Vrijeme krpanja/ Patching Time
dr.sc. Antonia Došen
Dvije umjetnice koje u sebi čuvaju i arhiviraju memoriju interpretiraju je u svojoj umjetnosti svjesnim aparatom pamćenja na sasvim dva tehnički različita, a opet idejno vrlo slična načina. Ana Vivoda i Monika Cvitanović komuniciraju neposredno svojim tijelom, ready-madeom, izvornikom ili reprodukcijom sebe same djelujući u okvirima emancipatorskog aktivizma, bilo stjecanjem slobode misli i djelovanja ili osjećajem izmicanja kontroli. Obje autorice, dijametralno različite svojim dosadašnjim umjetničkim putevima, u sasvim slučajnom upoznavanju koje ih je sudbinski spojilo zaključile su kako i nisu toliko različite s obzirom na to da svoje živote na jednak način obogaćuju eksperimentalnim istraživanjima u medijima u kojima se izražavaju. Ono što je čvrsta poveznica među njima je njihov odnos prema prošlom vremenu koje su obje odlučile sačuvati u svojim radovima, a time konceptualno proniknuti u sve ono skriveno što je podsvjesno sačuvano.
Odnos prema tekstilu, platnu koje im nudi neposrednost u komunikaciji s publikom je jednak, na njemu eksplicitno ili implicitno upisuju sebe i izlažu se procjeni nepoznatog.
Dijagram svoje umjetnosti koje su nam ponudile referira se u odnosu slika – pismo – tijelo, koji je posebno razrađen u djelima Ane Vivode. Obje umjetnice za matricu svojega rada koriste tkaninu na kojoj interveniraju koncem, bojom, otiskom. Njihov subverzivan pristup društvenoj stvarnosti, poziciji sebe same ili žena koje su se suočavale s nepovoljnom sudbinom zamjetan je u radu Monike Cvitanović. Njen feministički karakter u djelima funkcionira kao kritička praksa prema „tradicionalno rodno uvjetovanim hijerarhijama povijesti umjetnosti i umjetničkih materijala“.
U svojim recentnim istraživanjima eksperimentiranja s različitim medijima i tehnikama gotovo na rubu performativne umjetnosti u ciklusima poput platnenih maramica, instalacija s digitalnim tiskom na platnu i drugih Ana Vivoda radi kognitivnu mapu proživljenih događaja. Prepoznatljiva po ljubavi prema knjižnoj umjetnosti Ana radi i umjetnička djela u formatu knjiga nazvanih Knjiga ožiljaka, Zaboravila sam, Razgovori uz kavu, U međuprostoru koje sama dizajnira, uvezuje umjetnički oblikuje. Takav pristup omogućuje joj naraciju kojom vodi promatrača kroz svoje najintimnije doživljaje i osjećaje. Plava knjiga odnosno rad nazvan „Zaboravila sam“ sadržan je od stranica bojane gaze i korica od bojane pelene s vidljivim tragovima korištenja na kojima
Two artists who hold and archive memory within themselves interpret it in their art through a conscious apparatus of memory in two technically different yet conceptually very similar ways. Ana Vivoda and Monika Cvitanović communicate directly using their bodies, ready-mades, originals, or reproductions of themselves, acting within the framework of emancipatory activism, either by gaining freedom of thought and action or by feeling a sense of losing control. Both artists, diametrically different in their artistic paths so far, in a completely accidental meeting that fatefully brought them together, concluded that they are not so different considering that they enrich their lives in the same way through experimental explorations in the media in which they express themselves. What creates a strong connection between them is their relationship to the past that both have decided to preserve in their works, thereby conceptually penetrating into all that is hidden and subconsciously preserved. Their relationship with textile, the canvas that offers immediacy in communication with the audience, is the same – on it, they explicitly or implicitly inscribe themselves and expose themselves to the assessment of the unknown. The diagram of their art offered to us refers to the relationship of image – letter – body, which is particularly elaborated in the works of Ana Vivoda. Both artists use fabric as the matrix of their work, intervening with thread, colour, and print. Their subversive approach to social reality, their position, or position of women who have faced an unfavourable fate is noticeable in the work of Monika Cvitanović. The feminist character of her works functions as a critical practice towards “traditionally gender-based hierarchies of art history and artistic materials.”
In her recent experimenting with different media and techniques, almost on the verge of performative art, in series such as cloth handkerchiefs, installations with digital printing on canvas, and others, Ana Vivoda creates a cognitive map of lived events. Recognizable for her love of book art, Ana also makes works of art in the format of books titled The Book of Scars, I Forgot, Conversations over Coffee, In the interspace, which she designs, binds, and artistically shapes herself. This approach allows her to create a narrative that guides the observer through her most intimate experiences and feelings.
The Blue Book, or the work titled “I Forgot,” consists of pages made of dyed gauze and covers made of
su uvezane riječi sivim koncem. Dok razotkrivamo misao koja je zabilježena koncem, okretanjem listova odnosno tkanine otkrivamo da su koncem opisani doživljaji i emocije ekstrahirani kao momenti iz sjećanja, kao npr. „prvi smijeh“, „Celinin prvi smijeh“.
