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Incollaborationwith:

CULT|IN

Talking(about)images

CuratedbyFrancescaLazzariniandMartaRovetta

KunsthalleGraz

Graz,fromMay29thtoJune12th2018

AlessandroSambini,SpellingBook,detail,2018AfteritsfirststageatGalerijaKortilinRijeka,thereflectionontheroleandpowerofimagesincontemporarysociety,

between individual consciousness andmass culture, proposed by Talking (about) images continues inGraz, at the

Kunsthalle,fromMay29thtoJune12th2018.

Theproject,curatedbyFrancescaLazzariniandMartaRovettaforCulturalInventory,withthesupportoftheRegionof

Styria,developsthroughfourexhibitionsandasmanyopenlaboratorieswitheightartistsofvariousnationalitiesand

differentmeansofexpression-TheCoolCouple,SeverinHirsch,KateHowlett-Jones,NežaKnez,MaryamMohammadi,

NikaRukavina,AlessandroSambiniandChristophSzalay-,exploringtherelationshipbetweenimagesandthereality

theyrepresent,themechanismsthatregulatetheirproductionanddiffusion,theambiguitiesthattheycangenerate,

butalsotheirpotentialasauniversalandsharedlanguage.

In fact, unlikewords, images do not require translations to be read by people in different part of theworld, being

apparentlyalimitlesstoolforglobalcommunication.Nevertheless,theirinterpretationisanythingbutobjective:images

areintrinsicallyambiguous.Duetotheirpowerofpersuasion,imagesplayakeyfunctioninthecapitalistandglobalised

system:theyarevehiclesforideologyandoneofthemainweaponsinthestruggleoveranarenaofstrategicimportance

today,thecollectiveimaginary.

SoTalking(about)imagesfocusesonimagesasanautonomouslanguage,asintheworkEverydaybyTheCoolCouple,

which assemblesmeme GIFs reflecting on the influence on our existences of “secondary visuality”, the installation

Imag(in)eKa-mi-zebyNežaKnez,onimagesasachildrens’meantodesignabetterfuture,theworkLemmingsbySeverin

Hirsch,thatspursforanindependentuseofimagesandtextsconceivedasequalsymbols,andMaryamMohammadi’s

Memories Icon, thatexplores theroleof images inshapingpersonalmemoriesaswellasunconsciousvisualcultural

effects;atthesametime,theshowreflectsonthepotentialitiesandlimitsofthislanguage:onitsinteractionwithother

meansofexpression,asinKateHowlett-Jones’sPocketDictionaryoftheworld’sMostIconicPhotographs,whereevery

Withthesupportof

Incollaborationwith:

CULT|IN

image-entryisdefinedbyapoetictextresultingfrommixedcommentariesfoundfromtheinternetandtheinstallation

It’snotyourtimetogetyourangel’swingsjustyetthroughwhichChristophSzalaytakestheiconicstoryofTitanic,and

itsvideogamere-enactmentasastartingpointtoresonateonrepresentationandonthenegotiationofthereal,aswell

asontheresponsibilityrelatedtoitsproductionandfruition,asinthevideoandtheperformancebyNikaRukavina,The

IllusionofTruth,on thepropagandisticand ideologicaluseof imagesand thepassive receptionof their flow,and in

Spelling Book by Alessandro Sambini, which presents the analogue outcomes of amachine learning process raising

questionsaboutthemeaningofeducationandtheresponsibilityofimage-making.

AfterthefirstopeningattheGalerijaKortilinRijeka,thevideoinstallationTheImagesofourDreamsbyDiscipulahas

been included in theexhibition,building speculative scenarios concerning imagesand their relationshipwithhuman

beings.

Afterwards,Talking(about)imageswillcontinueitsjourneytoTrieste,from28Septemberto18November,andfinally

inSlovenia.

In collaborationwith:Galerija Kortil,Kunsthalle Graz,MLZ Art Dep, Italian Cultural Institute in Slovenia,Austrian

CulturalForumLjubljana,POIUYTandAssociationofArthistorianofRijeka.

Talking(about)imagesCuratedbyFrancescaLazzariniandMartaRovetta

KunsthalleGrazGraz,fromMay29thtoJune12th2018

Opening:Tuesday,May29th6:00p.m.

