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Božidar Jakac Gallery, Kostanjevica na Krki, Slovenia, 2006 Cerebral Landscapes The exploration of perception, states of consciousness and the recording mental or ‘cerebral’ landscapes with which Uršula Berlot has been working for a number of years now corresponds to the German concept Hyperplastik that Éric Alliez and Elisabeth von Samsonow used to designate conceptual art that broadens the boundaries between perception, digitally generated or analogue images and ‘mental’ art. For Alliez and Von Samsonow this broad concept included, among other things, the Moscow neoavant-garde group Collective Action, the web-based and telepresence performances of Ken Goldberg, exploration of the total visual field within the Art and Technology programme in Los Angeles in the 1960s, but also experiments with consciousness, different mental states and the treatment of the medium (the mediator between the spiritual and real worlds in spiritualist séances) as a creative figure equal to the artist, which date back to the beginning of the 20th century and represent the main catapult for the development of surrealist automatic writing. What all these hybrid artistic forms have in common is conjecture and consideration of the function and role of the body and the brain in the comprehension of reality within the framework of and beyond sensuous reality, in other words the connecting of artistic creativity with creative discoveries and explorations in the sphere of cognitive science. Uršula Berlot’s work derives, on the one hand, from the observation of the action of the forces of gravity and materials and following the protocols dictated by coincidence, its inner order, its repeating patterns and the laws of chaos theory. At the same time, Uršula studies in her installations the behaviour, response and perception of the viewers in the exhibition space and encourages associative games with the help of the organic shapes produced by reflections of light through the compositions on transparent supports. Included among the biomorphic forms for the first time are pre-planned compositions, some made on the basis of images of the artist’s brain with the help of magnetic resonance imaging. These shapes, Uršula says, associate with codes, schemes and diagrams that are a kind of score for kinetic projections of light. The moving reflections that create the effect of phantom limbs, produced by an unknown brain, are created in a purely analogue way. The composition of a virtual and kinetic stained-glass window in one of the bricked-up windows of the church likewise derives from a standard kaleidoscopic phenomenon that the artist has filmed with a video camera. Brian Massumi, one of the modern philosophers of movement and perception, understands the analogue as a digital process that is always already exceeded and talks about the predominance of the analogue over the virtual or the digital: ‘Whenever we talk about as yet uncoded potentials, possibilities, forms and inventions, these are not the result of coding but of its turn to the analog. Processing can be digital – but the process itself is analog… The paths of cooperation between the digital and the analog – transformative integration, translation and exchange – are all analog operations. The analog is always a fold ahead of the digital.’ Uršula reveals potential forms and affinities between the material and the non-material and persists in presenting the high complexity and co-dependence of the external and internal activity of every system, be it biological, artificially generated or spiritual. Cerebralne pokrajine Raziskovanje percepcije, stanj zavesti in zapisovanje mentalnih oziroma “cerebralnih” pejsažev, s katerimi se Uršula Berlot ukvarja že vrsto let, ustreza nemškemu pojmu “Hyperplastik”, s katerim sta Éric Alliez in Elisabeth von Samsonow označila konceptualno umetnost, ki razširja meje med zaznavanjem, digitalno ali analogno generiranimi podobami in “mentalno” umetnostjo. Pod ta široki pojem sta Alliez in von Samsonowa med drugim uvrstila skupino moskovskih neoavantgardistov Kolektivne akcije, spletne in teleprezenčne performanse Kena Goldberga, raziskovanje popolnega vidnega polja znotraj programa Art+Technology v 60-ih letih v Los Angelesu, pa tudi eksperimente z zavestjo, različnimi psihičnimi stanji in obravnavanje medija (posrednika med duhovnim in realnim svetom v spiritističnih seansah) kot umetniku enakovrednega ustvarjalca, ki segajo v začetek 20. stoletja. Predstavljajo tudi glavni katapult za razvoj nadrealističnega avtomatičnega pisanja. Skupna