Vesna Bukovec

Desired Restraints

Exhibition: Desired Restraints, Online Exhibition
Location: Artyčok.tv
Date: July 17 - August 17, 2011

Curator: Ida Hiršenfelder (SI)

Artists: Ana Čigon (SI) , Vesna Bukovec (SI) , Jasna Hribernik & Zmago Lenárdič (SI) , Tomaž Frulan (SI)

DESIRED RESTRAINTS
The question ‘What do you really truly want in life?’ seems like an advertisement for another product, another best selling self-help DVD video series promoting complete control for the disoriented subject. In lustrous and slick setting a soothing voice tames an individual and instructs it how to design one’s lifestyle or career to become free of all the doubts about one’s own identity. The analogy between choice and freedom, as philosopher Renata Salecl has disclosed in her analysis of choice, is one of the deepest delusions of the late capitalism. Limitless choices do not liberate us, but rather make us more than anything else constantly on the brink of a mental break down. The pressure of choosing everything puts unbearable pressure on an individual who should not have been taken responsible for the state she/he is in (e.g. social class).
A resonance of this theory echoes in numerous gestures of video artists – we present a selection of four video performances – that create absurd situations to express a deep psychological angst. The brilliant satire of their works lies in their clear and simplified narrative that hits the very core of the problem by portraying one small banality of fabricated ideals for a perfectly designed life.
The video performances are defined by constant repetitions which bring about a sense of gloomy discomfort and aggressive self-destructive and irrational behavior. The performing artists seem disoriented or numb and above all anxious, because there seems to be no space outside of their state of mind, they are unable to break free from the constrains.
There is no suggestion on how to untangle their unpleasant situation, no instant gratification, only compulsory repetitive behavior.

Ida Hiršenfelder

Artyčok.TV [international research, media and digital archive of the contemporary art] is a research institution focusing on the young and emerging contemporary art scene in the international context. Audiovisual features are published daily and freely accessible on the internet platform http://artycok.tv. The digital archive enables a quality driven analysis of local art scenes and provides an efficient understanding of varied local aspects and working methods.

More info:
Artyčok.tv, Online Exhibition: Desired Restraints

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I am participating with the video It Will Be OK, 2009.

Video večerja / Video Dinner

Exhibition: Video večer / Video Evening #06: Video večerja / Video Dinner
Location: Photon Gallery, Ljubljana
Date: June 28, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Curator: Aleksandra Saška Gruden (SI)

Artists: Mirjana Batinić (HR/SI), Vesna Bukovec (SI), Aleksandra Saška Gruden (SI), Vesna Krebs (SI), Marko Ornik (SI), Ana Pečar (SI), Borut Popenko (SI), Rene Rusjan (SI), Zoran Srdić Janežič (SI), Miha Vipotnik (SI)

Marko Ornik: Adaptive Mood, 2002, still

Kolektiva Institute is organizing Video Evenings every month in Photon Gallery. Video Evening is a an event in which we screen video selections prepared by various invited artists, curators, institutions, associations and festivals.
In the sixth Video Evening KOLEKTIVA is presenting a selection of videos from Cultural Incubator’s (Maribor, SI) monthly events that combine food and visual image. At the screening artist/curator Aleksandra Saška Gruden will prepare freshly mixed fruit & vegetable juices.

More info:
Video Evening #06: Video Dinner
Descriptions & images of videos & artists’ CVs

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I am participating with the video Everything I eat turns to health, beauty and love, 2010.

Facing the Artwork

Exhibition: Facing the Artwork, Video Art and Short Film Fest
Location: Werkleitz–centre for media art, Halle (Saale) / ZAZIE kino & bar, Kleine Ulrichstrasse 22, 06108 Halle (Saale), DE
Date: June 9-12, 2011

Curators: Virág Bottlik, Eike Berg, Radmila Joksimović

Artists: Yuri A (CH), Dávid Adamkó (HU), Adrian Alecu (RO), Marta Azparren (ES), Sebastian Blank (DE), Neno Belchev (BG), Dorota Buczkowska (PL), Vesna Bukovec (SLO), Inez de Coo (NL), DOPLGENGER (Isidora Ilić & Boško Prostran) (SRB), Petko Dourmana (BG), Laura Garbštiene (LT), Déborah Ghisu (FR), Florian Graf & Fabrizio Fracassi (CH/DE), Hanna Haaslahti (FI), Anne Hartog (NL), Christian Hornung (DE), Janne Höltermann (DE), Jirí Janda (CZ), Hacer Kiroglu (TR), Vanessa Nica Mueller (DE), Jeroen Nelemans (NL), Christian Niccoli (IT), Kika Nicolela (BR), Vladimir Nikolić (SRB), Laurence Payot & Juan Morard (FR), Johanna Reich (DE), Urssa Severa (RU), Malthe Stigaard (DK), Eszter Szabó (HU), Zoran Todorović (SRB), Julia Willms (DE), Pál Zolnay (HU)