Hrabrost da se iskorači iz medija u kojem se neki umjetnik osjeća najsigurnije pogotovo ako je u njemu afirmiran i prepoznat u likovnoj umjetnosti, odlikuje zaista rijetke. I nije samo riječ o tome da se iskušavaju drugi mediji, već se ono naučeno prenosi možda je bolje reći otiskuje / preslikava na sasvim druge materijale. Ciklus radova temeljen na memoriji nije samo nostalgičan, on je konceptualno izvanredno zamišljen kako bi sačuvao i prenio poruku o osobnim i međugeneracijskim odnosima koje obje umjetnice njeguju prema svojim precima. U tom smjeru izveden je ciklus prezentiran na Biennale Internazionale Donna 23 održan u Trstu u kojem su platnene maramice korištene kao podloge za priče proizišle iz sjećanja na oca koji ih je koristio, da bi zatim tu zbirku maramica umjetnica proširila dobivajući ih na poklon od obitelji prijatelja. Maramica postaje objekt noseći poruku koju umjetnica dijalektom1 ispisuje na njoj ispreplićući različita sjećanja o čemu svjedoči riječima: „Rad prenosi potrebu mojih baka i djedova da pred kraj života svoje živote oblikuju u priče koje će ostaviti u naslijeđe, otkrivajući sličnosti između prošlih borbi i današnjih kriza… fragmente razgovora sam izvezla na izlizane rupčiće, upisujući riječi u artefakte koji su ostali iza njih“. Knjiga ožiljaka nastala je 2023. godine kao ručno šivana i ukoričena zbirka osobnih intimnih zapisa koja počinje riječima pisanim olovkom na bijelom papiru „pokušavam ne gledati“ nadopunjenim crvenim koncem izvezenim u raznim smjerovima. Okretanjem stranica shvaćamo da konac ima dvostranu ulogu i da je njime zapravo prošivena fotografirana podlaktica prikazana ispružena preko dviju stranica. Mjesto umetnutih šavova crvenim koncem razotkriva mjesto samoozljeđivanja, tragova ožiljaka po cijelome tijelu i propituje psihološki učinak na promatrača, izaziva reakciju sablazni kakvu je postizala i Sanja Iveković u svojim ranim radovima reprezentacije nasilja nad ženama. „Okrećem glavu“ uvodi u fotografiju gornjeg dijela ženske / autoričine glave na čijem čelu na mjestu obrva ovi nepravilni šavovi koncem prekrivaju obrvu. A onda shvaćamo da u nastavku ove verbalizirane vizualne ispovijesti riječ „boli“ zaključuje traumatičnost koja je rezultirala ovakvim likovnim izričajem.
Istoimena instalacija na platnu u vidu intimnih zapisa ženskog tijela fotografski preslikanog i zatim prekrivenog stihovima prikazuje tijelo kao mapu proživljenih iskustava. Forma tijela se oblikuje kroz život i mijenja, te metamorfoze koje samo i jedino mi vidimo sami na sebi opisuju naše doživljaje koji definiraju svaku boru, svaku promjenu. Mi smo kolekcija sjećanja i doživljaja, naša koža je tkana od sitnih niti života. Instalacije su izvedene u digitalnom tisku na krep žoržet materijalu u dvije varijante – kao tijelo bez ožiljaka s tekstom koji ga obuhvaća i štiti od pogleda, te kao tijelo s ožiljcima označenima spontano crvenim koncem, ali bez teksta - štita koji ga čuva.
dyed diapers with visible traces of use, where words are embroidered with grey thread. As we unveil the thoughts captured by the thread, by turning the pages or fabric, we discover that experiences and emotions described with thread are extracted as moments from memory, such as “first laugh,” “Celina’s first laugh.”
The courage to step out of the medium in which an artist feels most secure, especially if they are affirmed and recognized in the visual arts, is truly rare. It is not just about experimenting with other media; what is learned is transferred, or perhaps it is better to say printed/pasted onto entirely different materials. The series of works based on memory is not merely nostalgic; it is conceptually remarkably conceived to preserve and convey a message about personal and intergenerational relationships that both artists nurture towards their ancestors. In this direction, a series was created and presented at the Biennale Internazionale Donna 23 held in Trieste, where cloth handkerchiefs were used as the foundation for stories stemming from memories of the father who used them. The artist then expanded this collection by receiving handkerchiefs as gifts from family and friends. The handkerchief becomes an object carrying a message, with the artist embroidered in dialect, intertwining different memories. She expresses this with words: “The work conveys the need of my grandparents to shape their lives into stories to be passed down at the end of their lives, revealing similarities between past struggles and today’s crises... I embroidered fragments of conversations onto worn-out handkerchiefs, inscribing words into artifacts that remained after them.”
The Book of Scars was created in 2023 as a handsewn and bound collection of personal intimate records that begins with words written in pencil on white paper, “I am trying not to look,” complemented by red thread embroidered in various directions. By turning the pages, we realize that the thread plays a dual role, actually stitching a photographed forearm extended across two pages. The placement of the stitches with red thread reveals traces of self-harm, traces of scars all over the body, and questions the psychological impact on the observer, provoking a reaction of shock similar to what Sanja Iveković achieved in her early works representing violence against women. “I am turning my head” introduces a photograph of the upper part of a woman’s/artist’s head, where these irregular thread stitches cover the eyebrows. Then we realise that in the continuation of this verbalized visual confession, the word “pain” concludes the trauma that resulted in this visual expression.