točka vseh teh hibridnih umetniških oblik je domnevanje in razglabljanje o funkciji in vlogi telesa in možganov pri dojemanju realnosti v okviru in onkraj čutne stvarnosti, torej stikanje umetniške ustvarjalnosti s kreativnimi dognanji ter raziskavami na področju kognitivne znanosti. Ustvarjanje Uršule Berlot temelji na opazovanju delovanja sil težnosti in materialov, pa tudi na sledenju protokolom, katere je narekovalo naključje in njegova notranja urejenost, njegovi ponavljajoči se vzorci in zakoni teorije kaosa. Hkrati Uršula Berlot pri postavitvah preučuje obnašanje, odzivanje in zaznavanje gledalcev v prostoru ter vzpodbuja asociativne igre s pomočjo organskih oblik, ki jih proizvajajo svetlobni odsevi skozi kompozicije na transparentnih nosilcih. Med biomorfične oblike so tokrat prvič vključene vnaprej načrtovane kompozicije, med drugim narejene na osnovi posnetkov umetničinih možganov s pomočjo magnentne resonance. Te oblike, kot pravi Uršula, asociirajo na kode, sheme in diagrame, ki so nekakšna partitura za kinetične projekcije svetlobe. Gibajoči se odsevi, ki delujejo kot nekakšni fantomski udi, katere proizvajajo nam neznani možgani, so ustvarjeni povsem analogno. Kompozicija virtualnega in kinetičnega vitraja na enem od slepih oken v cerkvi prav tako izhaja iz običajnega kalejdoskopskega pojava, ki ga je umetnica posnela z video kamero. Brian Massumi, eden izmed sodobnih filozofov gibanja in zaznavanja, analogno razume kot vedno že presežen digitalni proces ter govori o prevladi analognega nad virtualnim oziroma digitalnim: “Kadarkoli govorimo o še ne-kodiranih potencialih, možnostih, oblikah in izumih, ti niso rezultat kodiranja, temveč njegovega obrata v analogno. Procesiranje je lahko digitalno – vendar je proces sam analogen... Poti sodelovanja med digitalnim in analognim – transformativna intergracija, prevod in izmenjava – so vse analogne operacije. Analogno je vedno za gubo pred digitalnim.” Uršula Berlot razkriva potencialne oblike in sorodnosti med materialnim in nematerialnim ter ves čas vztraja na predstavljanju visoke kompleksnosti in soodvisnosti med zunanjim in notranjim dogajanjem vsakega sistema, tako biološkega, umetno generiranega, kot duhovnega. Sources / viri: Barbara Rupel: The church of the Cistercian monastery of the Fons Beatae Virginis Mariae (Spring of the Blessed Virgin Mary) in Kostanjevica na Krki, abandoned over two hundred years ago, has been the Božidar Jakac Gallery’s main space for temporary exhibitions ever since the gallery was founded in 1974. The immense space offered by the early Gothic three-aisled basilica, with its series of historic features, demands a very carefully considered presentation of works of art. In order to avoid a collision between the character of the space and the works of art, the selection of artists is made very deliberately with regard to their artistic practices. Artists are encouraged to create site-specific exhibition projects. Some have coordinated their projects so harmoniously with the building that houses them that in a sense we could even talk about "total" works of art (Gesamtwerk). On the other hand such an orientation in the planning of exhibitions has also been dictated by the principles of an ever more clearly established form of conceptual art (installations). And if our general visual perception is based on the comprehension of contrasts, the same applies to fine arts. Works of art are therefore even in their expressive origin a set of more or less contrasting elements (light/dark, chromatic/achromatic), something manifested in all fields of artistic creation from drawing to painting, from photography to video, or from relief to sculpture, and naturally also in architecture. Contrast is achievable through the selection and method of use of expressive components that can be substantial (the materials, the selected exhibition space) or insubstantial (light, visual media, sound). In architecture in general, light has always been one of the most important expressive components, irrespective of whether natural or artificial light was used in planning. This factor is even more clearly expressed in religious architecture. The light of the basilica of the former monastery church at Kostanjevica na Krki, with an emphasis on the passage of daylight through the windows of the main apse and the embrasures of the choir, is further underlined by the standard east-west orientation of Christian churches. With the passage of light, which changes daily and over the course of the seasons, the character of the building is transmuted into a unique living organism. It is