Novi kolektivizem (NK)

Novi kolektivizem (NK) is the design section of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) movement, founded in 1984 to meet the design needs and develop the image of the newborn organisation. Novi Kolektivizem is led by professional designer Darko Pokorn and consists of members Roman Uranjek, Dejan Knez, and Miran Mohar, associates from Laibach and Irwin.

"New Collectivism" designs posters, records covers, books, passports and NSK letterheads. Its designs for Laibach merchandising won an award at the 1994 Ljubljana Biennial of Industrial Design (BIO), and it has also overseen the main designs for construction of the NSK State website. NK also undertakes numerous external commissions, carrying out design work for clients such as the Museum of Modern Art (Ljubljana) and Radio-Television Slovenia (RTV Slovenia).

Today Novi Kolektivizem works as a classical design studio, yet rather to adapt to client's needs it still follows the principle of retro-avant-gardism and presents its own artistic approach combining art and design. Among the most important designs are the logotypes for the new Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova and for one of the oldest and largest non-profit contemporary art institutions in the United States – P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, a partner gallery of the world's most-acknowledged gallery Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Background

In 1984 the groups Laibach, Irwin and Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre joined together to create the Neue Slowenische Kunst (meaning "New Slovene Art" in German). Together with Novi Kolektivizem and the later established Noordung Cosmokinetic Cabinet they began addressing the nationalist aspirations surfacing in Yugoslavia. The NSK Department of Pure and Applied Philosophy presents another flexible subdivision of NSK, sharing a similar way of thinking and expressing through different media. The book entitled Neue Slowenische Kunst showcased the work of the various individual groups of the NSK up to the year 1989; designed by Novi Kolektivizem it was released in 1991.

The Day of Youth Poster Scandal

"Novi Kolektivizem was responsible for one of biggest scandals in the history of Yugoslavia, which came at a time of increasing instability as the state descended towards violent disintegration. In 1987 NK took part in the competition to design a poster and a torch to commemorate Dan mladosti (Day of Youth, 25 May) and the birthday of Josip Broz Tito. NK's entry won, picked by the juries of the organisers, and the poster was reproduced in Politika, the main Yugoslav daily newspaper, where an astute member of the public spotted the striking similarity to Nazi artist Richard Klein's painting The Third Reich and duly informed the press. In a country heavily steeped in the romanticised mythology of the anti-fascist, communist partisan struggle, this was highly embarrassing for the authorities. This poster brought home the uncomfortable point that fascism is very much the same as Communism. The full scale of the scandal took NK by surprise, with news travelling beyond Yugoslavia's borders. Michael Benson first heard of the NSK through reports of the story in the USA while working with The New York Times, and a few years later he filmed Prediction of Fire. Despite the furore, no charges were brought against NK." (Source: "The Day of Youth Poster Scandal" on The Unofficial Laibach Site, see below for link.)

Work

Publication design

Novi Kolektivizem continuously designs exhibition catalogues and publications for the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana. Among them are also the book Museum in the Streets, and catalogues from the Interrupted Histories, Form-Specific, and 7 Sins: Ljubljana &endash; Moscow exhibitions of the Arteast Exhibition, and the book Marjetica Potrč: Next Stop, Kiosk. The renovated Museum of Modern Art re-opened in 2009 with the exhibition of Zoran Mušič, and was accompanied by a catalogue designed by Novi Kolektivizem, published with about a hundred different motives of the painter's work.

In cooperation with Berlin-based Kunstwerke, Novi Kolektivizem designs all the exhibition catalogues of the events of the P.S.1 gallery. For the book Irwin Retroprincip pulished in 2006 in Slovenian language, NK deliberately used the same design principles as for the P.S.1 publications. Since Roman Uranjek and Miran Mohar are both members of Irwin, the derivation of their current work at the NK section presents their contribution to the retrospective collection of Irwin's work.

Exhibition design

In 1998 NK took over the design of a permanent exhibition of Slovene avant-garde artist Avgust Černigoj, the only Slovene artist attending famous school Bauhaus in Weimar, whose work all NSK groups deeply appreciated and were inspired by. Černigoj's work and NK design can be seen at the Avgust Černigoj Gallery, Lipica. Novi Kolektivizem designed several temporary exhibitions, among them also TANK- Slovene historical avant-garde at the Museum of Modern Art in 1999.

Scenography design

In 1986 the NK group designed the scenography for the play Krst pod Triglavom, the performance where for the first time all fractions of NSK cooperated. In 2008 NK took over the graphic design of the performance Romeo and Public, a project by Mala Kline and the director Tomi Janežič, produced by EnKnapGroup (EKG).

External links

Novi kolektivizem (NK)

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