Božidar Dolenc, Marjan Miro Dobovšek, Jože Kološa Kološ, Branko Lenart, Marjan Pfeifer, Tihomir Pinter, Lojze Spacal, Matej Sternen, Vlado Stjepić, Tone Stojko, Aleksandra Vajd

This selection of 12 art photographs presents the use of the reproduction of an artwork as the basis for a new artwork – as a certain homage to the original authors and individual works. My approach to creating this series is based on sensitivity and subtlety, and goes beyond mere technical reproduction. Through minimal interventions – such as additions of various objects, following the hand gestures of the restorer in the process of examining the photographs in the archive, or the visual game of covering and uncovering individual works – I create new layers of meanings. This allows me to not only reinterpret the chosen motifs, but also establish an updated, multidimensional reading of the historical material.

The emphasis is on a sensual approach to the photographic medium and on physical contact with the materials, which I believe creates an almost tactile viewing experience. I am also interested in archives as a theme – their spaces, principles of operation, and the questions of who decides or how it is decided what gets kept in them, and how the contents are then interpreted.

The photographs from collection are taken out of their original contexts and placed in a new environment that gives them a different status and meaning. Their inclusion in a curated selection within an institutional frame takes them further away from the identity of their original authors. Through this work, I reflect on the power dynamic in art institutions and archives, on authorship, selection, and the roles of the viewers and curator(s) in creating meaning. More than an artistic commentary, the project is also a critical reflection on the production, representation, and reception of visual culture in our time.

Thanks to the conservation and restoration department for assistance in handling works of art.