2013

When: 13. 12. 2012–5. 1. 2013

Muzeja Suvremene Umjetnosti /Museum Of Contemporary Art Where: Av. Dubrovnik 17,

Benefit Association for Contemporary

Web: www.artguideeast .org Contact : pr@artguideeast.org

–

Pavilion

What: „ez nem a piros szoknya” / „this is not

Where: Sos. Nicolae Titulescu nr. 1

Printed by Pauker Nyomda Kft.

the red skirt” – Flóra Pálhegyi

(Piata Victoriei), Bucurest,Romania

Baross utca 1 1–15, 1047 Budapest,

When: 14. 12. 2012–1. 1. 2013

Opening times:

Hungary

Tue–Thu 12 am–7 pm, Fri–Sun 3 pm–7 pm

Director: Gábor Vértes

Web: http://criticalbotox.com/

10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Ludwig Museum

Opening times:

Where: Művészetek Palotája, H–1098,

What: Critical Botox in times of 2.0 feudalism

Copyright RadaR – Public Benef

Tue–Sun 11 am–6 pm, Sat 11 am–8 pm

Budapest, Komor Marcel street 1. Hungary

When: 4. 10. 2012–6. 1. 2013

it Association for Contemporary

Web: www.msu.hr

Opening times: Tue–Sun 10am–6 pm

ISSN 2062-7580

What: Ideology of Beauty– Karim Rashid When: 20. 10. 2012–1. 1. 2013

CZECH REPUBLIC Drdova Gallery

European Art 2012

SERBIA

Web: www.ludwigmuseum.hu

ArtGuideEast is a bi-monthly contemporary art journal and professional

What: Workstation – Antal Lakner

Oktobarski salon

When: 21. 9. 2012–6. 1. 2013

Where: Knez Mihailova 6/I,

ern Europe. All the published data is

–

11000 Belgrade, Serbia

informational compiled and examined

What: The Freedom of Sound. John Cage

Opening times: Tue–Sun, 11 am – 8 pm

carefully.

behind the Iron Curtain

Web: www.kcb.org.rs / www.criee.org

ArtGuideEast, RadaR or any other

periodical focusing on Central East-

Where: Krizkovskeho 10,

When: 23. 11. 2012–17. 2. 2013

130 00 Prague, Czech Republic

–

What: A.C.T. Democ(k)racy – Two Lines

take responsibility for the correctness,

Opening times:

What: Selection from the Ludwig Museum’s

of Life or why a rabbit likes weeds– Radoš

topicality and completeness of informa-

Tue–Fri 1 pm–6 pm, Sat 2 pm–6 pm

Collection

Antonijević, Damir Avdić, Boogie, Uroš Đurić,

tion published in this issue.

Web: www.drdovagallery.com

When: 5. 12. 2012–17. 2. 2013

Vlatka Horvat, IRWIN, Aleksandar Jestrović

All rights of alternation and mistakes

Jamesdin, Aleksandar Maćašev i Stephen

reserved. Furthermore all rights

Gee, Vladimir Nikolić, Zoran Todorović, Raša

of alteration, updating, revision

Todosijević

or erasion of any data is reserved.

When: 18. 01. 2013–10. 03. 2013

All sorts of information and picture

POLAND

What: Vaclav Kopecky, Zenit Hotel When: 16. 11. 2012–12. 01. 2013

HUNGARY Dovin Gallery Where: H–1052, Budapest,

Raster Gallery

person contributed to this issue do not

Where: Wspolna 63, 00-687 Warsaw, Opening times: Tue–Sat, 12am–6pm Web: www.rastergallery.com

Galamb Str. 6, Hungary Opening times:

What: New Histories – Zbigniew Libera

Tue–Fri 12 am–6 pm, Sat 11 am–3 pm

When: 17. 11. 2012–12. 01. 2013

Web: www.dovin.hu

in ArtGuideEast is published

SLOVAKIA

Poland

with the approval and the permission of the holders

Slovenská Národná Galéria /Slovak National Gallery – Esterhazy Palace

of rights.

Where: Riečna 1, 815 13 Bratislava 1, Slovakia

What: Jana Želibská. No Touching

Opening times:

When: 29. 11. 2012–17. 03. 2013

Tue–Sun 10 am–6 pm, Thu 12 am–8 pm

–

What: The Stars Look Different Today– Mark

Starmach Gallery

Fridvalszki, Pavla Sceranková, Marko Tadić

Where: ul. Węgierska 5, 30-535 Krakow,

Web: www.sng.sk

What: Blood

When: 16. 11. 2012–5. 1. 2013

Poland

–

When: 13. 12. 2012–03. 2013

Curators talk

says it mediates this kind of country culture

much more absurd, very much „to the point”,

Do you think important collectors are inter-

specific representation. This was - I mean I

using absurdity and humour. I felt connected

ested in eastern european art?

continued from page 1.

am being Brasilian, living in New York - an-

to it. In 2010 I curated two exhibitions in New

other way of looking at myself. I think we

York showing Eastern European artists. One

I think once the work reaches a more visible

are living now in a time in which there is so

of them had people like Jirˇí Kovanda (Kiss-

arena it does not matter where you are, it

“The unknown exists with the same inten-

much pressure over the centrality of identity,

ing Through Glass) I felt kind of connected to

becomes really a commodity. I do not think

sity as the known or everything already

so this is an interesting time to blur more of

its absurdity and humour. I am interested in

that collectors matter whether the art is from

comprehended. Perhaps a better way of

these distinctions of where you are from, and

all the tendencies I can see all these Eastern

their own country or not, they are worrying

putting it is: what exists exists; what does

I like that.

