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Talking(about)images
CuratedbyFrancescaLazzariniandMartaRovetta
KunsthalleGraz
Graz,fromMay29thtoJune12th2018
AlessandroSambini,SpellingBook,detail,2018AfteritsfirststageatGalerijaKortilinRijeka,thereflectionontheroleandpowerofimagesincontemporarysociety,
between individual consciousness andmass culture, proposed by Talking (about) images continues inGraz, at the
Kunsthalle,fromMay29thtoJune12th2018.
Theproject,curatedbyFrancescaLazzariniandMartaRovettaforCulturalInventory,withthesupportoftheRegionof
Styria,developsthroughfourexhibitionsandasmanyopenlaboratorieswitheightartistsofvariousnationalitiesand
differentmeansofexpression-TheCoolCouple,SeverinHirsch,KateHowlett-Jones,NežaKnez,MaryamMohammadi,
NikaRukavina,AlessandroSambiniandChristophSzalay-,exploringtherelationshipbetweenimagesandthereality
theyrepresent,themechanismsthatregulatetheirproductionanddiffusion,theambiguitiesthattheycangenerate,
butalsotheirpotentialasauniversalandsharedlanguage.
In fact, unlikewords, images do not require translations to be read by people in different part of theworld, being
apparentlyalimitlesstoolforglobalcommunication.Nevertheless,theirinterpretationisanythingbutobjective:images
areintrinsicallyambiguous.Duetotheirpowerofpersuasion,imagesplayakeyfunctioninthecapitalistandglobalised
system:theyarevehiclesforideologyandoneofthemainweaponsinthestruggleoveranarenaofstrategicimportance
today,thecollectiveimaginary.
SoTalking(about)imagesfocusesonimagesasanautonomouslanguage,asintheworkEverydaybyTheCoolCouple,
which assemblesmeme GIFs reflecting on the influence on our existences of “secondary visuality”, the installation
Imag(in)eKa-mi-zebyNežaKnez,onimagesasachildrens’meantodesignabetterfuture,theworkLemmingsbySeverin
Hirsch,thatspursforanindependentuseofimagesandtextsconceivedasequalsymbols,andMaryamMohammadi’s
Memories Icon, thatexplores theroleof images inshapingpersonalmemoriesaswellasunconsciousvisualcultural
effects;atthesametime,theshowreflectsonthepotentialitiesandlimitsofthislanguage:onitsinteractionwithother
meansofexpression,asinKateHowlett-Jones’sPocketDictionaryoftheworld’sMostIconicPhotographs,whereevery
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image-entryisdefinedbyapoetictextresultingfrommixedcommentariesfoundfromtheinternetandtheinstallation
It’snotyourtimetogetyourangel’swingsjustyetthroughwhichChristophSzalaytakestheiconicstoryofTitanic,and
itsvideogamere-enactmentasastartingpointtoresonateonrepresentationandonthenegotiationofthereal,aswell
asontheresponsibilityrelatedtoitsproductionandfruition,asinthevideoandtheperformancebyNikaRukavina,The
IllusionofTruth,on thepropagandisticand ideologicaluseof imagesand thepassive receptionof their flow,and in
Spelling Book by Alessandro Sambini, which presents the analogue outcomes of amachine learning process raising
questionsaboutthemeaningofeducationandtheresponsibilityofimage-making.
AfterthefirstopeningattheGalerijaKortilinRijeka,thevideoinstallationTheImagesofourDreamsbyDiscipulahas
been included in theexhibition,building speculative scenarios concerning imagesand their relationshipwithhuman
beings.
Afterwards,Talking(about)imageswillcontinueitsjourneytoTrieste,from28Septemberto18November,andfinally
inSlovenia.
In collaborationwith:Galerija Kortil,Kunsthalle Graz,MLZ Art Dep, Italian Cultural Institute in Slovenia,Austrian
CulturalForumLjubljana,POIUYTandAssociationofArthistorianofRijeka.
Talking(about)imagesCuratedbyFrancescaLazzariniandMartaRovetta
KunsthalleGrazGraz,fromMay29thtoJune12th2018
Opening:Tuesday,May29th6:00p.m.
