TEMPLE
TEMPLE
International multidisciplinary exhibition on the esoteric insights within the contemporary art production
HDLU
Ring Gallery
Trg žrtava fašizma bb, Zagreb, Croatia
October, 13 - November, 13, 2009
Organized by the Croatian Association of Artists, HDLU
Curated by Branko Franceschi
Opening October 13, 20.00 h
With works by: Wolfgang Buchner (Austria) Tomislav Buntak (Croatia), Braco Dimitrijević (Croatia), Julie Faure-Brac (France), Melih Görgün (Turkey), Christian Jankowski (Germany), Željko Kipke (Croatia), Saeri Kiritani (Japan/USA), Toine Klaassen (Netherlands), Zlatko Kopljar (Croatia), Davor Krelja (Croatia), Emanuela Marassi (Italy), Martina Mezak (Croatia), Kata Mijatović (Croatia), Shana Moulton (USA), Trine Lise Nedreaas (Norway), Hermann Nitsch (Austria), Josip Zanki (Croatia).
Context
The initial impulse for the exhibition is coming out of the two components: the famous architecture of the Mestrovic pavilion (HDLU seat) and the current tendencies within cultural discourse.
The seat of HDLU was conceived and planned in 1934 – 38 period by the great Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, aiming to establish the institution devoted to the contemporary art practice i.e. the Temple of Arts. The overall concept has spilled over the formal aspects of the building shaping it as Masonic temple. Though the entire design was never completed, the famous rotunda since her opening in 1939 attracted huge attention and thus has changed its function many times to fulfill intricate agendas related to the ideological devotion. It was converted into the mosque in 1942 – 1945 period and then to the Museum of Revolution in 1948 – 1990 period, to be returned to the artists and arts from 1990 onwards. The space due the grandeur of its architecture was destined to be a space of worship, no matter was the subject aesthetics, religion or ideology; and no matter that the motive was always based on the political pragmatism of government authorities.
At present, the enduring analytical foundations of our civilization no longer seem to satisfy eternal human quest for the comprehension of reality. The need for holistic knowledge based on deep insights of true, intuitive and integral knowledge based solely on mind and spirit instead of the one based on physically measurable facts, is growing strongly.
Synopsis
Temple exhibition presented in the “Temple of arts” will focus on ubiquitous, but today neglected, interest of artists towards spiritual levels of reality, towards the expressions of its magical, mystical, ulterior, clandestine aspects. The exhibition will explore and present artists and artifacts inspired by the awareness and understanding of metaphysical fundaments of reality. The exhibition will show how the sole nature of artistic creation is the most suitable to expresses existential position of the human and his/her reality within the spiritual order of cosmos. The closeness of the artistic expression with notions and beliefs on the spiritual fundaments of reality, is best demonstrated by the fact that all the innovative art movements and disciplines that have influenced modern and postmodern era – itself marked by the supremacy of empiric cognition and science; have embraced vital spiritual component. Within the abstract art spiritual reveals itself through the realization of archetypal forms and mandalas, Zen inspired compositions or visions of cosmic systems. Spiritual is also present in the mystical and transcendental conceptualism, techno-spiritualism and ritual components of performance. Even stronger, spiritual realm is presented in figurative arts due the numerous and intense departures from realistic presentation towards the more expressive approaches or various integrations of figure with other planes of composition or building material itself. Thus constructed formal and/or cultural systems and standpoints demonstrate that spiritual is firmly and crucially embedded in the core of the ontological self-determination of human species.
Within the current cultural discourse, affirmation of the spiritual dimension of contemporary visual arts is immanent critic of the dominant socially engaged art practice, its trendy formalism, and its inability to reflect and actively transform reality.
The exhibition will present the entire range of multidisciplinary standards of contemporary art practice from traditional techniques to performance and multimedia, as well as entire range of the practicing artists from young and unknown to mature and famous, local and international.
The bilingual (Croatian/English) catalogue designed by Vladimir Tičić, with essays by Mark Gisbourne and Branko Franceschi and color reproductions of the works by each artist will accompany the exhibition.
Exhibition was made possible by the grants of the Ministry of Culture Republic of Croatia and City of Zagreb, City Office of Culture, Educations and Sport and the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Zagreb.