ConradvonHötzendorfStraße42aHours:FromTuesdaytoFriday,4:00-7:00p.m.Freeadmission

office@kunsthallegraz.athttp://kunsthallegraz.at

PressOfficeTamaraLorenzicommunication

+393470712934me@tamaralorenzi.comwww.tamaralorenzi.com

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Incollaborationwith:

CULT|IN

TheCoolCouple(oftenabbreviatedtoTCC)isaMilan-basedartistduoestablishedin2012byNiccolòBenetton(1986)andSimoneSantilli(1987).Theirresearchfocusesonthefrictionpointsthataregenerateddailyintherelationshipbetweenpeopleandimages.Theideathatimagesactasactivehubsinanetwork,combinedwithastrongemphasisonproduction,resultsintheuseofseveralformsofexpression,rangingfromfineartphotographytoelectrostaticwipes,meditationroomsandChinesecover-bands. TCC’sworkshavebeen exhibited internationally atCentrodiCulturaContemporanea Strozzina, FondazioneBevilacquaLaMasa,UnseenPhotoFestival,Centquatre,LesRencontresdesArles,MACROMuseum.TheywereselectedbyFotomuseum,WinterthurforPlat(t)form2015.TCCreceivedthePremioFabbriforcontemporaryphotography in2014,thePremioGraziadeiin2015,thePremioGruppoEuromobilUnder302017andthePremioFotografiaunder40ArtVerona.NiccolòandSimoneco-foundedthecoverbandRui&theRainbowDragons.Discipulaisacollectiveoperatinginthefieldofvisualculturefoundedin2013byMFGPaltrinieri,MirkoSmerdelandTommasoTanini.Workingacrossa rangeofpractices, varying frompublicationsandart installations to commissionsandeducation,Discipulafocusesontheexplorationoftheroleandusesofimagesinthecontemporarymediascape.Thecollectivereferstoimagesaspoliticalandeconomictools,meansofpowerandcontrolwhoseambiguousnaturecanbecontrolledtodetermineshiftsintheperceptionofreality.Withregardtothis,Discipulapaysparticularattentiontotheroleofthevieweraswellastotheactoflookingasaformofpoliticalconscience.Discipula'sworkhavebeenexhibitedinternationallyatUnseenPhotoFair-Amsterdam, LondonArt Fair,MatildenhoheDarmstadt, FORMAT Festival - Derby, Kunsthalle Budapest, Tokyo Institute ofPhotographyandmore.DiscipulaistherecipientofvariousawardsincludingPremioFabbri2016andLesRencontresd’Arles,AuthorBookAward2015.SeverinHirschwasborninCelje,Slovenia(thenYugoslavia),sheattendedtheSchoolofDesign,GraphicsandPhotographyinLjubljana.BasedinGrazsince2003,sheworkedasphotographerandrestorerbeforeshestartedtoinvestigateinthefieldoftheartsandcompletedtheMeisterschulefürKunstundGestaltung/MalereiwithProfessorErwinTalkerin2013inGraz.Sheworksbetweenmediaart,installationandpainting.Herphotographicworksdealwithsocialchangeandchangeofvalues.HerartworkwashonouredwiththeArtPromotionAwardofthecityofGrazin2016.KateHowlett-Joneswasbornin1971andgrewupinLondon.FollowingaMaster’s inFrenchandRussianliteratureattheUniversityofOxford(1989-1993),shemovedtoAustriain1999.SincethenshehasbeenactiveinGrazasatextartistandwriter.In2013sheco-foundedTheDailyRhythmsCollective,aplatformforinternational,interdisciplinarywomanartistsbasedinGraz.RecentexhibitionsandpublicspaceprojectsincludeShiftingConstellations(MinoritenGraz2015),RoseoftheWinds(Sarajevo,Trieste,Graz2015),Verfolgt,beraubt,vertrieben(rotor2016),sublim(escmedienkunstlabor2016),StoriesfromtheEdge(MLZTrieste,GalerieKortiljandKunsthausGraz2016),steirischerherbst2016,ErzählungenderAnkungsstadt(rotor2016).Sheworksbetweentext,objectsandinstallation.Herworksdealwiththeartisticdynamicsoflanguageandnarrativeastheyinteractwithvisualizationandspace.NežaKnezwasborninLjubljanain1990.In2014shegraduatedinSculptureatAcademyofFineArtsandDesign,wheresheiscurrentlystudyingamaster’sprogramunderthementorshipofprofessorJožeBarši.Sheworkswithdifferentmedia,suchasaudio,video,photography,withherownbodyorwiththebodiesofother,drawingsandclassicalsculpture.Sheistherecipientofprominentawards:Recognition foroutstandingacademicachievements,Award foroutstandingacademicachievementsAcademy of Fine Arts, University of Ljubljana, Award for an innovative approach to the graphic arts, Prešern's award ofAcademyofFineArtsandshewasnominatedforimportantawardOHO(theprizewasestablishedin2006bytheP.A.R.A.S.I.T.E.Institute(Ljubljana)incooperationwiththeFoundationforaCivilSociety(NewYork).Herartpracticeisrepresentedathomeandabroad,withcooperationonresidencyorwithexhibitions.MaryamMohammadiisadocumentaryandstagedphotographer.SheholdaPh.D.inVisualcommunicationandPhotography,JEPuniversity.ShetaughtatTehranUniversityofArtsformanyyears,andhasexhibitedwidelyinIranandinEurope.ShehaslivedinGrazsince2009,whereshereceivedthecityArtFundsPrize.Herworkfocusesonhowsocial,culturalandreligiousconditions at both local and global levels affectwomen. Also, how these effects are inscribed into their biographies andidentities.Occasionallysheisalsoanillustrativeobjecttoreflectherprocessofsocializationindifferentsocietalsystems.Forthelastfewyearsshehasworkedininterculturalyouthcenters,feministadulteducation,womenandmigrantscounseling.Since2015shehasbeenpartoftheGrazWomen’sCouncil.