ConradvonHötzendorfStraße42aHours:FromTuesdaytoFriday,4:00-7:00p.m.Freeadmission
[email protected]://kunsthallegraz.at
PressOfficeTamaraLorenzicommunication
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TheCoolCouple(oftenabbreviatedtoTCC)isaMilan-basedartistduoestablishedin2012byNiccolòBenetton(1986)andSimoneSantilli(1987).Theirresearchfocusesonthefrictionpointsthataregenerateddailyintherelationshipbetweenpeopleandimages.Theideathatimagesactasactivehubsinanetwork,combinedwithastrongemphasisonproduction,resultsintheuseofseveralformsofexpression,rangingfromfineartphotographytoelectrostaticwipes,meditationroomsandChinesecover-bands. TCC’sworkshavebeen exhibited internationally atCentrodiCulturaContemporanea Strozzina, FondazioneBevilacquaLaMasa,UnseenPhotoFestival,Centquatre,LesRencontresdesArles,MACROMuseum.TheywereselectedbyFotomuseum,WinterthurforPlat(t)form2015.TCCreceivedthePremioFabbriforcontemporaryphotography in2014,thePremioGraziadeiin2015,thePremioGruppoEuromobilUnder302017andthePremioFotografiaunder40ArtVerona.NiccolòandSimoneco-foundedthecoverbandRui&theRainbowDragons.Discipulaisacollectiveoperatinginthefieldofvisualculturefoundedin2013byMFGPaltrinieri,MirkoSmerdelandTommasoTanini.Workingacrossa rangeofpractices, varying frompublicationsandart installations to commissionsandeducation,Discipulafocusesontheexplorationoftheroleandusesofimagesinthecontemporarymediascape.Thecollectivereferstoimagesaspoliticalandeconomictools,meansofpowerandcontrolwhoseambiguousnaturecanbecontrolledtodetermineshiftsintheperceptionofreality.Withregardtothis,Discipulapaysparticularattentiontotheroleofthevieweraswellastotheactoflookingasaformofpoliticalconscience.Discipula'sworkhavebeenexhibitedinternationallyatUnseenPhotoFair-Amsterdam, LondonArt Fair,MatildenhoheDarmstadt, FORMAT Festival - Derby, Kunsthalle Budapest, Tokyo Institute ofPhotographyandmore.DiscipulaistherecipientofvariousawardsincludingPremioFabbri2016andLesRencontresd’Arles,AuthorBookAward2015.SeverinHirschwasborninCelje,Slovenia(thenYugoslavia),sheattendedtheSchoolofDesign,GraphicsandPhotographyinLjubljana.BasedinGrazsince2003,sheworkedasphotographerandrestorerbeforeshestartedtoinvestigateinthefieldoftheartsandcompletedtheMeisterschulefürKunstundGestaltung/MalereiwithProfessorErwinTalkerin2013inGraz.Sheworksbetweenmediaart,installationandpainting.Herphotographicworksdealwithsocialchangeandchangeofvalues.HerartworkwashonouredwiththeArtPromotionAwardofthecityofGrazin2016.KateHowlett-Joneswasbornin1971andgrewupinLondon.FollowingaMaster’s inFrenchandRussianliteratureattheUniversityofOxford(1989-1993),shemovedtoAustriain1999.SincethenshehasbeenactiveinGrazasatextartistandwriter.In2013sheco-foundedTheDailyRhythmsCollective,aplatformforinternational,interdisciplinarywomanartistsbasedinGraz.RecentexhibitionsandpublicspaceprojectsincludeShiftingConstellations(MinoritenGraz2015),RoseoftheWinds(Sarajevo,Trieste,Graz2015),Verfolgt,beraubt,vertrieben(rotor2016),sublim(escmedienkunstlabor2016),StoriesfromtheEdge(MLZTrieste,GalerieKortiljandKunsthausGraz2016),steirischerherbst2016,ErzählungenderAnkungsstadt(rotor2016).Sheworksbetweentext,objectsandinstallation.Herworksdealwiththeartisticdynamicsoflanguageandnarrativeastheyinteractwithvisualizationandspace.NežaKnezwasborninLjubljanain1990.In2014shegraduatedinSculptureatAcademyofFineArtsandDesign,wheresheiscurrentlystudyingamaster’sprogramunderthementorshipofprofessorJožeBarši.Sheworkswithdifferentmedia,suchasaudio,video,photography,withherownbodyorwiththebodiesofother,drawingsandclassicalsculpture.Sheistherecipientofprominentawards:Recognition