Geburt einer Nation, a cover version of Queen's One Vision made by Laibach collective in 1987, is the phrase that stands as the best metaphoric indication of an unusual group exhibition dedicated to Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK).
In the past 27 years this artistic group has been a utopian model of an ultimate, rigorously structured “beyond-art” institution. Its members are divided into departments: for visual art, music, theatre, graphics, film and theory. NSK is a totalitarian artistic formation with whole applicable iconography and its spirit hovers above the exhibition that was partly initiated by its members.
NSK Folk Art is dedicated to citizens of the phantom NSK State, offering a platform to express personal views on the artistic production of the group. Therefore the exhibition seems like a commissioned homage, a gift from the followers who non-critically admire its concept and work.
Geburt einer Nation is also title of one of the most symptomatic works presented, contributed by citizen M.S. who, through simply manipulating the original Queen video, discusses the role of ideologies within pop culture. The message is clear: ideologies subliminally advocate certain (globally accepted) politically correct ideals and visions of embellished righteous society. M.S. argues that propaganda within pop culture and show business is even more dangerous because it seems, on the first glance, completely harmless and meaningless. Closely analysed, this is a key concept of NSK.
Binding of art directly into (real) life are the everlasting ideals and aspirations of a number of contemporary artists who are striving to establish and create effective Gesamtkunstwerk or total work of art at least once in their career. In 1984, as an extension of the industrial band Laibach, a group of artists and intellectuals founded Neue Slowenische Kunst, a structure that merges and connects specific activities and ideas based on a totalitarian understanding of art.
Already in the 1980s NSK with its totalitarian iconography, deriving from very particular but at the same time utterly universal situation, left its mighty trace on the local and international art scene. Whereupon with the change of the political and ideological system in former Yugoslavia and the establishment of an independent state (Slovenia) in the early 1990s the collective moved from underground movement to being an integral part of dominant culture. In 1992, as a reaction to the decay and disintegration of the communist Eastern bloc and war in Yugoslavia, NSK State in Time was established. Subsequently, virtual state opened a number of embassies around the world, designed its insignia and printed its own passport. Until now NSK State in Time has gathered more than 14.000 citizens with various artistic and ideological backgrounds. Albeit without territory NSK is related to the concept of state formation and is looking for its universal model with all the corresponding protocols. It is in part the product and the quotient of the state as the basic unit of the world order in past centuries.
Very often artists wish their art works could live completely autonomous lives developed independently from the basic idea. This can lead to utterly unpredictable and erratic effects without any further possibility – even by its creator – of further influence. In the case of NSK State this occurred exceedingly vehemently. NSK citizens found their own interests, obsessions and beliefs in its very idea.
The NSK Folk Art exhibition, currently taking place in Ljubljana’s Škuc Gallery, introduces a selection of art works of virtual state’s citizens and reveals their different understandings and identifications. The title of the exhibition and the very concept of folk art suggest a great deal of ambivalence of meaning: it is possible to comprehend it in a sense of giving voice to the people or as clear distinction between original idea of the NSK, hence fine art, and amateurish creativity of its plebs, hence folk art. Owing to the arrangement of domestic and profane ambience the gallery walls are painted in yellow, recalling some private kitchen, a clear deviation from the classic white cube which denotes the practices of (contemporary) fine art. Using such designations members of NSK collective pointed out a clear distinction between those two worlds and an obvious distance towards the presented interpretation of their own concept and work.
Art works shown in the extensive but compact exhibition are presented in pairs with the personal statements, testifying to the meaning of NSK for the particular artist – citizen. Results are eerily stunning. The most outstanding is the triple contribution of Christian Matzke, an American who established Retrograde Reading Room (with NSK materials exclusively) in his home, while in video Interview for the NSK State he explains fundamental reasons that brought him to the utterly religious position of ultimate believer. In his own way, Matzke fundamentally follows the basic ideas of NSK State. With the enthusiasm of a die-hard fan Peter Blase, using the scaled down model, reconstructs a very particular occurrence from the past – the infamous 1982 Laibach’s concert in Zagreb when a tear gas bomb was thrown inside the venue as a protest against the performers, at that time often misinterpreted as a fascist movement.
The artistic action of Israel-based Public Movement is the only one that can be seen as rather different. This group organised solemn protocol for the occasion of opening of NSK Embassy in Tel Aviv to express its ironic distance towards such official ceremonies and processions from the perspective of local context, i.e. a humorous version of Israeli protocol that is merging various iconographic elements, from Judaism to universal signs of modern national state.
Thus with the help of its loyal followers NSK State in Time has accomplished a far reaching social impact. Every totalitarian structure, and thus also NSK, needs believers, followers and worshippers, even though it maybe doubts its own manifesto. Unlike its designers, NSK fans from all over the world confirm the potential range of artistic ideas which is, from their perspective, understood entirely literally and dogmatically, as practical solutions for a number of global and local situations.
NSK State proves to be a totally successful experiment whose effects have already (a long time ago) outgrown the principal questioning of various power structures using the direct appropriation of their modes of operation. Like decades ago also today the basic idea of NSK – utopian latent criticism of every totalitarian structure – is mostly misinterpreted, but precisely that is the crucial leap. Without that their art work wouldn’t be completed.
By Miha Colner
NSK Folk Art, 03 November – 03 December 2011, Škuc Gallery Ljubljana
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