Queens & Criminals - opening

»Queens and criminals«

»Queens and criminals« (Kraljice in kriminalci) is the title of a visual ambient installation of objects, video images and sound situations, recreating the venue as an observatory where attitudes of male and female principles are being mirrored.

What is being outlined in KiBela exhibition space is the antagonism of the female and male perspective of the world, tinged with romantic and humorous tones. Individual works in the gallery are combined and unsigned – which is not even necessary as each author has their own touch. They are both integrated into an original symbiosis through individual works being part of the entirety.

On the artist:
Meta Grgurevič (1979) completed her postgraduate studies in painting at Venice Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. Together with Mara Ambrožič, Jasmina Cibic and Mery Favaretto she founded the Passaporta group in 2001, which operated between Venice, Ljubljana, Granada and London.

Meta Grgurevič has received several nominations for emerging young artists and several awards. In 2004, the Passaporta group was shortlisted for the Italian Emerging Artists Prize Premio Furla, curated by Cesare Pietroiusti. In 2002, she received the Premio Consorzio Nuovo Bevilacqua la Masa prize in Venice for her work Miki Maus je pedr / Miki Maus is a poof. In 2009 she was awarded for the project Worlds Don't Come Easy being recognised as the best intermedia project at Akto festival in Macedonia. While studying, the Passaporta group acquired the Italian scholarship Borsa di studio Bevilacqua la Masa 2005, whereas Meta also acquired the scholarship for talented students granted by the City of Ljubljana.

So far she has participated at many group exhibitions in Slovenia, Italy, London, Greece, Bosnia, Croatia and Macedonia. In years 2007-2009 she realised five individual projects in Slovenia: The HuntHer and Never Sure Exactly What I'll Find – Ganes Pratt Gallery Ljubljana, Strangely Involved – Tobacco Museum Gallery, Tobacco Factory Tobačna Ljubljana, Six Years Dreaming of You, Which is About 2 Hours Each Night – Likovni salon Gallery, Celje.

This year she has realised the latest solo project in tandem with Urška Vidic titled Flowers are Inherently Disgusting, which was presented in Vžigalica Gallery (Museum & Galleries of Ljubljana). Meta Grgurevič is also the guest of this year's City of Women festival, presenting her kinetic sculpture Unhappily Being Happy in ŠKUC gallery. The festival coincides with the current exhibition in KiBela. She lives and works in Ljubljana.

On the artist:
Mark Požlep (1981, Celje). He graduated in painting 2006 from the Academy of fine Arts, Ljubljana, mentored by Prof Herman Gvardjančič and Prof Srečo Dragan. He has been presenting his work at solo exhibitions since 2000. His works have been shown in many European cities: Berlin, Toulouse, Bratislava, Venice, Belfast, Belgrade, and in almost all major Slovenian galleries.

He explores in the filed of painting, drawing, video, ambient installation and performance. In the past two years he has been trying to construct unique 3D spaces, i.e. playground/film/urban setting to place the observer in new situations by transforming their position from that of viewer to that of an active participant. Such spaces open up particular social realities questioning the position of individuality, freedom, art and the opportunity to express oneself in the capitalist, consumer-oriented era. He uses encountered materials and objects to establish entirely new relations in new settings.

In Slovenia, Mark became known through his multimedia installation Zadnja večerja superherojev / Last Supper of Superheroes at U3 triennial exhibition in Ljubljana Museum of Modern Art. His multimedia installation Break Through won him the Essl Award, and was thus made part of the Vienna-based Essl Collection. Urban Savage, a multimedia installation in the Gallery of Contemporary Art Celje, and many others are considered the very peak of contemporary Slovenian visual art.

Both artists originate in the circle of Ganes Pratt gallery for contemporary art, which has established a connection with already prominent young artists of the new generation from Slovenia and abroad. Collaborating with the gallery are Viktor Bernik, Jasmina Cibic, Meta Grgurevič, Ištvan Išt Huzjan, Jaša, Žiga Kariž, Mark Požlep, Nina Slejko and Urša Vidic from Slovenia; Dejan Kaludjerovič from Serbia; Simone Settimo from Italy.

Meta comments on group work: “It makes sense to work solo, yet every now and then to connect to other artists through projects. It is a way of exchanging knowledge and experience, and of affirming yourself. Every now and then it is good to forget the descriptions like this is yours, this is mine.”

The exhibition is on display in Kibela, space for art, MMC KIBLA, Ulica kneza Koclja 9, Maribor until 25th October 2010, open every day 9.00 am to 10.00 pm, Saturdays 4.00 pm to 10.00 pm, and closed Sundays.

Kibela, space for art programme is supported by the European EACEA agency (Brussels), Slovenian Ministry of Culture, and the Municipality of Maribor. Kibela artistic programme is part of the European X-OP project, international exchange of art operators and producers in the field of intermedia, multimedia and visual contemporary art.