The installation of the same name on canvas in the form of intimate records of the female body photographically reproduced and then overlaid with verses, portrays the body as a map of lived experiences. The form of the body is shaped through life and changes, and those metamorphoses, visible only to us, uniquely describe our experiences that define every wrinkle, every change. We are a collection of memories and experiences; our skin is woven from the tiny threads of life. The installations are
Ana Vivoda, Knjiga ožiljaka / Book of Scars, 2024. prostorna instalacija, kompozicija 13 grafika digitalnog tiska na tkanini s ručno vezenim elementima (tkanina, konac) / installation, composition of 13 digital prints on fabric with embroidered elements, dimenzije varijabilne / variable dimensions
1 Na njihovom ranijem izlaganju bila je potrebna transkripcija kako bi bile čitljive i razumljive čitatelju što je pružilo sasvim novi spektar mogućnosti njihova čitanja percipiranja.
1 In earlier exhibitions, a transcription was required to make the content readable and understandable for the reader, providing a completely new range of possibilities for their interpretation and perception.
Instalacija suprotstavlja prozračne, crno-bijele fotografije ogoljenog tijela s naknadno izvezenim „tragovima ožiljaka“ izvedenih crvenim koncem. Bjelina tijela upućuje na fizičku emocionalnu ranjivost, a prostor tijela mjesto je u koje se upisuju tragovi. Tijelo se predstavlja kao arhiv sakupljenih iskustva vlastite krhkosti; tragova fizičkih ozljeda ili nezgoda, no jednako tako i ožiljaka emocionalnih gubitaka i trauma. Slika tijela otvara pogled u prostore intimnosti koji se trajno oblikuju novim ožiljcima i procesima zacjeljivanja kroz iskustvo otvorenosti prema drugome i prihvaćanju vlastite fragilnosti.
The installation contrasts semi-transparent black and white photographs of the naked body with subsequently embroidered “traces of scars” made with red thread. The bareness of the flesh suggests physical and emotional vulnerability, while the space of the body is the place where traces are imprinted. The body is represented as an archive of collected personal experiences of fragility; of traces of physical injuries or accidents, but also scars of emotional losses and traumas. The image of the body gives insight into the intimate spaces that are permanently reshaped by the scars and the processes of healing through the experience of being open to the other and accepting the state of vulnerability.
Monika Cvitanović, Krpe IV / Cloths IV, detalj / detail, 2023.-2024., prostorna instalacija, serija od 4 rada / installation, series of 4 artworks, dimenzije varijabilne / various sizes
Serija radova animira žensko međugeneracijsko tekstilno znanje i estetiku brige u kontekstu kućanstva. Radovi predstavljaju pokušaj dijaloga sa tekstilnim praksama mojih pretkinja, pri čemu svaki rad kontemplira estetski doživljaj te uspomenu na njihov reproduktivni i plaćeni rad. U pokušaju da spasim od zaborava povijest svakodnevnih djela brige koje evociraju tkanine, konac za mene predstavlja sredstvo spajanja, krpanja te medij za praksu prisutnosti i naglašavanja rada i emocija utkanih u tekstilne predmete koji se, jednom odbačeni, nazivaju krpama.
Koristeći utjelovljeno znanje rada s iglom i koncem na svoj ‘nepravilan način’, pokušala sam oživjeti kako osobne, tako i nađene tekstilne predmete koje sam sakupljala dugi niz godina. Radovi tako kontekstualiziraju požutjele stolnjake, jastučnice, salvete, komade tkanina preostalih od krojenja, zaflekane i poderane spavaćice, tkanine eksperimentalno bojane čajem i začinima te odjevne predmete, spajajući ih u instalacije nalik zavjesama koje kontempliraju kućanstvo kao mjesto u kojem se vrše često nevidljiva djela brige. U njima se nailazi na nekoliko marama koje su nosile moje pokojne bake marame darovane od prijateljica. Želeći spasiti one koje su poderane na mnogim mjestima, pokušala sam ih zakrpati metodom koju je koristila moja baka, nitima izrađenim od starih najlonki, te na taj način afirmirati utjelovljeno znanje koje nadilazi temporalnost. Šivanje tekstilnih predmeta različitih provenijencija u zajednički kontekst u kojem tekstilno znanje za mene predstavlja oblik samoodrživosti, svojevrsna je potraga za načinom da premostim vremenske i prostorne razmake.
The series animates women’s intergenerational textile-based knowledge and an aesthetics of care in the context of a household. The works represent an attempt of dialogue with the textile practices of the women in my family, where each contemplates my aesthetic experience of their homes and the memory of their reproductive and paid work. Aiming to restore the history of everyday acts of care evoked by these fabrics, the thread represents means of connecting, mending, a medium for a practice of presence and for highlighting the labour and the emotions embedded in textile pieces which, once rejected, get referred to as cloths.
Using the embodied knowledge of working with the needle and thread in my own ‘sloppy way’, I tried to animate the personal, as well as found textiles pieces which I have collected over many years. The works contextualise yellowed tablecloths, pillowcases, napkins, offcuts leftover from sewing, stained and ripped night dresses, an undershirt, and textiles experimentally dyed using tea and spices, assembling them into installations that resemble curtains. As such, they reference a household as a site in which the invisible acts of care are performed. The works feature several scarves worn by my late grandmothers and a couple gifted by my friends. Wishing to save the ones that are ripped, I attempted mending them using my grandmother’s method of visible mending with cut-up pantyhose, thereby affirming the textile knowledge that transcends time. The process of hand-sewing textiles from various sources into a context where textile-based knowledge represents a form of sustainability, seeks for a way to bridge the temporal and spatial distances.
