The 30th Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts
Interruption

Curator:

Deborah Cullen

Grand Prix:

María Elena González

Special Mention:

Meta Grgurevič, Urša Vidic

Audience Award:

Tomas Vu-Daniel

14. 9.–14. 11. 2013

Number of artists in the main exhibition: 48

Number of artists with new commissioned works: 9

Main exhibition venues:

International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC), Jakopič Promenade, Moderna galerija, Ljubljana, MGLC Švicarija

The 30th jubilee edition of the Biennial of Graphic Arts returned to reconsider the nature of the graphic processes, showcasing the way which the artists of the day were responding to contemporary communication tools and processes. It was a complex event consisting of several exhibitions and events.

The main exhibition Interruption highlighted certain developmental aspects that the graphic field had undergone within the contemporary times. Printing processes expanded and touched many genres of contemporary art. Select, traditional media managed to maintain their relevance, by evolving and adapting, others became obsolete and sunk into oblivion. Other, newer processes, especially digital practices, seemed to have finally established themselves after a long period of maturation as legitimate tools of artistic expression. The main exhibition thus focused on projects that have a fresh, contemporary approach to traditional methods, develop the established graphic procedures with new ways of utilising them or employ new print technologies within high-quality artistic investigations. In most cases, the techniques used reflect and comment on the situation in the world in which we live: how we receive information today, how we communicate or try to communicate with each other, how we (do not) understand the world. The repeated reflection on printmaking as form and content strengthened the polygraphic terrain and connected the work of artists from around the world.

An important part of the main exhibition was the site-specific project by the artist Charles Juhász-Alvarado, described by Deborah Cullen as a silent drama. He addressed passers-by with 118 photographs on billboards on the Jakopič Promenade in the heart of Tivoli Park. The images surrounding the benches were mirrored or rhymed, thus acting as a choir. Working with Karen Albors, whose parents are hearing impaired, he created a visual sequence that unfolded in front of the viewers as they strolled along the promenade. The artist’s sister, the writer and translator Emeshe Juhász-Mininberg contributed the texts tied to each image, which combined to form a poem. They referred to the images, but at the same time weaved a cadence that accompanied viewers along the way. The Slovenian version and design of this unique intertwining between the images of sign language and the poetic inscriptions was created by Mina Fina, which represented another partnership that emphasised the counterpoint of languages and at the same time placed translation, coincidence and exchange into the forefront. The project was about universal, common points since this was the only way that it could evoke emotional perception.

A special segment of the 30th Biennial of Graphic Arts was intended for the students of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (ALUO) in Ljubljana. They were included in the event with a solo accompanying exhibition that showed their view of the Biennial of Graphic Arts. One of the accompanying exhibitions of the 30th Biennial of Graphic Arts was also the exhibition Imprints +386, which was on view at the Calcografia National museum in Madrid (in collaboration with Hablar en Arte from Madrid).


Artists

  • Ottjörg A.C.
  • Allora & Calzadilla (Jennifer Allora, Guillermo Calzadilla)
  • Burak Arıkan
  • Dennis Ashbaugh, William Ford Gibson
  • Tammam Azzam
  • Xu Bing
  • Luis Camnitzer
  • caraballo-farman (Leonor Caraballo, Abou Farman)
  • Alex Cerveny
  • Mario Čaušić
  • Vuk Ćosić
  • Miloš Đorđević
  • Miklós Erdély
  • Tomás Espina
  • Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze, Gianluigi Scarpa
  • Mihael Giba
  • Ana Golici
  • María Elena González
  • Meta Grgurevič, Urša Vidic
  • Dragan Ilic
  • Sanela Jahić
  • Regina José Galindo
  • Charles Juhász-Alvarado
  • Thomas Kilpper
  • André Komatsu
  • Gorazd Krnc
  • Volodymyr Kuznetsov
  • Nicola López
  • Ivan Marušić Klif
  • Yucef Merhi
  • Renata Papišta
  • Adam Pendleton
  • Agnieszka Polska
  • Zoran Poposki
  • Marjetica Potrč
  • Gerhard Richter
  • Venelin Shurelov
  • Teo Spiller
  • Dario Šolman
  • Nika Špan
  • Waltraut Tänzler
  • Rirkrit Tiravanija
  • Vargas-Suarez Universal (Rafael Vargas-Suarez)
  • Tomas Vu-Daniel

International Jury

  • Chema de Francisco
  • Dušica Kirjaković
  • Tevž Logar
  • Sally Tallant

Other Exhibitions and Projects

Accompanying Programme

Publications

Biennale Organisation

Producer: International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC).
Co-producers: Cankarjev dom, Moderna galerija, Ljubljana, Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana.
Director of MGLC, overall concept and arts management of the Biennial:
Nevenka Šivavec.
Assistant Director: Yasmín Martín Vodopivec.
Curator: Deborah Cullen.
Coordinator: Božidar Zrinski.
Assistant Coordinator: Boris Beja.
Graphic Design: Ivian Kan Mujezinović.
Educational and Accompanying Programme: Lili Šturm.
Public Relations: Karla Železnik, Darja Demšar, Petra Klučar.