Red Discussion 2
(Live art event at La Biennale di Venezia)
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During the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, as one of the key elements of the exhibition within the Pavilion of the Republic of North Macedonia, Red Discussion 2 is organised to take place as a performative discussion including the following participants: Charles Esche, Maurizio Lazzarato, Vlad Morariu, Chantal Mouffe, Laura Raicovich and Artan Sadiku.
In general, Red Discussion is conceived as a discussion between relevant thinkers and theorists invited to analyse and critique various concepts of socialist / Marxist theory and Leftist thought. The aim is to analyse and deconstruct former societal models and ideologies (those no longer relevant to current social and political structures) and to identify and re-propose aspects or specific ideas that are applicable today and might build better future.
The red painted pentagonal table, onto which the various ideas and key words from the discussion were written during the performative event, defines a set of key concepts and ideals that could be used as a guide for redefining contemporary society. It subsequently remained as an artwork within the exhibition space, exhibited alongside the video documenting Red Discussion 1 and other artworks of Subversion to Red.
Red Discussion 2
(Installation views at La Biennale di Venezia)
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Red Discussion I
(Installation views from La Biennale di Venezia)
Red Discussion I
(Live Art event at Calvert 22, London)
Red Discussion 1 was a live art performance. an event held at Calvert 22 Gallery, London, UK in 2013. Speakers included the renowned theorists and artists: Dave Beech, Hannah Black, Gail Day, Mark Fisher and Nina Power. The Red Discussion 1 was moderated by Vlad Morariu. Positioned within the central void of the table, the moderator coordinated the dynamics of the event, identifying and writing key words and phrases from the discussion onto the surface of the table, while intervening with questions and comments, directing the dialogue and exchange of ideas amongst the participants.
After the completion of the discussion, the table with the words written onto its surface remained in the exhibition space, serving as a platform for concepts and ideas that could be used for recreating and reintroducing specific concepts within the context of contemporary society.
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Humane Communism
(Installation views at La Biennale di Venezia)
by Nada Prlja
curated by Adela Demetja
2016, Photographs of the workshop
10 colour photographs, 42x30cm each
Courtesy of Nada Prlja and Tirana Art Lab
Humane Communism
(photographs)
This series of photographs is positioned at the entrance hall of our pavilion, The project is set of documentary photographs, resulting from a workshop with students at the National Gallery in Tirana, Albania. The artist asked the participants of the workshop to engage with a series of monumental socialist-era statues in the museum’s courtyard, developing an intimate and tactile relationship with the statues.
The workshop aimed at creating a more humane view of the past, by supporting the notions of self-irony, love, human errors and naivety, and the liberation of the soul and body, in contrast to the stillness of the cold and rigid monuments from the socialist past of Albania.
‘ This artwork argues against the notions of domination, the adoration of heroes and the blind submission to the Party ’
Adela Demetja
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Red-iness II
(Installation views at La Biennale di Venezia)
Red-iness II
(video stills)
The video performance Red-iness: Robespierre refers to Stevo Žigon’s re-appropriation of Robespierre’s famous speech, while addressing students in Belgrade during protests in 1968, as captured in Želimir Žilnik’s film Early Works (1969).
Prlja invited the artists Briony Clarke and Sarah Cockings to collaboratively re-examine and question the extent to which these re-enacted speeches can be applicable in today’s society and in what manner they might become a driving force for change in our time.