U pomalo radikalnoj primjeni onog najbližeg tijelu, nježnoj ženskoj potkošulji, tkanini skrivenoj od pogleda koja dodiruje kožu, Monika Cvitanović lišava ready-made predmete njihove ranije namjene te im daje novo značenje. Umnožavanje i povezivanje u jedan umjetnički rad pojedinačnog svakodnevnog odjevnog predmeta daje istom tom predmetu snagu prenošenja poruke daleko veću nego bi ga nosio on sam, zaseban i odbačen. Kao jednu od velikih tema u umjetnosti koja je inspirirala niz modernih i suvremenih umjetnika i Monika temom sjećanja želi simulirati promatrača i potaknuti raspravu. Estetiku tekstilnog proizvoda de-estetizira ujedinjujući ih koncem u jedan rad kojemu se iznova vraća estetika čime se konstruira ideja sjećanja koje ovisi o pamćenju. Djeluje dekonstrukcijom objekta i zatim njegovim povezivanjem dijelova u jednu cjelinu. Diseminira tragove prošlosti na nizu predmeta koji služe simboličnom transformiranju sjećanja u znak – u njenom slučaju u križić. U pokušaju da se rekapitulira njen dosadašnji rad ne može se izbjeći sintagma: ‘stvaralačka odgovornost’ – Monika Cvitanović na sebe preuzima težinu komunikatora prema recipijentu u želji da prenese poruku oblikovanu kroz generacije žena – majke, bake. Njena agenda nije imperativna, ona je slojevito razlaže i sublimira prema promatraču s ciljem da se naglasi zanemarena prošlost žena i njihovih doprinosa kulturi. U ovome ima i subjektivnu, osobnu motivaciju proizašlu iz obiteljskih odnosa2, a sa željom da razmatra osobne i međugeneracijske odnose prema ritualima vezanima uz tekstil. Njen pristup je aktivistički intenzivan posebno u radovima Remedijacija Krpe u kojima radi s recikliranim materijalima, a temeljeni su na upotrebi ručnog rada korištenjem tehnike prekrajanja, vezenja, bojanja. Remedijacija se sastoji od deset složenih i koncem spojenih košulja na koje je intervenirano prirodnim bojama ili okrajcima drugih tkanina te zatim izvezenih nepravilnim znakovima - križićima. Križići na tkanini bilježe vrijeme provedeno u proizvodnji rada sjedinjujući kolektivnu prošlost žena radnica s alternativnim modelima korištenja tkanine. Ono što se na prvi pogled doima kao obična krpa zapravo je odbacivanje savršenstva izvrsnosti proizašlih iz patrijarhalnog konteksta koje je imalo svoja očekivanja od žena te slobodnog nepravilnog vezenja koncem neopterećenog zahtjevima prošlosti. Radovi joj predstavljaju svojevrsnu vizualnu biografiju osoba čije su uspomene utkane u tekstilne predmete koje je Monika godinama brižno prikupljala. Kao takav posebno se ističe rad Vjenčanica (konac na dva šala i komadima svile, gaze i tila) iz serije Krpe, kojim se „promišlja osobni i međugeneracijski odnos prema ritualima vjenčanja kroz senzibilitet tkanina i poštovanje prema tekstilnom radu naslijeđeno od majke…“. Ovaj rad nosi reminiscencije na Monikino osobno iskustvo nabave vjenčanice prilikom vlastitog vjenčanja, ali i upućuje ju na recikliranost i višekratno korištenje tkanina koje se koriste u izradi vjenčanica. Radovi iz serije Krpe sadrže nekoliko mjestimice poderanih marama koje su ili pripadale Monikinim bakama ili su joj
executed in digital print on crepe georgette material in two variants – as a body without scars with accompanying text that envelops and shields it from view, and as a body with scars marked spontaneously with red thread, but without text - a shield that protects it.”
In a somewhat radical use of what is closest to the body, the delicate women’s undershirt, a fabric hidden from view that touches a woman’s skin, Monika Cvitanović deprives ready-made objects of their original purpose and gives them a new meaning. Multiplying and connecting individual everyday clothing items into a single artwork gives that very object the power of conveying a message far greater than it would have carried on its own, separate and discarded. As one of the major themes in art that has inspired numerous modern and contemporary artists, Monika, focusing on the theme of memory, aims to simulate the observer and stimulate discussion. She de-aestheticizes the aesthetics of textile products by uniting them with thread into a work that continuously brings back aesthetics, thus constructing the idea of memory that depends on recollection. She operates through the deconstruction of the object and then connects its parts into a whole. She disseminates traces of the past on a series of objects that serve the symbolic transformation of memory into a sign – in her case, into a cross.
In an attempt to recapitulate her work so far, one cannot avoid the phrase ‘creative responsibility’ –Monika Cvitanović takes upon herself the weight of the communicator towards the recipient in an effort to convey a message shaped through generations of women –mothers, grandmothers. Her agenda is not imperative; she intricately dissects and sublimates it towards the observer with the aim of emphasizing the neglected past of women and their contributions to culture. In this, she has a subjective, personal motivation stemming from family relationships,2 with a desire to explore personal and intergenerational relationships related to rituals related to textiles. Her approach is activist-intensive, especially in works like Remediation and Rags, in which she works with recycled materials, based on the use of manual labour employing techniques such as cutting, embroidery, and colouring.
