Tomaž Tomažin / Situations

Friday 9 April 2010 at 8 pm, Kibela - the opening of the exhibition Situacije / Situations by Tomaž Tomažin.

The artist's first solo exhibition in Kibela presents his works of the last three years, which comprise photographs - panoramas presented in light boxes, as well as a selection of video works. The project of photographic panoramas titles Serija 360 / Series 360 is a work in progress, which was commenced by Tomažin in 2007 during his art residency in Hamburg. Using computer software, he combines photographs into panoramas that cover the entire 360 degrees of space around the recording axis. In selected settings, both external and internal, Tomažin and other players appear multiplied in several roles. The author combines specific locations, characteristics of different nationalities, film characters and his own image. A mixture of all these elements creates psychological tension among spaces and characters, at the same time building fragmented stories. The series currently comprises 8 panoramas taken at various locations at home and abroad.

His latest video works have also been using the method of multiplication and croma key. Used as the starting point are experiments in photography and film from the early 20th century, such as Duchamp's photographs with a mirror and Miles' special effects in film. Tomažin reconstructs similar situations, adding them new components as enabled by new media. The basis is dialogues among actors who all look the same, yet represent different persons, and the absurdity of situations. Tomažin thus uses various identities and symbols by providing them with a humorous element based on the absurdity of dialogues and situations.

Tomaž Tomažin (1971, Ljubljana) has studied art history at the Faculty of Arts, Ljubljana (1991 - 1997). In 2000 he graduated from the Sculpture Department, Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana, and in 2004 he completed his master studies in new media and sculpture. In 1999 he received the student Prešeren award for sculpture.

Exhibitions:
2009, Moscow Biennial: Situations, (curator: Elizabeth Grady), Moscow, Russia
2009, International Graphic Biennial, (curator: Božidar Zrinski), Jakopič gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008, P74 Gallery, Obviously, it's not obvious / GIFT, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008, Lubi Slovenci... / Dear Slovenians..., Velenje Gallery, Slovenia
2008, Muzej na cesti / Museum on the Street, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008, Third Sight: the variety of graphic arts today, International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC), Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008, Due Sponde un Mare, Cultural Festival of the Adriatic Sea, Castello
Svevo, Termoli, Italy
2008, P74 Gallery and Kapsula Gallery, Kdo je? Jaz sem! / Who is it? It is me!, Ljubljana, Slovenia, (solo)
2008, Ganes Pratt, Slovenian video art after 2000, Ljubljana, Slovenia,
2007, Iz moje glave / Out of my Head, Celje Fine Art Saloon, Celje, Slovenia, (solo)
2007, Tales from Inner Space, Oel-Früh Gallery, Hamburg, Germany, (solo)
2007, Heroj kulture / A Cultural Hero, The Second Quadrilateral Biennial, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia
2007, "Bulgaria? ... Oh, Yes, Bucharest!", Contemporary Art Week, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2007, Vsak človek je kustos / Each Man is a Curator, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2006, Videostena / Videowall, Meduza Gallery, Koper, Slovenia
2006, Razlog za padec / A Reason to Fall (Željko Jerman RIP), Ghetto Gallery, Split, Croatia
2006, Young Art Europe 2006, MOYA, Vienna, Austria
2006, - 5 Minutes, short video, P74 Center and gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2006, 1+100, SCCA, Ljubljana (solo)
2006, Autoportret, Maribor Art Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia
2006, Multipurpose, A+A Gallery, Venice, Italy (solo)
2005, Nineteenthirtysix, International Style at Pullman Court, London, UK (solo)
2005, Slovenian Art 1995–2005: territories, identities, networks, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Ljubljana
2005, Heroj / Hero, P74 Center and Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia (solo)
2004, Outvideo, First international outdoor video art festival, Yekaterinburg, Russia
2003, Super, Transformer Gallery, Washington, USA, (video works)
2003, START, International Display of Young Artists, Zagreb, Croatia, (video works)

Awards, residences, grants:
2008, Work grant of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture
2007, International AIR: Gastatelier, Hamburg, Germany
2005, International Style at Pullman Court, residency, London, UK
2000–2002, Grant of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture for postgraduate studies
1999, Student Prešeren Award for sculpture

More on the artist: www.tomazin.org

The exhibition will be on view until 30 April 2010.

The exhibition is part of X-OP project, supported by European Commission – Program Culture and Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and Municipality of Maribor.