By his particular position in society an artist is always an artist – even while walking down the street or performing other daily activities. Public, viewer or audience on the other hand one can only become while perceiving, receiving art. The public does not exist outside the context of art – but can the context of art exist without recipients? Is the applause in the theater necessary to call the performance complete? Could the orchestra play a concert just for itself? Or to turn the question around: to what extent does the artist let the idea of an audience influence the conception and execution of his work?

A compilation from over 400 entries from all over Europe illustrates the different aspects of art reception. The works, selected by an international jury, are shown in thematic blocks, accompanied by other curated works and talks with the artists.

More info:
http://werkleitz.de/en/facingtheartwork.html
http://werkleitz.de/
Program flyer

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I am participating with the video Lecture (Contemporary Art for Parents)

Program for Saturday, June 11
21:00 Screening and afterwards artist’s discussion
ME? / ICH?

The title could also be emphasized with an exclamation mark, because the programme asks for self reflection. However, the question of the (artistic) Me mostly generates a thoughtful search, no matter how humourous or experimental it might be. The question of the self enables the spectator not merely to be a voyeur.

Introduction to the programme: Eike

• What Do You Think Of Me? – Kika Nicolela, 2009 BR, 16 min
• Dresden Hand – Neno Belchev, 2010 BG, 8 min
• Maria – Eszter Szabó, 2010 HU, 2 min
• Lecture (Contemporary Art for Parents) – Vesna Bukovec, 2002 SLO, 8 min
• Film about Unknown Artist – Laura Garbštiene, 2009 LT, 11 min

Cinéma Féministe - Love / L’Amour / LJUBEZEN

Exhibition: Cinéma Féministe - Love / L’ Amour / LJUBEZEN
Location: Cinema Zavod Udarnik, Maribor (SI)
Date: May 5 & 19, 2011

Curator: Evelin Stermitz

Artists: Signe Baumane, Vesna Bukovec, Lynn Estomin, Nikola Jeremic & Iskra Bela, Lemeh42, Kika Nicolela, Elena Skoko, Cat Tyc

From the data base of the video programming online platform ArtFem.TV, a monthly selection of works is screened at the cinema Udarnik in Maribor, Slovenia. The selection of works is chosen each month on an issue of contexts in the feminist field by Evelin Stermitz.

Love / L’Amour / LJUBEZEN

The selected video works circle around “Love”, one age-old central theme of various film genres, but while subverting this and viewing aspects of “Love” in a different perspective. It comes to a feminist critique of “Love” as a binary societal phenomena when facing its suppressive and destructive aspects, expressed in articulating the “side effects” of “Love” within male power structures and dependency. Beneath the emphasis on critical video works, other depict “Love” as universal but individual experience, and some show desperate aspects of “Love” with humour and irony.

http://zavodudarnik.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/love-lamour-ljubezen/

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I am participating with the video It Will Be OK

DIVA Station at LUX (London)

Exhibition: DIVA Station at LUX (London)
Location: LUX, 3rd Floor, Shacklewell Studios, 18 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EZ, London, UK
Date: April 28, 2011 at 7 p.m.

Curator: Barbara Borčić, Miha Colner, Ida Hiršenfelder

Artists: Zemira Alajbegović, Vesna Bukovec, Neven Korda, Marko Kovačič, Ema Kugler, Andrej Lupinc, Marjan Osole - Max, Sašo Podgoršek, Zvonka Simčič, Mirko Simič, Robertina Šebjanič, Nika Špan, Miha Vipotnik, Tanja Vujinović, ZANK (Zemira Alajbegović and Neven Korda) & Borghesia

Presentation of video art in Slovenia and video screening of DIVA Station_Presents (2009) program.

More info:
www.scca-ljubljana.si/news-en_11-18.htm
www.lux.org.uk/blog/lux-salon-returns

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I am participating with the video Important News, 2003.