"GALAPAGOS" Galerija Alkatraz, Ljubljana, 30. 9-14.10. 2004
Curator: Jadranka Ljubičič

The Galapagos archipelago is one of those archipelagos directing towards certain associations. The first association is connected with Darwin, who set forth his theory of the evolution studying animal species from this archipelago. The second association is connected with the endemic species living there. Their unusual adaptations are often bizarre at first sight, and this feature is reflected also in certain grotesqueness of animal world depicted by both exhibitors.

New dimensions, as seen by both authors, have been given to Darwin's theory. Darwin proved his theory with comparing the past and the present times. Artists with their vision of evolution, which will not end with Homo Sapiens, on the other hand point out the hidden performance of Darwin's theory, therein dealing with a problem of the absolutistic and domineering attitude of mankind towards animals.

Darwin's theory, which says that all species must mutate in order for new species to be developed, is also one of the foundation stones of genetics. Human exploitation and modification of domestic animals with aim to turn them into creatures, completely dependent on a man in every aspect, has become our commonness. Representing one of the basis of today's world, this far away Archipelago is thus such an interesting absurd. Just the place, where there is a lack of human beings, enables the insight into process, which altered the mankind.

Intermedia project Galapagos, created by Damijan Kracina and Vladimir Leben, interlaces in gallery space pictures, statues, installation, video-projections, photos, music and more. The setting of futuristic landscape, showing imaginary world of genetic perfected animals, is transferred on the wall of the gallery by wireless camera. Audio performance includes beside visual images also animal voices and an animal companion, all this happening being visible to a spectator only through a small hole. Artists are playing with us and they place the spectator in a position of a voyeur.

The animal evolution cannot be reliably predicted, therefore leaving a vast space for human imagination. In the world of the future, where because of impossible conditions there is no place for a mankind, the evolution will leave a free way for development of perfected animal species. Damijan's world of molluscs, who survived because of their genetic structure and exchanged water habitus for floating in weightlessness space, indicates some remote science-fiction story, which mankind probably will not live to see it. Damijan made way to human imagination with his strip-like futuristic drawings of genetically altered creatures, where telepathic communications and floating in the space are possible.

His exhibited sculptures of animals are forming sort of an intelligent and genetically improved creatures, transcending human capabilities. His Mr. Spag, genetically improved man with some animal features, long tale for better balance and pure soul, is appearing only in clean and authentic surroundings, where there is no place for scums of society.

In painter's world of animals of Vladimir Leben, one can find parallels with Aesop's fables. Animals, full of human characteristics, are deformed in a grotesques way. Lovely animals at first sight are full of fears, anger, laughter, craziness, … Painter's hand, which marks every detail and colour shade of every single animal, lives its own imagination with all seriousness.

Artists transform gallery into a zoological garden and are trying to conscience a visitor about threats of this world in a non-violent and humorous way. As most of other things, art also distanced from a man in today's changing world. People do not have time any more to contemplate on " great stories". Today, we witness the development that can take us to new dimensions with a light speed. Institution of an art is no less than science and technology seized in logic of constant improvements. Consequently, today the artists can move around as nomads, searching their own paths in a plurality of expressions. Damijan Kracina and Vladimir Leben are well aware of what today's spectator, who does not take time for deep thoughts, needs.
Through game and humour, the immanent elements of art, which are recently losing themselves, an extraordinarily thoughtful message is delivered. Artists are trying to make us laugh and at the same time to give us the sense of guilt and uneasiness when watching animals, who became only an instrument in human's hands. At the same time they put us in a position of weak and feeble creatures while meditating about the future.

Jadranka Ljubičič

GALAPAGOS

Otočje Galapagos je eno izmed tistih otočij, ki napeljuje k določenim asociacijam. Prva asociacija je povezana z Darwinom, ki je ravno z živalskimi vrstami tega otočja izpeljal svojo evolucijsko teorijo. Drugo asociacijo pa predstavljajo tamkaj živeče endemične vrste. Njihove nenavadne prilagoditve so mnogokrat na videz bizarne, kar lahko vidimo tudi v nekakšni grotesknosti živalskega sveta obeh umetnikov, ki razstavljata.

Umetnika sta Darwinovemu nauku dodala nove dimenzije. Darwin je svojo teorijo dokazoval s primerjavo preteklosti in sedanjosti. Umetnikapa s svojo vizijo evolucije, ki se ne bo končala s homo sapiensom nakazujeta na skrito izpeljavo Darwinove teorije in tako problematizirata tudi absolutistično gospodovalni odnos človeštva do živali.

