"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 ivalskimi vrstami tega
otočja izpeljal svojo evolucijsko teorijo. Drugo asociacijo
pa predstavljajo tamkaj iveče endemične vrste.
Njihove nenavadne prilagoditve so mnogokrat na videz
bizarne, kar lahko vidimo tudi v nekakni grotesknosti ivalskega
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 človetva
do ivali.
Darwinova
teorija, ki pravi, da morajo vse vrste mutirati, da
bi nastale nove, je tudi eden izmed temeljev genetike.
človeko izrabljanje in modificiranje domačih ivali
v kreature, ki so popolnoma odvisne od nas, po nas
in za nas, je postalo naa vsakdanjost. Galapagos
je tako zanimiv absurd, saj prav to odmaknjeno otočje
predstavlja enega od temeljev dananjega sveta.
Ravno prostor, kjer je manjko ljudi, omogoči vpogled,
ki je spremenil človetvo.
Intermedijski
projekt Galapagos, ki sta ga ustvarila Damijan Kracina
in Vladimir Leben, v galerijskem prostoru prepleta
slike, kipe, intalacijo, video projekcije, fotografije,
glasbo in e kaj. Intalacijsko postavitev
futuristične pokrajine, ki prikazuje domiljijski
svet genetsko izpopolnjenih ivali, brezična
kamera prenaa na steno galerije. Poleg vizualnih
podob sta umetnika s pomočjo ivalskih glasov
in ivalskega spremljevalca pripravila avdio performans,
ki bo gledalcu dovoljeval opazovati dogajanje le skozi
majhno luknjo. Umetnika se poigravata z nami in gledalca
postavljata v poloaj voajerja.
Razvoja ivali
ni mogoče zanesljivo predvideti, zato puča ogromen
prostor človeki domiljiji. V svetu prihodnosti,
kjer zaradi nemogočih pogojev ni prostora za človeko
vrsto, bo evolucija pustila prosto pot razvoju izpopolnjenim ivalskim
vrstam. Damijanov svet mehkucev, ki so zaradi
svoje genetske strukture preiveli in zamenjali
vodni habitus z lebdenjem v breztenostnem prostoru,
nakazujejo neko daljno znanstvenofantastično zgodbo,
ki je človetvo po vsej verjetnosti ne bo doivelo.
Damijan je s svojimi stripovsko futurističnimi risbami
genetsko spremenjenih bitij odprl pot domiljiji,
kjer so mone telepatske komunikacije in lebdenje
po prostoru.
Njegove
skulpture ivali na tej razstavi upodabljajo nekakna
inteligentna in genetsko izboljana bitja, ki
presegajo človeke sposobnosti. Njegov Mr. Spag,
genetsko izboljan človek s nekaj ivalskimi
kvalitetami, dolgim repom za bolje ravnoteje
in čisto duo, se pojavlja samo v čistih in izvirnih
okoljih, kjer ni prostora za izmečke.
V
slikarskem svetu ivali Vladimirja Lebna lahko
najdemo vzporednice z Ezopovimi basnimi. ivali,
ki so polne človekih lastnosti, umetnik na grotesken
način skua popačiti. Na pogled ljubke ivalce
nosijo v sebi strahove, jezo, smeh, norost,... Umetnikova
roka se z natančnim podajanjem detajlov in barvnih
nians vsake ivali posebej z vso resnostjo prepuča
svoji domiljiji.
Damijan Kracina in Vladimir Leben galerijski prostor spremenita v ivalski
vrt, kjer poskuata nenasilno in humorno ozavečati obiskovalca o
ogroenosti tega sveta. Umetnost se je, tako kot večina stvari v dananjem
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 izboljav.
Zato je danes dovoljeno, da se umetniki selijo kot nomadi in v pluralizmu izrazov
ičejo svoje poti. Damijan Kracina in Vladimir Leben se dobro zavedata,
kaj dananji gledalec, ki si ne vzame časa za globokoumna razmiljanja,
potrebuje.
Skozi igro in humor, ki sta imanentna elementa umetnosti in se danes vse bolj
pogosto izgubljata, se posreduje izredno premiljeno sporočilo. Umetnika
nas skuata spraviti v smeh in hkrati v nas vzbuditi občutek krivde ter
nelagodja ob gledanju ivali, ki so postale samo orodje v človekih
rokah. Hkrati pa nas ob razmiljanju o prihodnosti postavljata v pozicijo ibkih
in nemočnih bitij.
Jadranka
Ljubičič |