Remediation consists of ten folded shirts connected with thread, where she intervened with natural colours or trims from other fabrics, and then embroidered them with irregular symbols – cross stitches. The cross stitches on the fabric document the time spent in the production of the work, uniting the collective past of female workers with alternative models of fabric use. What may seem like ordinary rag at first glance is, in fact, a rejection of the perfection and excellence stemming from a patriarchal context that had its expectations of women, and free irregular embroidery unburdened by the demands of the past. Her works represent a kind of visual biography of people whose memories are woven into textile objects
2 Umjetnica je dijete profesionalne krojačice (nekadašnje propale tvornice Kamensko čije tekstilne radnice su nakon zatvaranja tvorničkog pogona nastavile neovisno udruženo djelovati pod sloganom „Mi ćemo raditi i stvarati“ pokazavši tako svoju odlučnost u namjeri da ih se ne zaustavi u njihovom djelovanju).
2 The artist is the child of a professional seamstress (formerly employed at the now-defunct Kamensko factory, whose textile workers continued to independently collaborate even after the factory's closure under the slogan "Mi ćemo raditi stvarati" – "We will work and create," demonstrating their determination not to be halted in their activities).
Monika Cvitanović, Ogledala / Mirrors, diptih / diptych, 2023.-2024., tekstilni okrajci, šal, konac i fragmentirani nakit na dvije reciklirane jastučnice / textile offcuts, scarf, thread and fragments of jewellery on two recycled pillowcases, 125 x 49 cm i 100 x 49 cm
Radovi polaze od mog razmišljanja o fragmentiranosti komunikacije emocija u vezi s iskustvom selidbi i materijaliziraju kreativnu poveznicom s majkom koja je utjecala na moj rani interes za tekstil. Svojevrsni portreti nas dvije, dvije kompozicije komada tkanina preostalih od šivanja na paru dotrajalih jastučnica čuvaju komade potrganog nakita koji je mama nosila u mladosti (I) privjesak koji je kupila meni u djetinjstvu (II). Izradila sam ih svakoga za sebe tek godinu dana kasnije doradila drugi, nakon što je bio izrezan u jednoj participativnoj izložbi. ‘Zakrpavši’ ga preostalim komadom crvenog pliša, doživjela sam ga kao produžetak prvoga rada i oba rada u cjelini kao portrete koji se ogledaju jedan u drugome. ‘Okvirima’ od ručno bojanih krpica i trakica željela sam intervenirati u rodno uvjetovanu hijerarhiju umjetničkih disciplina i materijala.
The work is preoccupied with fragmented communication in relation to experiences of migration and materialises a creative connection to my mother who influenced my early interest in textiles. Portraits of the two of us, the two compositions of textile offcuts on a pair of well-used pillowcases, they feature pieces of broken jewellery that my mother used to wear when she was younger (I) and a pendant she bought for me when I was a child (II). I made the two works separately and revisited the second one year after, after it got cut-up during a participatory exhibition. ‘Mending’ the second work using the remaining piece of the red velvet fabric, I experienced it as an extension of the first one and both artworks together as two portraits that mirror each other. The ‘frames’ made of hand-dyed scraps and ribbons allude to the history of portraiture, intervening into gendered hierarchies of art disciplines and materials.
darovane od prijateljica. Prisjećajući se prakse krpanja svoje pokojne bake - vidljivog štopanja u kojem se koriste niti izrađene od starih najlonki - umjetnica odbacuje mehanizme ekonomije te osvješćuje doživljaj vremena kao i sati utkanih u tekstilne proizvode.
Već s ranijim iskustvom uspješnih realizacija radionica s vezom na tekstilu (maramicama) ili intervencijama u svojstvu svojevrsnog interaktivnog performansa rezanja tkanine u koji je uključena publika i ovoga puta obje umjetnice namjeravaju angažirano zaključiti svoj izložbeni projekt. U konceptualno zamišljenoj izložbi sastavljenoj od dviju cjelina, svaka od autorica će uz svoje radove podijeljene na različite cikluse umjetničkog stvaranja održati i radionice kako bi pokrenule interakciju posjetitelja izložbe i promicale kreativnu energiju.
Prema riječima Ane Vivode ova izložba je dosad najintimnije svjedočanstvo njenog života, događaja koje je proživjela i koji su ostavili utisak na nju. Ova riječka grafička umjetnica na grafičkoj sceni je već više od dva desetljeća te ju je odavno upoznala ne samo hrvatska već i međunarodna kulturna javnost. Njen agilan rad, neumorna volja da se izražava kreativno zasluženo su joj priskrbili gostovanje i nagrade u više od desetak zemalja svijeta. Zajedno s njom Monika Cvitanović gazi novim putevima kumuliranja ženske energije kroz umjetnički izričaj usmjeren na ženska pitanja. Obrativši pažnju na odnos sa svojim precima koncem veže sjećanja i stvara instalacije pretočene u konkretne predmete kojima materijalizira emocije. Iako ponajprije prepoznata u australskim umjetničkim krugovima kao predstavnica mlađe tek nadolazeće generacije, Monika se afirmirala kao vrlo inventivna i aktivna umjetnica jedinstvenog pristupa u generiranju mitova o ženi iz androcentrične povijesti. Traume tijela i duha nisu uvijek nužno traume vidljive kao ožiljci, nasilje koje se događa može biti izazvano nasiljem društva, ideologije, a pamćenje koje kontrolira naša sjećanja organizira se u slučaju Monike i Ane kroz njihov egzaktan umjetnički rad. Pod zajedničkim nazivnikom Vrijeme krpanja uspostavljena je jedinstvena komunikacija demontiranja značenjske uloge materijalnih predmeta koji se iznova rađaju kao umjetnički radovi. Subverzivno krpanje odnosi se ne samo na doslovno krpanje nitima već i na preneseno krpanje životnih niti.
