IRWIN

IRWIN is a Slovenian artist collective.

The group was founded in 1983 in Ljubljana and is active as a part of the art collective " New Slovenian Art " ( NSK) mainly in the field of painting. The group itself describes her style as " retro avant-garde".

Foundation

The IRWIN group was founded in 1983 in Ljubljana in the former Yugoslavia by the painters Dusan Mandic, Miran Mohar, Andrej Savski, Roman Uranjek and Borut Vogelnik from which the group still exists today.

In 1984 IRWIN co-founder of the interdisciplinary art collective " New Slovenian Art " were ( NSK) and formed within the (symbolic) overall structure of the collective, the "Department of Fine Arts and Painting".

Following the collective thoughts of the group IRWIN always stressed that it is IRWIN is a collective and are not the work of single individuals their works. Her works are therefore not signed as usual by name, but marked with a stamp as a work of the collective.

Concept and Development

IRWIN describe the style of their group as well as the entire New Slovenian Art as " retro avant-garde":

"Retro avant -garde is the basic artistic approach of, New Slovenian Art '. It is based on the premise that traumas of the past that affect the present and the future can only be cured by a return to the original, triggering conflicts. Modern art has not yet overcome the conflict that was created by the [ ... ] assimilation of the historical avant-garde movements in the systems of totalitarian states. The usual perception of the avant-garde as a fundamental phenomenon of the 20th century is burdened by fears and prejudices. On one hand, this period is naive glorified and mystified, while on the other hand, their abuse, their compromises and errors with bureaucratic precision can be counted to us to remember that such a grandiose delusion must never be repeated. "

The artistic concept of IRWIN and NSK was accordingly in the artistic exploration of the ( totalitarian ) ideologies of the 20th century and their interactions with art. However, this argument was based not on irony, satire or critical distance, but - on the contrary - to an " affirmative over-identification ". Specifically, this can be understood that the group appeared with the intention of "total than totalitarianism " to be. The Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek rewrote this extraordinary, exorzistisch -looking approach as " traversing the fantasy ."

The works of IRWIN to this concept are distinguished following especially by the use of symbols, characters, images and icons from diverse artistic and political- historical contexts, especially ( but not exclusively) the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century, which appearing in superficially contradictory, be linked to each other. By the associated complete repeal of a tangible context the viewer to reflect on the effect on himself, which subconsciously transported contents and his own point of view is to be encouraged.

Cited by IRWIN images originate mainly of Russian avant-garde and the Supermatismus Kasimir Malevich, Christian iconography, the Slovenian cultural heritage as well as elements of fascist and Stalinist art and propaganda.

As early as the mid-1980s IRWIN were also known to Yugoslavia addition and exhibited their works in numerous solo exhibitions in Europe and North America.

Although it is primarily about a painter from the artists of the group IRWIN, the group operated in addition to the pure painting in the area of ​​object art, installation and performance art, and worked there together with other artists of the NSK, from theater productions to music videos. So IRWIN created, among others, in 1992, together with Michael Benson the "Black Square on Red Square", a black square of fabric with 22 meters edge length on the Red Square in Moscow and 2002 in the Hamburg Kunsthalle, a reconstruction of his time artistically by testamentary provisions of the artist Laying out Malevich designed in homage to Kazimir Malevich and Suprematism.

On 21 April 2004 in Ljubljana the IRWIN received Jakopic Award, the highest annual award of Slovenian arts.

IRWIN and the " NSK State "

Already from its foundation in 1984, the New Slovenian Art had ( at least symbolically ) given in accordance with its principle of " retro avant-garde" to the outside and thus a deliberately strict totalitarian state and similarly acting organizational structure. In 1992, the New Slovenian Art, declared in continuation of this idea its transformation from a collective to a State ( "State in Time "). This state should have " no boundaries and no territory ", but to be construed as " abstract Suprematist organism and body." IRWIN been involved in developing this idea and resulting ongoing projects such as " NSK Embassy Moscow " (1992), " NSK STATE Berlin " (1993), " NSK država Sarajevo " (1994 /95), " Transnacionala - A journey from East to the West "( 1996) and" EAST ART MAP " (2002) instrumental.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

  • What is art, Galeria ŠKUC, Ljubljana (1985 )
  • Riverside Gallery, London ( 1986) - Catalogue
  • Centre National des Arts Plastique, Paris ( 1988) - Catalogue
  • Bess Cutler Gallery, New York ( 1989)
  • Städtische Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf (1989 ) - Catalogue
  • Monteserrat College of Art, Boston ( 1990) - Catalogue
  • Capital, District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington DC (1991 ) - Catalogue
  • Capital, Clocktower Gallery, New York ( 1991) - Catalogue
  • Capital, Beursschouwburg, Brussels ( 1992) - Catalogue
  • Ljubljana Irwin, Galerija Dante Marino Cettina, Umag (1992 )
  • NSK Embassy Moscow, Apt Art and Ridzina Gallery, Moscow ( 1992) - Catalogue
  • Consulato NSK Firenze, Hotel Ambasciatori, Florence ( 1993)
  • Irwin - NSK Moscow Interior, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle (1993 )
  • NSK Konzulát Umag, Galerija Dante, Umag (1994 ) - Catalogue
  • NSK Passport Office (as part of the project NSK State Sarajevo), National Theatre, Sarajevo ( 1995)
  • Transnacionala, Atlanta ( 1996) - Catalogue
  • Transnacionala Cologne, Galerie Inge Baecker, Cologne ( 1997)
  • Interior of the Planit, Tramway, Glasgow ( 1997)
  • Three Projects, CCA Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw ( 1998) - Catalogue
  • Irwin State, 359 ° Gallery, Skopje ( 2000) - Catalogue
  • NSK Garda Prague, MXM Gallery, Prague ( 2000) - Catalogue
  • Irwin Live, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana (2000)
  • Retro avant-garde, Obala Art Centar, Sarajevo ( 2001) - Catalogue
  • NSK Garda Prishtina, Exit, Pristina (2002)
  • Rekapitulacija, East German Museum Gallery, Regensburg ( 2002) - Catalogue
  • Retroprincip 1983-2003, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin ( 2003) - Catalogue
  • Icons, Galerie Inge Baecker, Cologne ( 2003)
Neue Slowenische Kunst Slavoj Žižek
418036
de