21 Apr 2011

'Change the Colour!' at International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana

Teamwork spanning over fifteen years; processuality, analyticness and systematicness; open space, intervention, audience participation; investigation of information and its multilayeredness; elimination of the passive perception of the artwork and the role of the artist as creator; transparency of creating the artwork; provocation; humour. In short, this is BridA / Tom Kerševan, Sendi Mango, Jurij Pavlica.

Change the Colour! is the first retrospective exhibition to present the group's paintings, prints, videos and intermedia projects produced between 2005 and 2011.

BridA formed in 1996 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where its members Tom Kerševan, Sendi Mango and Jurij Pavlica also graduated. Their work is based on the consideration of processes and applications within the context of contemporary art, on the principle of artistic integration and teamwork, as well as research and projects involving collaboration with various other artists, experts and creators. What makes them special is their engagement in their own locality, numerous connections with research institutes and universities, successful appearances abroad, their own artist in residence programme and so on. Their latest project is a collaboration in the Time For Nano project, which is being carried out under the auspices of the EU, and focuses on communication and bringing nanotechnology and awareness of it closer to the youngest audience. BridA lives and works in Šempas.

BridA's projects display a uniform system of thought and preparation of artworks that is best understood if we just step into it and experience it ourselves. The works are based on discussion, careful planning and professional execution. They are characterized by their constant passing from the two-dimensional visual surface into the three-dimensional space. BridA treats the artwork as an open space, in which various types of information circulate, with spectators' interventions continuously adding to and affecting the final result.
Despite their use of new media, high technology and science, they have never abandoned drawing and painting. And as they maintain themselves, a new medium or new technology has also never been an impulse, but rather a path, in the realization of a new project. Important for getting to know BridA's work is their DIY – Do It Yourself project initiated in 2005, a CD with instructions on how to create a painting (the idea for the title of this exhibition also originates from this project). Researching how to present information and its effects is also repeated in later projects.

BridA has so far presented itself in the International Graphic Arts Centre in three group exhibitions; the first time in the exhibition The Third Look, The Multiplicity of Graphic Arts Today in 2008, then in 2009 as part of the 28th Biennial of Graphic Arts, and last year in the show entitled We Want to be Free as the Fathers Were. The solo exhibition shows a five-year overview of paintings, prints, videos and intermedia projects:
Modux, Modux Datascapes, Information Accelerator 1.1, DIY, Les mouches, Printed Circuits, the Trackeds series, Nanoplotter, the Lunch Break videos, Layers, Viktor, Radioteleskop, Time For Nano, Nanoplot, Ca' nun ce sta nisciuno. As highlighted by the exhibition curator, this presentation is not a normal survey of art, but illustrates the development of technology and its stages, which have had an effect on the art-making methods as well as individual projects. Therefore, viewing a survey of the creative process of artists who are essentially characterized by the concept of continuous development, can easily become an investigative challenge also for the visitor.

For this exhibition, BridA's first catalogue has been issued. It has been published by the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) in the Slovenian and English language, edited by Božidar Zrinski, curator of the exhibition. It contains extensive visual material on the group's art projects, texts by Božidar Zrinski, Ida Hiršenefelder as well as an interview by Domenico Quaranta.

A number of events will take place as part of the exhibition during the months of May and June: guided tours, lectures, workshops, performances and animations (a detailed schedule of events at www.mglc-lj.si).

Organized school groups and other groups will have the opportunity of attending a guided tour of the exhibition with a shortened workshop programme.

On International Museum Day, 18 May, there is no admission fee to the exhibition all day.

The exhibition was supported by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and Ljubljana Municipality.