Vesna Bukovec

Vesna Bukovec: Exploanation

Exhibition: Vesna Bukovec: Eksploanacija / Exploanation (solo exhibition)
Venue: Alkatraz Gallery, Ljubljana, SI
Date: April 22 – May 13, 2016
Opening: April 22, 2016, at 8 pm

Curators: Ana Grobler, Sebastian Krawczyk, Jadranka Plut

Vesna Bukovec, Domoljubi / The Patriots, drawing, 2016; Caption on the drawing translates to: We are proud to hate!!!

“The artist received the impulse for the exhibition while observing responses to the migration crisis which has, in the media and the Internet space triggered a surge of negative emotions, often pointed toward the victims of the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of the recent years. A spectrum of negative reactions, articulated by the aid of hate speech has settled as a regular companion of press reports, chats in cafés and on social networks. There is an interesting fact about it – the mentioned discourse has emerged in the circles of the self-proclaimed patriots. While following the paradox (as love for the homeland was one of the crucial qualities to catalyze the uprising against the occupancy during the Second World War, as stressed by the author) the artist started to ask herself how it is possible that love for the nation can – in such a short time – turn into acts that bear witness of hatred toward others exactly in the name of patriotism? Is a demonized image of a stranger a necessary condition to establish a national community?”

…

“Vesna Bukovec has chosen resistance. Even the title of the exhibition, Exploanation, composed of the words exploitation and nation, provokes the thought that through the aid of the nation, intolerance and hatred towards Others are fomented.”

Excerpts from the exhibition text

More:
Full exhibition text
Invitation card (pdf)
Alkatraz Gallery

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Exhibition opening
Photo: Sunčan Stone

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Exhibition view
Photo: Sunčan Stone