that Monika has carefully collected over the years. One particularly noteworthy piece is Wedding Dress (thread on two scarfs and pieces of silk, gauze, and tulle) from the series Rags where she “contemplates the personal and intergenerational relationship with wedding rituals through the sensibility of fabrics and respect for textile work inherited from her mother...” This work carries reminiscences of Monika’s personal experience of purchasing a wedding dress for her own wedding, while also drawing attention to the recyclability and repeated use of fabrics used in wedding dresses. Works from the Rags series include several partially torn scarves that either belonged to Monika’s grandmothers or were given to her by friends. Recalling her late grandmother’s patching practice - visible mending using threads made from old stockings - the artist rejects economic mechanisms and raises awareness of the experience of time, as well as hours woven into textile products.
Already with previous experience of successful realizations of workshops with embroidery on textiles (handkerchiefs) or interventions in a kind of interactive performance of cutting fabric in which the audience is involved, this time as well both artists intend to conclude their exhibition project in an engaged manner. In a conceptually conceived exhibition composed of two parts, each artist will not only present their works divided into different cycles of artistic creation but will also hold workshops to engage exhibition visitors and promote creative energy.
According to Ana Vivoda, this exhibition is the most intimate testimony of her life, the events she has experienced and that have left an impression on her. This graphic artist from Rijeka has been on the graphic scene for more than two decades and has long been recognized not only in Croatia but also by the international cultural community. Her dynamic work and tireless will to express herself creatively have rightfully earned her guest appearances and awards in more than a dozen countries worldwide. Together with Monika Cvitanović, she is breaking new ground in accumulating female energy through artistic expression focused on women’s issues. By paying attention to her relationship with ancestors, she threads memories and creates installations transformed into tangible objects that materialize emotions. Although primarily recognized in Australian artistic circles as a representative of the younger upcoming generation, Monika has established herself as a highly inventive and active artist with a unique approach to generating myths about women from an androcentric history. Traumas of the body and spirit are not always necessarily traumas visible as scars; the violence that occurs can be provoked by societal or ideological violence. In the case of Monika and Ana, memory, controlled by their precise artistic work, is organized through their exact artistic work. Under the common denominator of Patching Time, a unique communication is established in dismantling the meaning of material objects that are reborn as works of art. Subversive patching refers not only to literal stitching with threads but also to metaphorical mending of life’s threads.
Ana Vivoda, Preslagivanje memorije, 2022. instalacija vez na muškim maramicama, dimenzije varijablne
Slaganje memorije, kompozicija 21 korištenih ručno vezenih muških maramica različitog formata (tkanina, konac) na kojima su bilježena životna iskustva sugovornika, dimenzije varijabilne, 2022.
Od tatinih stvari sačuvala sam samo jedan običan sat i nekoliko staromodnih maramica sa vidljivim znakovima upotrebe. Dugo sam ih čuvala bez neke jasne ideje što s njima, no tijekom perioda lockdowna, sam ih izvadila počela vesti tekst na tkanini, razmišljajući o konceptu skloništa kao mentalnog prostora. Razmišljala sam o složenosti međuljudskih odnosa, krhkosti memorije i nekim davno izgubljenim ljudima i zaboravljenim životnim razdobljima. Maramica kao zastarjeli, čak sasvim suvišni proizvod, pretjerano korišten zaboravljen u stražnjem dijelu ormara, zgodna je metafora sam za sebe. Tkanina je prepuna ožiljaka rašivenih rubova, puna tragova ruku lica, navika i emocija. Vezući linije na fragilnoj tkanini, pokazao se kao savršeni način uspostave komunikacije, tražeći riječi unutar artefakata koji su preostali, upisujući nove slojeve u tkanje materijala.
Folded memories, installation, dimensions variable, composition of 21 used hand embroidered handkerchiefs of different size (fabric, thread), 2022.
on the fragile fabric proved as perfect means of communication, searching for words inside the artefacts that remained, interlaying it with the treads of the material.
No kako sam imala tek nekoliko tatinih maramica, na koncu sam počela skupljati maramice i nadograđivati donirane objekte, ispreplićući svoje misli sa memorijom prijatelja i obitelji, zamišljajući poveznice, tražeći riječi u prostoru između tkanja.
From my father’s belongings, I kept one quite inexpensive watch and several old-fashioned handkerchiefs bearing visible traces of use. I have been saving it for a long time without any clear idea what to do with it. During lockdown period in 2020, I took it out and started weaving text on the fabric, contemplating the idea of a shelter as a mental space. It made me think of complexity of human relations, fragrance of memory, some long lost people and forgotten life periods.
Handkerchief as an outdated, redundant item, often overly used and abandoned in the back of the closet, is a nice metaphor in itself. The fabric is full of scars and broken edges, bearing traces of hands and faces, habits and emotions. Weaving lines
As I had just a few of my father’s handkerchiefs, afterwards I started collecting objects and rethinking donated artefacts, intertwining memories of from friends and family, imagining connections, finding words in the “space between”.