European countries, as they are not very dif-

about their investment. It is money business

ferent from Brasilian art.

and they are going to buy art, because it is

not exist exists as well.” – Tomasz Wedland, director of Mediations Biennale

Who did you invite to represent at the Mediations Biennial 2012?

an investment for the future. I find it is good you are saying that there are many exhibi-

and bad. It is good because everybody has a

tions in the u.s. showing eastern european

chance on the market and it is bad because

lets start with the structure of the Media-

For MB 2012 I invited artists who were less

art and artists, though we cannot really

art work becomes just a commodity. I think

tions Biennial 2012…

known in Eastern Europe, or artists whose

“feel” or see the results, for example in Hun-

nowadays the art market is good for all kind

works were dealing with issues that I thought

gary. What do you think, why?

of art, so as long as you have visibility and

The structure of Mediations Biennale aimed at

were not very known in Eastern Europe, such

I think Central European art is very predict-

you start going out (fairs are good example of

a more open dialogue between distinct sides

as the killing of people in the border between

able, I mean I do not want to put down some

that) you will see many people are buying art

of the world and their distinct and somewhat

Mexico and the US in the work of Teresa Mar-

of the artists, but certainly they are more

for millions. My God, there is no logic! It is not

dialogical tendencies. The point was, “The

golles, for example, or a similar idea of dis-

predictable in Central Europe than in Eastern

like the stock market. To be honest my interest

Unknown,” the theme of the biennale, was

appearance in the drug cartels of Colombia

Europe. Eastern European artists are fresh,

is not to make art as a commodity, my interest

aiming at deconstructing the notion of knowl-

in the work of Oscar Munoz. I also wanted to

comparing to the artists coming from Central

is to show smart and interesting art that can

edge or of a representation of knowledge in

bring artists who would engage with histori-

Europe. I might have a lot of people hating me

take its own route into the economy, into the

ways that are typically explored in biennials,

cal issues experienced in Poland, from their

for saying this.

market, into the galleries and magazines.

with works represented by artists from the

very distinct perspectives, such as Fernando

countries that are representing them.

Prats’ installation and video, “We were dead

I hope not. What do you think what shall we

What are your future plans?

and we could breathe” (2012) was made es-

do to better show ourselves to the World?

Denise, you are a Brasilian curator, how

pecially for the Mediations Biennale of 2012.

come that you are curating americans?

I am curating the Americas, to be precise,

I am intending to continue to work with CenYou have to make more shows, guys! More

tral and Eastern Europe, perhaps curating

What do you think about eastern european

young artists, or even established artists with

another biennial in the near future, or show-

art?

very fresh work. Shows in New York, shows in

ing Eastern European artists in New York and

Germany, shows here in Eastern and Central

elsewhere. I will be involved in several exhibi-

in Mediations Biennale I can represent several countries. This time the most important

I love Eastern European art! (she laughs) The

Europe. What you have to do is to promote

tions and projects in 2013, including in South

thing was to create a dialogue. What I did

first show that I curated was in Eastern Eu-

those exhibitions that are not the typical kind

Korea, Uruguay, and Argentina. I have been

was to bring several artists from different

rope, it was in the Czech Republic, in 1999.

of fashionable shows you always have to have

also talking with Izabella Gustowska to pos-

countries, “the Americas”, even people who

I came to the Czech Republic and I became

with big names, you know, because every-

sibly curate a major project of her work in

are Korean but living in New York, people

fascinated by their kind of work. I also had the

thing is now so much more orientated to

New York in 2013. I have also been consider-

from Columbia, from Spain. They are still not

opportunity to curate in Poland in 2001. From

budget, towards money, towards commercial

ing teaching a course at the Academy of Fine

defined as Americans, they can be living half

then on Eastern Europe had become like a

aspect of the production. I know that is dif-

Arts in Poznan in 2013 or 2014.

of the year in Korea and half of the year in

second region for me. From the beginning I

ficult. I know people who want to bring vision

New York. So I enjoy the concept of the Bi-

thought that Eastern European contempo-

to Eastern European art, so this is not some-

The longer interview with Denise can be downloaded

ennale, because the name (Mediations) itself

rary art is very smart because it was really

thing that is not expected in the close future.

from www.artguideeast.org

WoulD you MInD soMe CrItICal tInkerInG?

ate feedback and the beneficial and inspir-

the next edition of Curators’ network has

foment the interaction of the international

The central pillar of the Budapest meeting of

hand, their cooperativeness in connecting

arrived to Budapest

guests with local cultural institutions and

Curators’ Network was the series of personal

the artists with the relevant people from their

agents. All the international and local agents

portfolio reviews. Artists selected by the jury

scene and network and pieces of advice on

Curators’ Network, a cross-cultural collabora-

who are participating in the network have

(members were Áron Fenyvesi, Maja&Reuben

future collaboration.

tion-building project – as its title suggests – is

their own self-updatable English profile in the

Fowkes, Kati Simon and Eszter Steierhof-

Evaluation has become a sort of magic buz-

devoted to the enhancement of interaction

database of www.curators-network.eu in or-

fer) presented their works in the venues of

zword in the cultural field, although suc-

and the building of links between internation-

der to perpetuate and broaden the promotion

Ludwig Museum to the curators invited from

cess is something hardly defineable in an

al curators and local artists and art profes-

of the participants of the network. This aspect

France, England, Croatia, Germany, Turkey,

artistic context. Albeit there is no pressure

sionals of the five partner countries. As Sören

of the digital promotion becomes more and

Portugal, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands,

of a strictly defined output, still, Curators’

Meschede – one of the four people working

more important as the database is a perfect

Slovenia, the Czech Republic and from the

Network can already show off its positive

for the Madrid-based cultural association

tool for making the project sustainable.

