Two Shapes of Leaf on Tree
Online introduction to the exhibition: 24. 3. 2021 at 6 pm / FB Východoslovenská galéria
Duration of the exhibition: 25. 3. – 16. 5. 2021
Exhibition is on display at East Slovak Gallery, Hlavná 27 Košice
we will inform you about the opening of the exhibition
curator: Erik Vilím
architect of the exhibition: Matej Gavula
production: KAIR
East Slovak Gallery, Hlavná 27 Košice
The starting point of the exhibition project Two Shapes of Leaf on Tree is a long-term and systematic initiative of the KAIR organization (Košice Artist in Residence; Petra Housková, Tatiana Takáčová, Anna Mária Trávničková, Zuzana Kotiková) to connect the art worlds. Its aim is to continuously support and ensure the mobility of artists and curators, and thus the “oxygenation” of local artistic environments. The idea of Two Shapes of Leaf on Tree is the fulfilment of this intention – its motivation is the contextualization of two art scenes: Slovak and Georgian.
The concept of the exhibition seeks to outline the attributes of the stories of the transformation of both countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with a focus on their economic, political, cultural, and ethical consequences. The project, indeed, does not seek to solve current problems or offer “definite” answers – it aims to redraw the complex aspects of the post-transformation situations of both countries, which have been marked by rising authoritarian and anti-democratic tendencies in recent years. It tries to consider the recent rise of nationalist and conservative thinking in post-Soviet countries and points out the specific social mood, which we could be defined as “democracy fatigue” (Arjun Appadurai, 2017). However, it can also be understood as a contribution to the discussion of post-communist identity, which has been ongoing since the beginning of the new millennium. The project is also a small generational probe, pointing to the transformations of thematic interests and artistic practices of contemporary artists. It was created thanks to the residency of Erik Vilím organized by KAIR in cooperation with the Silk Museum (The State Silk Museum; Data Chigholashvili, Mariam Shergelashvili) in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2019.
Exhibiting authors: Nikolas Bernáth (1993), Anton Čierny (1963), Ana Gzirishvili (1992), Gvantsa Jishkariani (1991), Keti Kapanadze (1962), Denis Kozerawski (1990), Jaroslav Kyša (1981), Levan Mindiashvili (1979) , Michal Moravčík (1974 – † 2016), Ilona Németh (1963) Nino Sakandelidze (1985), Ján Skaličan (1989), Gio Sumbadze (1976), Sophia Tabatadze (1977).
The exhibition project was supported using public funding by the Slovak Arts Council.