29 March 2012

 

For Short Sharp Blow to the Head..,Iva Kontic will present two video works that explores the relationship between personal and collective space, the exhibition is an extension of the themes raised in the previous exhibition Yelena Popova / Grandad Hill.

Na danasnji dan (ili 25. maj & ja) deals with the relationship between the history and the individual experience through the context of 25 May, or the Youth Day. Introduced by Tito in 1957 and celebrated until 1987 (7 years after his death). Each year youth day it would start with a national relay all around the Yugoslavian territory and its former republics, accompanied by various manifestations organised in each town and city.

The biggest manifestation called 'Slet' would take place, when the relay arrived in Belgrade at the stadium of Yugoslavian National Army (now Partizan Stadium). The Slet spectacle, which included massive gymnastic exercises and music repertoire was transmitted via the national television. The work investigates the personal everyday memory in relation to 25 May through a mixed collage of the extracts from the interviews - all with former citizens of Yugoslavia.

For An Urban Story, Iva invites a friend who lives in a small city in Northern Italy, to make a guided tour in his car. As the car drives around we see buildings and places that are from his personal experience and memory, rather than those that are sights of historical and cultural importance. The friend introduces the urban landscape through mixture of general information, anecdotes and comments.

Iva Kontic was born in Belgrade (former Yugoslavia) in 1982.