partner countries. The Studio of Young Art-

achievements – so the strategy actually

Hablar en Arte that initiated and coordinates

Three partners are from the CEE region there-

ists’ Association (SYAA), an initiative with a

seems to work. Several artists reported the

Curators’ Network – tells in connection with

fore it may have seem intentional that some

membership of about 500 artists, art histori-

project partners that they have been con-

their newly established curatorial residency

of the countries involved have a post-socialist

ans and critics, the Hungarian member of the

tacted by people who became interested in

programme, sometimes they feel a bit like

background. Though, it was not a deliberate

network was responsible for the organization

their activities while browsing the database.

marriage brokers bringing together lonely

reason for collaborating with them.

of the event. SYAA acts as a vital local plat-

Several others have already started collabo-

souls, that is, the above mentioned foreign

form for contemporary art with an extensive

rations with art professionals they met dur-

curators and local stakeholders. Devising a

exhibition and project programme and it fos-

ing Curators’ Network. Two Spanish artists,

ing counselling of the curators. On the other

platform for the international exposure of art-

’We felt that knowledge about German,

ters the establishment of professional con-

Tamara Kuselmann and Daniel Jacoby, who

ists and a structure for the cultural agents for

Dutch, French, British artists is far more

tacts, the members’ presence at Hungarian

were participating in the review in Madrid are

sharing expertise therefore denotes a medi-

easy to obtain as these countries have a

and international exhibitions and residencies

now on show at Trafo Gallery in the exhibition

ating position.

very vivid and internationalized art scene,

and provides them with information and or-

entitled The Suspicion of Suspense curated

Five project partners are involved in Curators’

whereas other countries, more on the pe-

ganizational support.

by Áron Fenyvesi.

Network: Hablar en Arte, Madrid (Spain); the

riphery of the European Union, are quite

A table, their laptop, a wall surface and a

This first push of the project is just the be-

Foundation for Visual Arts, Krakow (Poland);

isolated. And we saw also, that especially

time interval of 20 minutes per meetings: this

ginning – the plan is that the final exhibition

the Brukenthal National Museum, Sibiu (Ro-

a bilateral exchange of knowledge be-

was the frame that the emerging and mid-

will be a symbolic starting point for a second

mania); the Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Vienna

tween the Mediterranean and the eastern

career artists could fill freely to (re)present

phase of Curators’ Network. Further aims

(Austria) and the Hungarian partner is the

countries of the EU could be really remu-

themselves and to evoke the interest of and

include expanding the network by organiz-

Budapest-based Studio of Young Artists’ As-

nerative, as there is very little exchange

to start discussion with the curators rotat-

ing gatherings in new countries (Hablar en

sociation. The methodology of the project is

right by now. But still, if one has a look at

ing between the artists’ spots. Explaining

Arte has contacts with Croatia, Portugal or

very simple: each of the five partners organ-

the history of all the countries s/he sees

and describing their practices for almost 20

Latin America), curatorial residencies and ex-

ize a meeting in its country. The host invites

that the Mediterrean and the East-Euro-

times is a seemingly boring and exhausting

changes. Enhancing the use of the database

around 20 national and international cultural

pean countries all share a recent totalitar-

process but it gives a later empowering rou-

is also a clear priority.

managers and curators to participate in a

ian or dictatorial past: Greece, Portugal,

tine of self-presentation. At the same time, it

Visit the website for the documentation of

portfolio review with 20 local artists that

Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungary.

is a more intimate and definitely less stress-

former meetings, browse the archive, check

have been selected by an independent jury.

One might deduce that this common

ful situation as opposed to introducing the

out the PDF versions of the catalogues and

Partners work autonomously deciding on the

historic pattern is influencing the social

works in front of a wider audience. Accord-

save the dates for future gatherings.

group of the invited curators, on the members

structure of those countries even today.’

ing to what artists reported, the two biggest

of the jury that selects participating artists,

– as Sören explaines their reasons that

powers of the meetings were, on one hand,

on the venues and modes of display. Besides

drove the building of partnerships.

the new stimuli from fresh perspectives from

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON OUR WEBSITE:

outsiders of the scene, that is, the immedi-

www.artguideeast.org

the review, the host organizes activities that

judit szalipszki

www.artguideeast.org

3

E x h i b ition revie w s

The Man with the Cabbage Hand

get you are an artist! Do not be discouraged; do not be afraid, you will make it! Create like a God, order like a king, work like a slave! I’m the self-killing God, the king who shits on his crown, the slave who looks for a master.

What kind of identity could a young artist have with those quotations in his head and the cabbage-craftsmanship in his hands?

Can these students build a successful life strategy in a money-governed art system based on a very modernist and historically old-fashioned geniality-concept? Is Brancusi a good example? Is Brancusi really Brancusi?

Is Nea Aurica a good Brancusi-interpreter? Is Brancusi related to the cabbage?

And speaking of cabbages, I remember Serge Gainsburg’s famous song about the man with the cabbage head -- half vegetable-half dude, a song about disorientation, about loss of control over our own life. The cabbage is very important for Gainsburgfans: on his tomb in the Montparnasse Cemetery we can always find a cabbage. Furthermore, there is the cabbage of nutritionists: the cabbage of the cabbage soup diet which promises miracle in only 7 days. There is the famous Sauerkraut obtained after a special process of fermentation, the sarmale, a Romanian and Transylvanian dish which in

Detail, Plan B Gallery, 2012

rococo poetics was the metaphor of a wellPlan B Gallery, Cluj-Napoca

etable with densely-leaved head, so impor-

ing women, professors, jobless and genial

written letter. Craftsmanship and disorienta-

Adriana Croitoru, Nu uita ca esti un artist /

tant in the Romanian gastronomy. The video

artists. With his gastronomic know-how he

tion: this is what the cabbage is about. And

Do not forget you are an artist!

tells the story of the artistic socialization

possesses a bizarre status in this community:

maybe about the isolation of the craftsman-

05. 10. – 10. 11. 2012

of students at the Bucharest University of

a know-how in everything, a know-how re-

ship too. Have You ever seen a craftsman

Arts, a socialization which is about a strange

lated to geniality, talent and art-making. The

who wasn’t convinced that he possesses the

The Adriana Croitoru exhibition at Plan B

craftsmanship. In the center of this micro-

film is about this Bucharest-type interpreta-

only operable know-how?

