May Issue 2001
Halsey Gallery in Charleston, SC, Hosts Exhibition Featuring Eastern European Art
The William Halsey Gallery at the College of
Charleston's School of the Arts, in Charleston, SC, will host
an exhibition of work by the Slovenian artistic collective NSK
(Neue Slowenische Kunst) from May 11 to June 9, 2001. The exhibition
NSK: Retro-Spection furnishes a unique opportunity to view
work by one of the first well-organized and professionally active
contemporary artistic groups in Eastern Europe. Although extensively
exhibited in Europe, NSK's work has rarely been seen in the US.
Programs connected to the exhibition, which is free and open to
the public, begin May 23, with a public showing of the film NSK
- Predictions of Fire at 5pm in room 309 of the Simons Center
for the Arts. On May 25, the public will have an opportunity to
talk with members of NSK during an informal panel discussion in
the Halsey Gallery at 4pm.
This exhibition presents work which is quite different in approach from Western notions of visual art, where a single artist usually creates work based on a personal vision. Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) is a collective organization, meaning that individual artists are not identified, but instead all work is produced collectively and signed by the group. NSK is composed of a number of smaller units, which perform different functions for the larger organization.
The main NSK units are Laibach, Irwin, Noordung Theatre (a theatre unit), New Collectivism Design Studio (graphic design) and the Department of Pure and Applied Philosophy (philosophy and theory). Laibach was the first to form as a group in 1980 and is best known for its popular music and performances. Irwin, the visual arts unit, was formed to be the NSK biographers, recording the symbols, myths and history of NSK in visual form. "NSK: Retro-Spection" will feature mixed media works by both of these groups.
In their approach to making art, NSK uses ideas and methods employed under socialism in Eastern Europe such as collectivism, state organization of ideology and orchestrated political myth/ritual. In using this approach they are essentially attempting an exposure and critique of these socialist mechanisms. NSK's conceptual approach, with its distinct relationship to the social, cultural and political forces in Eastern Europe, is a key aspect of their work. Since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 to more recent difficulties in Yugoslavia, events in Eastern Europe continue to gain exposure in headlines worldwide. This exhibition provides a fascinating opportunity for American audiences to view the cultural activities of one group from this region, which has a rich and varied history quite different from our own.
The curator for NSK: Retro-Spection is Dr. Marian Mazzone, Assistant Professor of Art History at the College of Charleston. Dr. Mazzone, who specializes in modern Eastern European art states: "I hope that this exhibition will foster a cross-cultural dialogue between East and West about larger issues of art production, collective versus individual creation and the relationship between art and society in both parts of the world."
Funding for this exhibition has been generously provided by the Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Charleston as part of the 2001 Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Eight members of NSK will be in Charleston for this exhibition and its attendant programming through a grant from the Trust for Mutual Understanding. This exhibition, organized by the Halsey Gallery, will travel under the auspices of International Art & Artists. Those interested in the availability of the exhibition should contact Tatjana Franke at 202/338-0680.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or call the Gallery at 843/953-5680. For further info on NSK, visit their web site at (http://lois.kud-fp.si/embassy/).
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