foroutstandingacademicachievements,Award foroutstandingacademicachievementsAcademy of Fine Arts, University of Ljubljana, Award for an innovative approach to the graphic arts, Prešern's award ofAcademyofFineArtsandshewasnominatedforimportantawardOHO(theprizewasestablishedin2006bytheP.A.R.A.S.I.T.E.Institute(Ljubljana)incooperationwiththeFoundationforaCivilSociety(NewYork).Herartpracticeisrepresentedathomeandabroad,withcooperationonresidencyorwithexhibitions.MaryamMohammadiisadocumentaryandstagedphotographer.SheholdaPh.D.inVisualcommunicationandPhotography,JEPuniversity.ShetaughtatTehranUniversityofArtsformanyyears,andhasexhibitedwidelyinIranandinEurope.ShehaslivedinGrazsince2009,whereshereceivedthecityArtFundsPrize.Herworkfocusesonhowsocial,culturalandreligiousconditions at both local and global levels affectwomen. Also, how these effects are inscribed into their biographies andidentities.Occasionallysheisalsoanillustrativeobjecttoreflectherprocessofsocializationindifferentsocietalsystems.Forthelastfewyearsshehasworkedininterculturalyouthcenters,feministadulteducation,womenandmigrantscounseling.Since2015shehasbeenpartoftheGrazWomen’sCouncil.
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NikaRukavinawasbornin1980inRijeka,Croatia,whereshelivesandworks.SheholdsaBAinsculptureattheAcademyofFineArtsinVeniceandworksindifferentmediafromperformance,installations,painting,sculptureandvideo.Herprimaryinterestistryingtofindadifferentperspectiveoncommonlyacceptedviews.Shehasexhibitedat:Kunsthaus,Graz,Austria;MagazzinidelSale,Venice,Italy;MuseumofModernandContemporaryArt,Rijeka,Croatia;Pyramida,Tirana,Albania;CulturalCenter,Belgrade,Serbia;BlaenauFfestiniog,Wales,UK;GalleryA+A,Venice,Italy;GalleryBevilacquaLaMasa,Venice,Italy;GalleryNuovaIcona,Venice,Italy.SheisoneofthewinnersoftheIvoKalinaAward,thecityofRijekaartawardforthebestexhibitionin2009(VIAinternationalartproject).Alessandro Sambini (Rovigo, 1982) lives andworks inMilan,where hemoved after graduating in Art&Design at LiberaUniversità in Bolzano and further to completing an MA in Research Architecture at the Visual Cultures department ofGoldsmithsCollege,UniversityofLondon. InMilan,hestartedworkingwith images,videoandmixedmedia,exploringtheneeds and modalities that regulate the production of new images, their circulation and dissemination, and the variousrelationshipsthatexistbetweentheimageitselfanditsviewers.HisworkshavebeenexhibitedinmajormuseumssuchasMUSEION, FORMA, MUFOCO, MAST, MA*GA, La Triennale di Milano and at the Kunsthaus in Graz. He was selected byFotomuseum,WinterthurforPlat(t)form2017.ChristophSzalaywasbornin1987inGraz.HestudiedGerman(Language&Literature)atKarl-FranzensUniversityGrazandArtinContextatUniversityofArtsBerlin.Writer,performer,curator.Recentworksinclude:SPACE=WOW(BUTISTILLMISSYOU,EARTH),publicationatSpacecragPress2017aswellasaperformedpieceatMinoritenGrazandMusiktheatertageWien,WerkX,2017/WhenIthinkofPalace,threepartlectureatForumStadtpark&SteirischerHerbst2016/Re-ConsideringTriesteorOH,HOWIWANTEDTOBEYOURBABY(butyouwouldn'tletme),limitedpublicationof100piecesfortheAiRTrieste2016/Alex&derMond,children'sbookwithdrawingsbyLisa-MariaWagner,Lugschacht2016.