Cluj-Napoca made me think about the cul-

universe is Nea Aurica, the man with the cab-

tion of the artist. Without a critical attitude,

The exhibition is an important moment in the

tural interpretations of the cabbage. Ok, it is

bage hand, a technologist who organizes all

Croitoru tries only to show an academic pro-

life of Plan B Gallery: the inauguration of the

far from being an exhibition on the cabbage,

the parties, receptions and festivities of aca-

tocol with the technologist in the center. The

new gallery space on the ground floor of the

but the central visual element of Adriana

demic life. As the hub of a star network, he

ironic perspective of her gesture is given by

Paintbrush Factory.

Croitoru’s documentary is certainly this veg-

is connected to everyone: students, clean-

the following Brancusi-quotation: Do not for-

Anna Keszeg

Visual Art as Interpretive Philology

The French title requires a French expres-

Paul Branca, L’Origine de l’Espace Privée

field of philology than to that of art history.

practices represented by Branca in multiple

the problem of voyeurism. The origin of the

&&&

From this disciplinary perspective Branca’s

ways: paintings, collages, objects placed in

private sphere in the perspective of Manet’s

Sabot Gallery, Cluj-Napoca,

exhibition can be viewed as research on pri-

a Romanian context. The bourgeois hat is

work is a voyeurism-related topic. The vo-

05. 10 – 30. 11. 2012.

vate space in its relation to the concept of the

situated on a red-yellow-blue tricolor and the

yeur cannot see the whole «picture» since

artist - an entity with intentions, projects, per-

peephole has a rather post-communist apart-

he’s situated in a specific perspective: on

For the Paul Branca exhibition in Cluj-Napoca

sonal life, personal stuff, and personal story.

ment-feeling than a bourgeois one. The shoe,

one side of the peephole, behind the curtain.

the Sabot Gallery became a white space or-

In this reconstruction of a specific intention-

the key visual form of the exhibition is rep-

He could only see walls, shoes or hats. Never

ganized in an L-structure. In the first half of

ality of private space in a very-19th-century,

resented in three main formats (the artist’s

a figure. And those details are the important

the room there is a painted curtain in the mid-

very-bourgeois way, Branca is confronted

shoe, the model’s shoe, the shoe as a contour,

ones. The private sphere is about details.

dle – set as protection from and for nothing;

with the biggest question of the digital era:

as an abstraction), and it can be interpreted

And contemporary art is about historical in-

in the second half there are two framed col-

are we able to find content behind the sub-

as a metaphor for this three-leveled historical

tentionalism..

lages of a door’s peephole, viewed from both

ject? The answer in this case is Manet’s art-

investigation.

inside and outside. During my visit someone had left a grey plastic luggage in the small entrée of the exhibition-space,.Part of the exhibition? Certainly not, it would be quite an amateurish gesture, but my initial doubt on the function of this object illustrates Branca’s main question: is there a certain historic shift in the interpretation and in the content of «private»? If shoes and hats were once contents of the private, could luggage be a contemporary one?

The first solo exhibition of Paul Branca in Romania at the Sabot Gallery in Cluj is a puzzle about a scientific concept: the private space and its origins. Branca picked up a historic concept and transformed it into the object of a visual investigation. For a historian this concept could be integrated in many scientific paradigms: in the history of mentalities, in the history of attitudes, in cultural history, in social history, in the history of ideas, etc.

But as in the case of a historian, apart from an abstract concept, private space could only be interpreted on the ground zero of a specific case: for Branca this is the life and works of Édouard Manet. The forms and the contents are inspired by some visual elements of Manet’s work and passages of his letters. These types of sources are rather connected to the

Exhibition view, Sabot Gallery, 2012

sion as a synthesis of all these questions:

Anna Keszeg

ExhIbITION REVIEwS

a proposal for tHe MonuMent to tHe neW (Inter)natIonalIsM fokus grupa (Iva kovač and elvis krstulović) Galerija Miroslav kraljevic 12. 10. 2012. – 03. 11. 2012.

The smallest, most basic unit of the installation by Fokus grupa (art and life partners Iva Kovač and Elvis Krstulović) at the Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, which provides the common title to the entire exhibition, is a sculpture. The work entitled A Proposal for the Monument to the New (Inter)Nationalism – is a faithful replica of an oak twig: a powerful tree that is at once a symbol of the numerous and diverse Indo-European identities, but also a historically marked economic resource and, historically, in some cases, a stronghold of national or regional economies. Seen symbolically, the frail twig, made out of polyester, is a tree substitute dedicated to the divine father, whose sanctuaries were often located on mountain tops or at least hills. A more contemporary version of such an altar is the Altar of the Homeland by Kuzma Kovačić, erected

Exhibition view, fokus groupa, 2012

in 1994 during the questionable restoration and reconstruction of the medieval fortress

only can be touched but sat on, reduced to its

in a landscape devoid of immediate markers

side any roles, revealing them only in their

Medvedgrad, located on the south slopes

basic form and some fundamental utilitarian

of civilization and historical sediment, even

physical presence. The internationalism in-

of Medvednica mountain which had roused

uses, like sitting on it while watching the film

in the form of ruins so dear to Romanticism.

troduced by the oak twig, a symbol of iden-

popular and literary imagination at the time of

projection.