Monika Cvitanović, Remedijacija, 2022.-2024., serija od 10 složenih i ručno izvezenih košulja / series of 10 folded and hand-stitched shirts, dimenzije varijabilne / various sizes
Radovi promišljaju konzumerističku otuđenost od nevidljivog rada uloženog u tekstil u opticaju, a materijalna restauracija, kako odjevnih predmeta tako i ručnog rada, predstavlja alternativu diktatu produktivnosti svojstvenom neoliberalnoj ekonomiji. Moj proces posjećuje svakodnevna djela brige prema odjeći, preslagujući iznošene košulje iz mog bliskog kruga, ponekad im dodajući prirodne boje, komadiće tkanina ili komade rublja. Ove tekstilne forme kustosica Lisa Pang doživljava kao nabijene smotanom i zakopčanom tjelesnom energijom ljudi koji su ih nosili kao mojom koja sam ih ručno izvezla.1
Vezenje, koje za mene predstavlja utjelovljeno međugeneracijsko znanje, usvajam i prenosim na nepravilan način koji odbacuje savršenstvo kao vrijednost zbog njezine asocijacije s patrijarhalnim kontekstom tradicije. Ova praksa predstavlja i oblik brige o sebi koja usporava doživljaj vremena dok uzdizanje (odjevnih) predmeta iz neposredne okoline služi kao oblik otpora ekonomiji pažnje. Repetitivni križići koji ‘bilježe’ vrijeme provedeno u proizvodnji rada metaforički naglašavaju vrijeme uloženo u prerano odbačene tekstilne proizvode.
The works contemplate consumerist alienation from the invisible labours behind textiles in circulation, where material restoration of both the garments and the manual needlework represents an alternative to mechanisms of productivity, characteristic of neoliberal economies. The process revisits everyday acts of care for clothes, folding well-worn shirts from my close circle, sometimes adding natural dyes, scraps of fabric or pieces of underwear. Curator Lisa Pang describes these works as ‘textile forms that writhe with a coiled and compressed bodily energy – of the people who wore them and of the artist who painstakingly stitched them.’
Adopting hand-stitching, which I understand as an embodied intergenerational knowledge, I practice it in a sloppy way that rejects perfection as a value because of its association with the patriarchal context of craft traditions. This practice serves as a form of self-care which slows down the experience of time, while elevating the garments from my immediate proximity represents a resistance to the attention economy. The repetitive cross-stitches that ‘record’ the time spent producing the work metaphorically highlight the time invested in prematurely obsolete textile products.
Ana Vivoda, rođena je u Rijeci 1979. godine. Diplomirala na Odsjeku za likovne umjetnosti Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci 2002. godine. Završila je poslijediplomski studij (Project Studies) na Royal University College of Fine Arts u Stockholmu u Švedskoj. Doktorirala je na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti Sveučilišta u Zagrebu 2013. Radi kao redovna profesorica na Sveučilištu u Zadru, Odjelu za nastavničke studije u Gospiću.
Priredila je brojne samostalne izložbe u Hrvatskoj i inozemstvu. Sudjelovala je na mnogobrojnim kolektivnim izložbama u zemlji te na više od dvjestotinjak međunarodnih izložbi u zemlji i inozemstvu (Međunarodni trijenale grafike u Krakowu, Međunarodni bijenale grafike Guanlan, Kina, Njemačka međunarodna izložba grafike, Frechen, Međunarodni bijenale grafike Splitgrafic, New Prints, izložbe Međunarodnog grafičkog centra u New Yorku Međunarodni bijenale grafike Taiwan, Međunarodni natječaj za suvremenu umjetnost, Alicante, Španjolska, Međunarodni bijenale knjige umjetnika Biblioteke Aleksandrine, Egipat i druge). Dobitnica je brojnih nacionalnih i međunarodnih nagrada i priznanja za umjetnički rad (Nagrada Kabineta Grafike HAZU na 3. hrvatskom trijenalu grafike, Posebno priznanje žirija na 11. Međunarodnom bijenaleu grafike Acqui Terme, Italija, Nagrada 2. međunarodnog natječaja za suvremenu grafiku, Bilbao, Španjolska, Posebno priznanje žirija na Međunarodnom bijenalu grafike Jose Guadalupe Posada, Meksiko, Nagrada 52. zagrebačkog salona, Posebna nagrada Međunarodnog bijenala grafike Splitgraphic, Nagrada Grafičke zbirke NSK na 5. hrvatskom trijenalu crteža i druge).
Monika Cvitanović rođena je u Zagrebu 1987. godine. Završila je Diplomski studij povijesti na Filozofskom fakultetu u Zagrebu s temom završnog rada: „Život žena u Rijeci u 15. stoljeću“, a od 2016. živi u Sydneyu, u Australiji. Nakon završenog studija likovne umjetnosti na Fakultetu Novog Južnog Walesa (UNSW), radi kao samostalna umjetnica, podučava, vodi kreativne radionice radi u galerijama. Trenutno na istom fakultetu pohađa doktorski studij likovne umjetnosti koji ima za temu žensko međugeneracijsko tekstilno znanje i ručni rad kao mjesto feminističke etike brige. Dobitnica je stipendije za potporu pohađanja programa istraživačkog studija Vlade Australije. Do sada je sudjelovala na mnogobrojnim skupnim i samostalnim izložbama u Australiji (QVWC, Melbourne, UNSW Library and AD Space Gallery, Sydney, Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, Sydney, Project Artspace, Wollongong, Gallery 76, Embroiderers’ Guild, Sydney, Tributary Projects, Canberra, DRAW Space, Sydney, Airspace Projects, Sydney i druge). „Vrijeme Krpanja“ predstavlja njezinu prvu fizičku izložbu u Hrvatskoj.