Darwinova teorija, ki pravi, da morajo vse vrste mutirati, da bi nastale nove, je tudi eden izmed temeljev genetike. človeško izrabljanje in modificiranje domačih živali v kreature, ki so popolnoma odvisne od nas, po nas in za nas, je postalo naša vsakdanjost. Galapagos je tako zanimiv absurd, saj prav to odmaknjeno otočje predstavlja enega od temeljev današnjega sveta. Ravno prostor, kjer je manjko ljudi, omogoči vpogled, ki je spremenil človeštvo.

Intermedijski projekt Galapagos, ki sta ga ustvarila Damijan Kracina in Vladimir Leben, v galerijskem prostoru prepleta slike, kipe, inštalacijo, video projekcije, fotografije, glasbo in še kaj. Inštalacijsko postavitev futuristične pokrajine, ki prikazuje domišljijski svet genetsko izpopolnjenih živali, brezžična kamera prenaša na steno galerije. Poleg vizualnih podob sta umetnika s pomočjo živalskih glasov in živalskega spremljevalca pripravila avdio performans, ki bo gledalcu dovoljeval opazovati dogajanje le skozi majhno luknjo. Umetnika se poigravata z nami in gledalca postavljata v položaj voajerja.

Razvoja živali ni mogoče zanesljivo predvideti, zato pušča ogromen prostor človeški domišljiji. V svetu prihodnosti, kjer zaradi nemogočih pogojev ni prostora za človeško vrsto, bo evolucija pustila prosto pot razvoju izpopolnjenim živalskim vrstam. Damijanov svet mehkužcev, ki so zaradi svoje genetske strukture preživeli in zamenjali vodni habitus z lebdenjem v breztežnostnem prostoru, nakazujejo neko daljno znanstvenofantastično zgodbo, ki je človeštvo po vsej verjetnosti ne bo doživelo. Damijan je s svojimi stripovsko futurističnimi risbami genetsko spremenjenih bitij odprl pot domišljiji, kjer so možne telepatske komunikacije in lebdenje po prostoru.

Njegove skulpture živali na tej razstavi upodabljajo nekakšna inteligentna in genetsko izboljšana bitja, ki presegajo človeške sposobnosti. Njegov Mr. Spag, genetsko izboljšan človek s nekaj živalskimi kvalitetami, dolgim repom za boljše ravnotežje in čisto dušo, se pojavlja samo v čistih in izvirnih okoljih, kjer ni prostora za izmečke.

V slikarskem svetu živali Vladimirja Lebna lahko najdemo vzporednice z Ezopovimi basnimi. Živali, ki so polne človeških lastnosti, umetnik na grotesken način skuša popačiti. Na pogled ljubke živalce nosijo v sebi strahove, jezo, smeh, norost,... Umetnikova roka se z natančnim podajanjem detajlov in barvnih nians vsake živali posebej z vso resnostjo prepušča svoji domišljiji.

Damijan Kracina in Vladimir Leben galerijski prostor spremenita v živalski vrt, kjer poskušata nenasilno in humorno ozaveščati obiskovalca o ogroženosti tega sveta. Umetnost se je, tako kot večina stvari v današnjem hitro spreminjajočem se svetu, oddaljila od človeka. Ljudje nimamo več časa za kontemplacije ob "velikih zgodbah". Danes smo priče razvoju, ki nas lahko s svetlobno hitrostjo popelje v nove dimenzije. Institucija umetnosti ni nič manj kot znanost in tehnologija ujeta v logiko nenehnih izboljšav. Zato je danes dovoljeno, da se umetniki selijo kot nomadi in v pluralizmu izrazov iščejo svoje poti. Damijan Kracina in Vladimir Leben se dobro zavedata, kaj današnji gledalec, ki si ne vzame časa za globokoumna razmišljanja, potrebuje.
Skozi igro in humor, ki sta imanentna elementa umetnosti in se danes vse bolj pogosto izgubljata, se posreduje izredno premišljeno sporočilo. Umetnika nas skušata spraviti v smeh in hkrati v nas vzbuditi občutek krivde ter nelagodja ob gledanju živali, ki so postale samo orodje v človeških rokah. Hkrati pa nas ob razmišljanju o prihodnosti postavljata v pozicijo šibkih in nemočnih bitij.

Jadranka Ljubičič