Language, another stronghold of national

tity, an ancient basis of economy and also of

late Romanticism. Combining the location of

According to the authors, the starting point

identity, is performed in the film by a male

space created by man, is conveyed through

the pagan sanctuary dedicated to an altitude

of the film There Aren’t Words for What We

speaker, in international English seasoned

a public display of confessions and intimate

deity with the aggressive royalist tradition of

Do or How We Feel so We Have to Make

with a Slavic accent.

stories. Love is derived from the acceptance

the Altar of the Homeland, a monument was

Them Up and of the entire project present-

International English in written form appears

of the world through the division of differ-

designed that stands apart from the formal

ed at the Gallery is their foray into nature

in the recently published art book Perfect

ence, and that is the beginning of the uni-

lines of late minimalism thanks to a few de-

which had begun precisely at Medvedgrad.

Lovers (2002 – 2012). The very choice of lan-

versalist potential of each of these personal,

scriptive details which locate it in a specific

Their trips to Medvednica is a pilgrimage to

guage distances itself from the form of the

intimate stories, as Alain Badiou puts it in

historical context. In the gallery appropria-

the place that has in recent media reveilles

private, and the confessional character of

his book In Praise of Love. In the case of the

tion of the purified altar form, Iva Kovač and

become one of the new iconic images that

the real stories is blurred by the shifts and

work of Iva Kovač and Elvis Krstulović, that

Elvis Krstulović use a far more perishable and

affirm the identity of the inhabitants of “Our

overlaps of the protagonists’ identities. The

is, Fokus grupa, it is precisely love speech,

modest material than precious stone, utilizing

Beautiful.” The authors’ forays have resulted

text, short love croquis, are followed by the

as well as the risk of love seen through the

recycled discarded chipboard furniture for

from them, followed by a professional cam-

authors’ private photographs, thus physi-

prism of emphatic emotion which they are

creating the sculpture Behavioral Furniture.

era through national parks with the intention

cally exposing their intimacy, hidden behind

unreservedly given over to, that is the origin

Kovačić’s altar’s neutral cubes recreated by

of being openly exposed to the celebrated

words in the language performance and dis-

of the liberation of language, of landscape,

Fokus grupa direct the motion through the

landscape. Giving up the safety of the ironic

placed narration. The couple’s photographic

and finally the very medium of the safe cra-

Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, in a way almost be-

tradition and distance, Fokus grupa embarks

exposure takes place with separate protag-

dle of national culture.

coming gallery furniture, a sculpture that not

on a quest for the “genuine national identity”

onists, in moments of relaxation and out-

vladimir Čajkovac

BetarIX szÖrényI – katHarIna sevIC: oBjeCts of referenCe etc. gallery, prague

about Szörényi’s objects and drawings deal-

to refer to the Arts & Crafts Movement and

way into a very objective world of endless as-

Curator: tereza stejskalová

ing with straightforward allegories of social

the Ezermester, the Hungarian 80’s hobby

sociative strategies.

17. 11. 2012 – 16. 12. 2012

relations in the context of her previous work,

magazine. This signifies an urge for search-

The power to convince those who instantly

became fragmental in the show. The same is

ing alternative.

doubted and suspected the work of plain

The exhibition in etc. gallery prolongs the co-

valid for Šević’s object-text-performance-im-

And you know – you either leave the exhibition

speculation carries the nature of the dialog

operation between Szörényi and Šević. This

ages which polimize with political theories

before you take a seat in the trap sofa of im-

between the two artists. They are honestly

cooperation was initiated by curator Eszter

(just like in the series News from Nowhere

printed interpretations, satisfied by arrange-

asking the symptomatic questions without

Lázár (HU) and started in 2011 through the

based on the same title visionary novel by

ments of cute objects which are meaningful

showing off own intellectual acrobatics. Most

exhibition The Age of References in Buda-

William Morris, who himself was influenced

by themselves or you go to spend some time

of all, the awareness of lack of complexity de-

pest, which dealt with the motivations, proc-

by radical socialist utopias and soft science

with the book trying to follow some of the

fined by Szörényi at the end of the book is

esses and roles of making and thinking.

fiction. One might think: ‘bit of this and ‘bit

trajectories of Szörényi’s and Šević’s reasons.

truly convincing: “Man is the only animal that

of that. Dialectic watering can with double

Some of them deal with work, some with simi-

interprets”. Let this be the final statement or

spouts or object representation of a ruin in

larities in personal history such as immigra-

‘the ever green’ astonishment. Yet, we do not

katarina Šević studied at the Academy

high shellac.

tion, otherness etc. Not always a breathtaking

know how the apes would comment this.

of Fine Arts in Budapest. Her exhibitions

Nevertheless, looking at the map of the

plot. Subjective elements therefore find their

took place at Studio Gallery in Budapest,

show from the perspective of a hedonistic

Apexart in New York, Škuc Gallery in

visitor, enjoying the prominent lying posi-

Ljubljana and the Museum of Contempo-

tion on a sofa, you realize the importance

rary Art in Belgrade.

of the centre point of the exhibition – a rep-

Beatrix szörényi graduated from the

lica of LC4 Chaise Longue, designed by Le

Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest and

Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte

is a recipient of the Klára Herzeg Award

Perriand, an antenna style rack and most of

for young artists. Her works have been

all a yellow yelling book. The artworks are

exhibited in Žilina-Zárečie in Slovakia,

then placed around as orbits and are meant

Bunkier Sztuki in Krakow, and a recent

to be observed. It is no coincidence or pure

show (in collaboration with Katarina

fashion inclination that there is Le Corbusi-

Šević) took place in Karton Gallery in

er in the middle – a modernist icon, object

Budapest.