Dobitnica je nagrade Tim Olsen (2020.) i priznanja za umjetnički rad Jenny Birt (2020.), te finalistica u nagradnim izložbama A&D Annual TWT Excellence Prize (2020.), Emerging Artist Award (2022.), Kudos Emerging Awards (2022.) i drugima.
Ana Vivoda was born 1979 in Rijeka, Croatia. After graduating from the Department of Visual Arts of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Rijeka, Croatia and finishing her postgraduate studies (Project Studies) at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm, Sweden, she completed her Doctoral studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia. She works as an Full Professor at the University in Zadar.
Vivoda held nine solo exhibitions (Croatia, Spain, Serbia) and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Croatia and over one hundred international exhibitions in the country and abroad (International Print Triennial Krakow, Poland, Guanlan International Print Biennial China, German International Exhibition of Graphic Art Frechen, International Graphic Biennial Splitgrafic, Croatia, New Prints exhibitions at International Print Center New York, International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibition, Taiwan, International International Artist Book Biennial Egypt).
She received many national and international prizes and acknowledgements, including Award of the Graphics Cabinet of HAZU (Croatian Academy of Science & Arts) at the 3rd Croatian Graphics Triennial, Award at the 2nd International Contemporary Engraving Festival, Bilbao, Spain, Honorary mention at the International Print Biennial Jose Guadalupe Posada, Mexico, Award at the 8th Splitgraphic, Split, Croatia and Award at the 52nd Zagreb salon, Zagreb, Croatia.
Monika Cvitanović was born in Zagreb in 1987 where she completed a Master of History and Education at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb with the thesis title: ‘The lives of women in the city of Rijeka in 15th century’ (2013). Since moving to Australia, she has completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours class 1) at the University of New South Wales Art, Design & Architecture, Sydney, where she is a current PhD candidate. Her PhD project develops methodologies for revisiting embodied intergenerational women’s textile-based knowledge as a site of a feminist ethics of care. She is a recipient of the Australian Government’s Graduate Research Scholarship and has been a practicing artist, educator and an art gallery worker.
Monika has extensively exhibited her work in group and solo exhibitions in Australia (QVWC, Melbourne, UNSW Library and AD Space Gallery, Sydney, Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, Sydney, Project Artspace, Wollongong, Gallery 76, Embroiderers’ Guild, Sydney, Tributary Projects, Canberra, DRAW Space, Sydney, Airspace Projects, Sydney). „Time to mend“ is her first physical exhibition in Croatia.
Monika won The Tim Olsen Drawing Prize (2020), was Highly Commended in Jenny Birt Award (2020), and a finalist in A&D Annual TWT Excellence Prize (2020), Emerging Artist Award (2022) and Kudos Emerging Awards (2022).
1 Lisa Pang, ‘Mixed Wash / Musings on the cloth, Exhibition Essay’, November 2023 (https://drawspace.org/exhibitions-and-events/recompose-drawing-with-threads)
1 Lisa Pang, ‘Mixed Wash / Musings on the cloth, Exhibition Essay’, November 2023 (https://drawspace.org/exhibitions-and-events/recompose-drawing-with-threads)
Ana Vivoda i Monika Cvitanović Vrijeme krpanja / Patching Time 7. 3. 7. 4. 2024. Galerija Prsten / Prsten Gallery
Hrvatsko društvo likovnih umjetnika / Croatian Association of Fine Artists Galerija Prsten / Prsten Gallery Trg žrtava fašizma 16, 10000 Zagreb, www.hdlu.hr
IMPRESUM | Nakladnik / Publisher: Hrvatsko društvo likovnih umjetnika / Croatian Association of Fine Artists, Trg žrtava fašizma 16, 10 000 Zagreb, hdlu@hdlu.hr, www.hdlu.hr | Za nakladnika / For the publisher: Tomislav Buntak | Upravni odbor HDLU / Executive board of HDLU: Tomislav Buntak (predsjednik/president), Josip Zanki (dopredsjednik / vicepresident), Ida Blažičko (dopredsjednica / vicepresident), Fedor Fischer, Vida Meić, Romana Nikolić, Tomislav Hršak | Umjetnički savjet Galerije Prsten / Artistic board of Prsten Gallery: Mia Akrap, Branka Benčić, Tomislav Buntak, Ivan Fijolić, Vida Meić, Leila Topić, Josip Zanki | Ravnateljica / Director: Ivana Andabaka (HDLU) | Voditeljica galerije / Gallery coordinator: Martina Miholić | Predgovori / Prefaces: Antonia Došen | Likovni postav / Exhibition set up: Ana Vivoda, Monika Cvitanović i Antonia Došen | Prijevod / translation: Zana Šaškin | Grafički dizajn / Graphic design: Duje Medić | Tisak / Printed by Kerschoffset | Naklada / Copies: 250 Uz potporu / Supported by: Organizatori / Organizers:
