ANITA SULIMANOVIĆ
CITY

SITE SPECIFIC INSTALLATION
BARREL GALLERY

7.7. – 24.7. 2009.

…And then it was as if Dogville just waited. Even the wind dropped, leaving the town in an unfamiliar calm. As if somebody had put a large cheese dish cover over it, and created the kind of quietness that descends while you’re awaiting visitors.*

In hands of artist Anita Sulimanović space of Barrel Gallery has been transformed into an unusual settlement of former dog’s homes. Exhibition consists of fifteen objects found in Zagreb’s suburbs or in the town, set in the space in row that may remind us of settlements that are built more or less according to a plan. One of the objects rises above from the row, creating installation of interesting visual and spatial characteristics. This surreal element shows that it is not only about randomly shown found objects and their visual quality but about multileveled story that exists behind each actor and behind the whole ensemble.

In her recent work Anita Sulimanović is using found objects transforming them into site-specific installations which main characteristic, along with clearly present concept, is visual quality, which manifests in comprehension of space emphasized through sharp, intelligent interventions. Perhaps artist’s visual sensibility was primary strength that attracted her to picturesque kennels. But their setting into clear, rounded, symmetrical space of Barrel Gallery, alteration of their usual surrounding, dislocation and decontextualisation makes an important artistic concept, that emphasizes their visual values but also simulates new meanings or points to existing meanings.

Social component is inevitable and very important element of the work. From the word doghouse, for some of them quite inappropriate and gentle title, many issues that enclose micro and macro levels of our society can be read. Looking daily at these constructions within their primary ambient, even at the very center of Zagreb, we probably won’t notice, less likely read their multi-meanings. Diversity of kennel’s shapes, that can be view as mare curiosity, points to much more serious issues. Lack of kennel building regulations is probably much easier to comprehend through lack of same regulations in building real, big homes, projects as well as whole urban entities along Croatia. Walking along Zagreb’s residential area Tresnjevka, is it realistically to expect sensitivity for best human friend’s homes, when there is no sensitivity for human itself? Kennels – homes for dogs on short chains, which dog’s life encloses only few meters of space and food – from frustration surely delivers aggression. The aggression is probably life role of the housekeeper, furious barker, frightener of potential intruder. Its insensitive owner in his hard life circumstances had no time to think about more human relation to the animal or he just copied his way of life in which some greater power is keeping him on chain. This vicious circle will not and cannot be changed by any dog or any man. Civil society will go through many more battles with its constant antagonists, more government will fall and more crises will pass until the improvement of standard and quality of life will break this inhuman practice.

By adding light accent in some of kennels most of us will get chance to look what is hiding inside for the first time, a chance to look the house and everything it presents from every angle. In addition to the view from above (from Gallery PM) and view from below at object hanged in the space, the author made the most of spatial possibilities that she was offered. It is precisely these isolated inner lights that are connecting elements that may provoke apparition. Fear of what might expect us in unknown, small space. Fear of what this space presents. The artist is setting up a challenge, by minimal intervention, by installation that reminds us of abstracted set-design of abandoned dog’s settlement, recalls many associations and sets up many questions from contemplative personal to wider social. Aiming to emphasize them, visual element as a promoter is crucial in this tale, along with perceptiveness for space primary to sculpture and powerful tool in hands of Anita Sulimanović.

Marta Kiš

* Quotation from the movie Dogville,Lars von Trier (2003.)

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Site-specific installation “City” consists of twenty old kennels with elements of light. Doghouses are scattered in the space to suggest a small town, some of them standing alone, others in row of two or three houses, while few of them are hanged in the air. Several houses are illuminated with electric bulb.

I have collected old and abandoned kennels at Croatian villages and town suburbs where the kennels that visually fit to my project can be found. At exhibition, along with the installation I have presented an art-book about process of collecting the objects. In this work I am using found objects or second hand objects that are more than just a ready-made because they are already human creation themselves and therefore I am calling them third-hand objects.

In Croatia, particularly in rural parts, kennels have peculiar appearances. For the lack or violation of building regulations, kennels are usually made of various odd materials and non materials such as plastic, asbestos, rusted metal and various leftovers from building materials.

Furthermore, kennels are often situated at unusual places, for example on the roof of the house. Perhaps there was no space for it elsewhere, or the house has no backyard which is so often the case in residential parts of Zagreb such as Tresnjevka where it is tried to (financially) take advantage of every inch of the space, so there is no footboard, not to mention backyard or plot. While taking photographs for the above mentioned art-book, I am treating the kennels as a portraits, for in my opinion, that is what they really are - the portrait of society that produces them, the portrait of difference between east and west, between organized and chaotic systems.

Setting this installation in Mestrovic’s Pavilion points to the contrast often seen in Croatia – at the time when the building was built it was extraordinary exhibition space in Europe and yet, just a few yards further we can still find odd objects like this kennels. To point to such disharmony, I literary moved the kennels to Mestrovic’s Pavilion.

The important element of installation City is fear, fear of dogs, of dogs that are kept on a chain. As an indicator for contemplating the differences between societies I use relation to dogs. Remembering my first visit to Paris, I was surprised by the peacefulness of dogs. They were everywhere…in luxury boutiques, in beauty salons, in bistros and patisseries, they never barked, or shown any other signs of aggressiveness. I am opposing this experience to the view from my window in Zagreb – it is midday, young man is arriving to the children play area with his dog, in some European countries forbidden breed. As he shows up with the dog without a leash, which is attacking other dogs and frightening passengers, people run away to their homes at once. Except the fear in this work I incorporated other associations such as violation of laws and poaching on somebody else’s preserves, lack of regulations or noncompliance with regulations, but also “a dog’s life”, a shortage of the space (both space for living and for free activities), obscure hovels, terror. While studying on Scotland a friend contacted me as she was interested in Eastern Europe and decided for the study tour in Czech Republic. Her enthusiasm was broken with an incident that happened to her in a Czech village, she was bitten by the dog. In her touristic delight she stroked the dog on a chain, which gave her serious injuries. While we watch most unusual combinations of materials of which kennels are made and while we wonder how those objects can serve as someone’s home, we can almost hear the sound of the chain which scrapes along the wire cable – strange invention which absurdly serves to give a dog more living space and “freedom”.

I am “translating” these thoughts into 3 dimensions. This shantytown provokes uneasiness that we fell when walking through ruins of Ghost towns. We don’t know who its inhabitants were. What animates these objects is light. Kennels are illuminated from inside to literary but also metaphorically light up their interior. Interior of the kennels are almost always unknown, like a dark womb, we can only speculate what is inside. We can guess that the inside of the kennel, ground and walls are soaked with emotions. Illumination of the interior is like a inverting the womb and in wider context, like taking responsibility for one’s actions. Furthermore, in order to behave responsible, issues should be view from inside. Observing the womb is disturbing, but that is necessary in order to become aware of the truth, and awareness is necessary for transformation. We don’t want to see, we don’t want to smell excretion. In which aspects of life do we act unconsciously, taking things for granted? Inviting visitors to view the issues form every angle, I hanged several kennels in the space, so along with seeing objects from above from Gallery PM, they can view the objects from below.

Anita Sulimanović

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More information about project on blog http://kennelcity.blogspot.com/