par excellence, modernist denial of subjec-

edith jeřábková

tive weakness. This forestage is a parallel to Morris’s book – to collect bits from our lost Yet, you do not get series of derivatives group-

memories, to try to make some sense of it, to

ing on the walls; rather – if you know the work

make a new utopia or at least a new plan. In

of both artists – you feel a strange disconti-

such a world you have to create everything

nuity compared to their previous bodies and

yourself, from scratch with few references

series of work. What was repeatedly ironical

burned into your mind. This is a good reason

Exhibition view, etc. gallery, 2012

www.artguideeast.org

5

Photo One by One: Czech Photography as the Hunt Kastner Artworks sees IT

The Usti group, in particular, have been very active in recent years, opening the Fotograf Gallery in Prague, which exhibits a wide range of contemporary artists working in different media. They recently hosted the second an-

In our previous issue we started a dis-

nual month-long Fotograf Festival, which

course about the state of contemporary

took place in different public spaces around

photography in the CEE region. The first

Prague, and they publish the Fotograf Maga-

interview presented Hungarian contem-

zine that comes out about twice a year with

porary curator Sári Stenczer and her

theme-focused editions in both Czech and

thoughts on Hungarian photography.

English. FAMU – the Prague film school, also

Now, as the second part of the series we

has a well-known photography department

asked Czech-American Kacha Kastner

that puts out some very talented artists and

and Camille Hunt co-owners and co-di-

has been successful in attracting students

rectors of Hunt Kastner Artworks about

from abroad.

their concept on running a gallery and What do you think photography means in

its connection to Czech photography.

the Czech Republic today?

KK: I think that photography is a medium that Both Kacha Kastner and Camille Hunt have

is increasingly favoured by a wide range of

been involved in the Czech art scene for the

artists and it has to great extent broken into

past 20 years. Before opening Hunt Kastner

the mainstream of contemporary art. Many

Artworks in 2005, Kacha worked at the Foun-

artists use photography in their work today

dation and Center for Contemporary Arts and

and thy use it in many different ways. There are still some people who think that pho-

at the Kampa Museum, while Camille worked as independent art consultant at the Futura

Both Kacha Kastner and Camille Hunt have been involved in the Czech art scene for the

tography continues to have a hard time be-

Center for Contemporary Art.

past 20 years. Before opening Hunt Kastner Artworks in 2005, Kacha worked at the

ing taken seriously in the contemporary art

Foundation and Center for Contemporary Arts and at the Kampa Museum, while Camille

scene, but I believe that the young genera-

worked as independent art consultant at the Futura Center for Contemporary Art.

tion of professionals are more focused on the

Camille, what is the focus of Hunt Kastner Artworks?

content and context of their work than on the

CH: Hunt Kastner Artworks was established

specific medium. That is not to say that public

in December 2005 and aims to exhibit and

independent curators to work on exhibitions

some people asked us if we were a photogra-

interest in photography, historical or contem-

promote local artists both at home and

with us. In January 2013 for example we are

phy gallery, or when people told us that “eve-

porary, has in any ways diminished. On the

abroad. People often ask us what the focus

organizing a group exhibition that will include

ryone knows” the best Czech artists work in

contrary, photography exhibits remain very

of the gallery is. We have a wide focus in

both Czech and international artists and will

photography. Maybe we had lived in Prague

popular and even controversial – such as the

terms of medium and approach, and given

be curated by Edith Jerabkova and Jiří Ko-

for so long that we lost perspective of how

exhibition Mutating Medium, curated by Pavel

the lack or representation of the mid-career

vanda. When we first opened the gallery, 7

the art scene was perceived from the outside,

Vancat at the Rudolfinum last year, which

and younger generation we focus on these

years ago, some people were not sure what

but it didn’t occur to us that there was one

charted the changes that the medium had un-

age groups. Furthermore,, of late, we have

‘slot’ to put us into; they seemed surprised

specific medium that defined Czech contem-

dergone in the Czech Republic over the past

been broadening our exhibition programme

that our programme was more like an inde-

porary art today.

two decades. The exhibition initiated quite a

in order to include more international art-

pendent non-profit space, but we presented

CH: It is true, however, that until relatively

lot of discussion and critique about what has

ists and start a dialogue with more estab-

ourselves as a commercial gallery; over the

recently the majority of Czech artists best

happened with photography as an art in the

lished artists. We plan to continue to do so

time they got used to the idea of private

known abroad have been photographers quite

Czech Republic.

as the gallery grows and as we gain further

gallery spaces hosting more experimental

limited to the avant-garde such as František

resources to accommodate these truly ambi-

projects.

Drtikol, Jaromír Funke, Josef Rossler, Karel

What do you think about the new pho-

tious goals.

CH: There are only a handful of commercial

Teige, Josef Sudek as well as more recent art-

to generation? Do they follow a specific

The idea of the gallery is simply to show art-

contemporary art galleries in Prague, but

ists such as Josef Koudelka and the outsider

school? Do they have something common

ists and projects we are interested in. We do

it is encouraging to see that 2 new spaces

artist Miroslav Tichý.

to say?

not have a strict concept. We show works in

opened in the past 6 months. We consider

all media and artists who have quite different

the rise of new galleries quite beneficial to

Could you tell me more about the role of

ied in the post-communist period have come

approaches and interests. I would say that the

our own gallery, ultimately bringing more

photography in the Czech Republic?

of age in a much more international world,

only difference from when we started is that

people to the contemporary art scene in

KK: Photography has a long, creative and well-

with access to a wide range of information

we are moving away from strictly solo pres-

Prague.