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NikaRukavinawasbornin1980inRijeka,Croatia,whereshelivesandworks.SheholdsaBAinsculptureattheAcademyofFineArtsinVeniceandworksindifferentmediafromperformance,installations,painting,sculptureandvideo.Herprimaryinterestistryingtofindadifferentperspectiveoncommonlyacceptedviews.Shehasexhibitedat:Kunsthaus,Graz,Austria;MagazzinidelSale,Venice,Italy;MuseumofModernandContemporaryArt,Rijeka,Croatia;Pyramida,Tirana,Albania;CulturalCenter,Belgrade,Serbia;BlaenauFfestiniog,Wales,UK;GalleryA+A,Venice,Italy;GalleryBevilacquaLaMasa,Venice,Italy;GalleryNuovaIcona,Venice,Italy.SheisoneofthewinnersoftheIvoKalinaAward,thecityofRijekaartawardforthebestexhibitionin2009(VIAinternationalartproject).Alessandro Sambini (Rovigo, 1982) lives andworks inMilan,where hemoved after graduating in Art&Design at LiberaUniversità in Bolzano and further to completing an MA in Research Architecture at the Visual Cultures department ofGoldsmithsCollege,UniversityofLondon. InMilan,hestartedworkingwith images,videoandmixedmedia,exploringtheneeds and modalities that regulate the production of new images, their circulation and dissemination, and the variousrelationshipsthatexistbetweentheimageitselfanditsviewers.HisworkshavebeenexhibitedinmajormuseumssuchasMUSEION, FORMA, MUFOCO, MAST, MA*GA, La Triennale di Milano and at the Kunsthaus in Graz. He was selected byFotomuseum,WinterthurforPlat(t)form2017.ChristophSzalaywasbornin1987inGraz.HestudiedGerman(Language&Literature)atKarl-FranzensUniversityGrazandArtinContextatUniversityofArtsBerlin.Writer,performer,curator.Recentworksinclude:SPACE=WOW(BUTISTILLMISSYOU,EARTH),publicationatSpacecragPress2017aswellasaperformedpieceatMinoritenGrazandMusiktheatertageWien,WerkX,2017/WhenIthinkofPalace,threepartlectureatForumStadtpark&SteirischerHerbst2016/Re-ConsideringTriesteorOH,HOWIWANTEDTOBEYOURBABY(butyouwouldn'tletme),limitedpublicationof100piecesfortheAiRTrieste2016/Alex&derMond,children'sbookwithdrawingsbyLisa-MariaWagner,Lugschacht2016.