known tradition in the Czech Republic that is

that opened not only the physical borders

still highly valued today. One of the most im-

of the country, but the intellectual ones as

I am wondering, does the gallery have a

portant exhibition spaces for contemporary

well. This is true for artists working across all

Czech collector base; or rather foreigners

photography is Josef Sudek’s former atelier

media of course. Conceptual photography

are the ones who buy from you?

in Prague which hosts solo exhibitions of

is currently very strong among the younger

Running for 7 years now, how does the gal-

CH: When we began the gallery, our collec-

many young talented artists. In Prague alone,

generation of artists in the Czech Republic,

lery fit into the Prague art scene?

tors were mostly foreign but we have made

there are at least five galleries dedicated to

combining photography with installation, at-

KK: Hunt Kastner is well integrated into the

inroads with Czech collectors and we are

the medium of photography.

tempting to overcome the technical confines

Czech contemporary art scene, which is dom-

probably, at this point, evenly split between

There are many schools in the Czech Re-

of the given medium. Alena Kotzmannova

inated mostly by non-profit and artist-run-

foreign and Czech collectors.

public that have photography departments.

was already working with this when she was

At this time, the most interesting and active

at VSUP in the late 1990s, with her series of black and white canvas printed works, boxed

entations to include more dialogues between local artists and artists from abroad.

spaces. There are not many serious private

KK: The new generation of artists who stud-

commercial galleries in the Czech Republic

As foreigners, how do you think Western Eu-

students are coming out of VSUP (the Prague

(or collectors), and the main institutions are

rope sees Czech photography? Can you see

Academy of Applied Arts) from the studio of

in plastic, from the series Temporary Station.

largely dysfunctional, so we work primarily

Czech photography beyond the borders?

Hynek Alt and Saša Vajd, and the photogra-

Jiří Thýn, who graduated from VSUP in 2005,

with independent artists, curators and initia-

KK: When we started presenting abroad at in-

phy studio under Pavel Banka at J.E. Purkyne

also explored the space between 2 and 3 di-

tives in the Czech Republic. We often invite

ternational art fairs, we were surprised when

University in Usti nad Labem, North Bohemia.

mensional representations. Interestingly, he has recently been experimenting with the historical process of the analog photographic medium, reassessing and experimenting with the production and exhibition techniques heralded by modernism, while creating completely contemporary works.

How do you think the situation of Czech photography might change in the future?

KK: I think that photography has come of age as a medium and has become an integral part of the contemporary visual arts, both internationally and in the Czech Republic.

We have the advantage of having excellent schools and teachers, and obviously also strong artists who will hopefully, continue to inspire future generations and enrich the

Michaela Thelenova

artistic scene.

Satelit-03 – from the series Satellite, 2002–3, colour photograph, 30 × 90 cm

Dóra Pelczer

Cee as a unIQue CuttInG eDGe

Furthermore, I know the city, where to go, what to study, what book to read and how to

Hegyi, Tomasz and I had lunch and we contin-

develop a unique work. Altogether living in

ued the conversation about the importance

New York, in the center of the Art world is of

of the Biennale as a “communication center“

course a great advantage.

for artists. The following day Tomasz called me that he looked at my web site (www.su-

year by year 3-4 cities are competing on the

zannecnagy.com) and he would like to have

art market to be called „City of art” (new

me in the Biennale with the Photosynthesis

york, london, paris and now shanghai).. Do

series of light boxes.

you think any eastern european city will ever

He said the Biennale is about The Unknown

be part of this list?

this year and the parallel of pollution and

No, Eastern Europe can’t compete with these

green energy is a big question for the future.

centers to become the “City of Art”, but this

Of course the international jurors still had to

region could represent a unique cutting edge,

approve my work.

a special point of view, a different intellectual challenge to the “City of Art”.

What did you think about Mediations Biennale?

What chance does an eastern european art-

The Mediation Biennale was a great surprise

suzanne C. nagy: Oil, 2012. C-Print-Collages,

ist stand when trying to build a name in the

Suzanne C. Nagy (Csikós-Nagy Zsuzsa),

for me. About 120 artists exhibited from all

3 × 5. from the series Photosynthesis

Big apple? Do you have any suggestions

American-Hungarian artist participated

over the world. There were 5 different loca-

© Suzanne C. Nagy

at Mediations Biennale in Poland this

tions; among these was the National Museum

year. Her works were selected by To-

where my work was exhibited. On the open-

When did you leave Hungary? Do you consid-

question. For any Eastern European artist the

masz Wedland, director and main cu-

ing night we had 500 visitors. It was great to

er yourself an american or a Hungarian artist?

chance to be noticed in New York strictly de-

rator of the Biennale. A.G.E. asked Su-

see how different artists from different coun-

I know it sounds a bit rude but if you say you

pends on whether his/her works “talk” about

zanne about her opinion on the Biennale

tries dealt with the same subject.

are an american artist, does this come with

large issues and are unique enough to be no-

and how easy it is to live and work in the

I think this Biennale is one of the most im-

any benefits in the art world of new york?

ticeable. The opportunity is a lot bigger now

U.S. as an Eastern-European artist.

portant contemporary art events in Europe.

I left Hungary in 1977. Originally I was an econ-

than it was before. Sources like the Internet

Every 2 years the organizers allow artists to

omist, but I gained a second degree when

opened lots of doors but the main issue re-

prepare specific works for the same subject,

Prof. Nemeskurty selected me for his Motion

mains weather the works are fresh and new,

tomasz Wedland, director of the Mediations

this time it was The Unknown in 2014 it will be

Picture writing and producing special class in

provoking and striking enough, or just copies of

Biennale selected your work as a part of

The Migration.

1976-1977. After I arrived I studied fine art in

already existing works the world knows about.

New York. In the mean time I also worked as

If I would have to start now, I would go to every

his concept for the unknown. What do you

how to start a carrier there?

Well, this is not the first time I was asked this

think, why did he choose you?

Do you have any future plans either in eu-

a film producer.

International Fair in New York and I would pho-

Tomasz was in New York in the fall of 2011

rope or in the us after the biennial – or as a

I consider myself American-Hungarian, artist,

tograph great and unique works of art. I would

looking for new contacts, organizations and

result of the biennial?

curator and art professional. As an American

study and read a lot and I would try to come

artists. Marianne Wagner from Berlin (the di-

Yes, Europe is very important, as it used to

artist the benefit is not only the fact that I

up with something new: a new style or inde-

rector of Freise Museum) asked me to meet

be the main ‘hub’ for intellectuals and artists

have greater visual presence and visibility but

pendent point of view or a signature which can

Tomasz; she said we have a lot in common. In-

until the mid 20’th Century. The two World

I have greater international knowledge and in-

stand out from the crowd.

deed, we talked a lot about the international

Wars were the forces which developed differ-

formation as well. Also, collectors and galler-

Actually, this is what I did.. It is a long shot but

crises, Europe, depression, what the artist’s

ent styles and concepts. I keep coming back

ies can come to my studio and see the work

it will be worth it in the end.

role is in these hard times. Next day Lorand

and forth to use these energies.

in progress.

zsuzsi fieszl

ing Imageless thoughts you surely needed

perience characteristics of these locations

special knowledge for the implementation

through my manipulations.

process.

ok. so what is the meaning of the visit Home

mind. Hypothetically, it is enough just to hit the

The choice of technique or material is due to

series? Here you converted old furniture,

Pavla Sceranková’s art is constantly

base in the gallery little more and drama takes

the specifics of the theme I am working with.

vases, porcelain knick-knacks and so on?

changing. One minute she stops, the next

place in real time and space. This extreme case

Since the themes are diverse, I need different

The Visit Home is an open series of objects

minute she’s playing with the concept of

is destructive, but it shows how the statue is

materials. Before starting an object I create

which was made gradually, as if furnishing

perpetual motion. Her art is as exciting

essentially connected with the action.

several models from Styrofoam, or cardboard

an apartment, or, to be more precise, as if

to decide the form and proportions and I test

unveiling furniture in a house which has not

IMaGeless tHouGHts

as her personality. She is not just a sculptor, her portfolio contains video art and

please tell us more about your most recent

the technique I plan to use. It is always an

been inhabited for a long time. We recog-

installation as well. Her art is marked by a

work (Missing chapter, 2012), which was ex-

experiment. Despite all these preparations

nize the colours, though they are faded in

specifically. She intensely deals with the

hibited at the Drdova Gallery in prague.

I never know if it will work until I finish and

comparison to how we remember them and

reflection of human perception, memory

The title of the exhibition was “Missing chap-

“switch on the button”... But this is part of my

everything seems a little bit smaller too. In

and the individual experience of the sur-

ter”. It refers to my thesis “Mind without an

reasons to do it.

the dust, we recall situations which seem

rounding world.

Image”. This study focuses on perception,

banal, yet urgent. The feeling can be com-

primarily on the relation of perception to

the themes you choose are often socially

pared to that of a visitor. We are surprised

the perceived world and the experience of

engaging as well, like Garden Houses 2006–

by the fact that the implements seem famil-

Movement and motion is regularly displayed

the act of perception. It is based on several

2007 or the open Closed video works from

iar and some things can even be recognized

in your work. ( seen by air, 2004; I’m going ,

complementary viewpoints taken from the

2008.

clearly as if we returned to the place where

2009; observatory, 2011) Why is this motif

fields of philosophy, neurobiology, aesthetics

Social circumstances touch on authentic ex-

we came from.

so important to you? are you more interest-

and art. Here I formed a system of unusual

periences I had in particular places, at par-

noémi ferenczy

ed in static or dynamic motion?

relationships between the observed subject

ticular locations, and the visitor may re-ex-

For the full article please visit www.artguideeast.org

My projects move between sculpture, event

and the observer. The exhibition is the miss-

and video. Objects are subjected to undue

ing chapter of the thesis. It reviews the state

kinds of movements; then the action is frozen

of exploration impossible to define by means

at some of its stages. Work with inappropri-

of precise scientific language. One of the ob-

ate or impossible movement for example, led

jects entitled Imageless Thought has the form

me to a video and to its manipulation. In the

of a head. The shape is made of irregular ply-

virtual space of a video you are able to show

wood triangles which form a thin incrustation.

the potential energy of things, which, under

Its inner surface is covered with mirror reflex

normal circumstances remains hidden. The

tin foil, thus the empty negative of the object

action is not meant as a direct confrontation

may be filled with the reflexion of the visitor’s

towards the viewer, the video does not play

face looking inside. The work entitled Omni-

the role of a mediator. Video is a material for

focus is another head. Its surface is covered

sculpture. It has its own physical properties,

with 111 clocks. Each clock has metal squares

which are constantly changing and develop-

instead of watch-hands, and these squares are

ing with technology. In this imaginary space

constantly rotating in a one second rhythm.

object and performer become digital sculp-

Although the shape of the object, the head, is

ture – a video sculpture.

recognizable, in the same time its outlines are

A statue which invites you to act. It even im-

dissolving and it is impossible to grasp.

poses some kind of a threat that something will happen, although this expectation may

you always work with different kind of ma-

remain unfulfilled. We can walk by it without

terials and techniques. Is there a material or

pavla sceranková: Either or, 2010. From the series Visit home controlled collapse of a lamp

even noticing or it might take place in our

special technique you prefer? When creat-

with radio antennas. © Drdova Gallery, Prague

www.artguideeast.org

7

8

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