this characteristic of this space that has already led some artists (among them Matjaž Počivavšek and Mirsad Begić), when conceiving their projects, to perceive and incorporate light as a specially valuable visual element. Uršula Berlot, on the other hand, has found her basic means of expression in the expressive potentials of light. But her field of interest is no longer oriented towards the natural light mentioned above, but instead towards discovering the new expressive potentials of artificial light. Like every new visual phenomenon, the invention of artificial lighting gradually came to attract the interest of the fine arts sphere, since it offered utterly new expressive possibilities. Quite a number of famous artists of the previous century (including Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy and, from the end of the century, James Turrell) directed their artistic potentials towards the exploration of light effects. Uršula Berlot’s creativity can in a certain sense be understood as a continuation of their work and, at the same time, as blazing a pioneering trail in Slovene art circles. In searching for new visually perceptive effects she is aiming at the perfection of the interactive coexistence of the substantial (the given or chosen space, artistically interpreted Plexiglass) and the insubstantial (light, sound). The disposition of the space offered the artist specific conditions that have allowed her to construct her narrative in a partial but logically readable way. Through the carefully planned coexistence of selected segments of the space (two apses, an aisle, wall niches) and individual artistic creations, she has made the space uniquely dramatic with a hint of enigma. The experience of this exhibition does not begin, as has generally been the case up to now, at the entrance to the church, but only when we reach the crossing (the intersection of nave and transept). At that moment, our journey through the space begins, as a succession of new "light" spaces begin to be revealed to us, lifting us into higher spheres or moving us to different spiritual planes. This exhibition by Uršula Berlot does not only offer visual delight, to which we have become accustomed in her past exhibitions; with this project she leads us to deeper reflection. With a magnetic resonance image of her head, or rather her brain (video recording), she draws attention to the fact that the fruit of every creation (including her current exhibition) is a very considered act permeated with emotions. The brain (and she deliberately used her own), which is in constant movement, is the source of all the activity in this space. Consequently the transparent picture of a brain translated into fractal form is in movement – the brain which in an infinite sense expands its capacities (the video recording of reflections in one of the niches) and in this way enables new creations (the transparent pictures in the north aisle of the church). But just as with every production, with mental processes too, by-products are created and must be diverted through careful selection (the light installation in barely perceptible movement in the apse of the west choir). Uršula Berlot has thus presented to us in her own way the "story" of her creative process, which however also applies to all creatively oriented individuals. And given the visual delight that she offers us in the process, it occurs to us that it is worth setting off on such a journey. Prehodnost Cerkev več kot dvesto let opuščenega cistercijanskega samostana Fons beate virginis Mariae (Studenec svete Marije) v Kostanjevici na Krki velja vse od ustanovitve Galerije Božidar Jakac v njem (1974) za osrednji prostor za prirejanje občasnih razstav. Mogočen prostor zgodnjegotske triladijske bazilike z vrsto historičnih elementov zahteva zelo premišljeno predstavitev likovnih del. Da ne bi prihajalo do kolizije značaja prostora z likovnimi deli, je selekcija med umetniki glede na njihove umetniške prakse zelo premišljena. Umetniki so zato vzpodbujeni k projektnemu snovanju avtorskih razstav (seit specific exhibition projects). Nekateri med njimi so svoje projekte tako harmonično uskladili s sakralnim prostorom, da lahko v nekem smislu govorimo kar o celostnih umetninah (Gesamtwerk). Po drugi strani pa so tako orientacijo v snovanju razstav narekovali tudi principi vse izraziteje uveljavljene konceptualne umetnosti (instalacije). Tako kot za naše splošno vizualno zaznavanje velja tudi za likovno umetnost, da temelji na dojemanju kontrastov. Likovna dela so torej že v svojem izraznem izhodišču skupek bolj ali manj kontrastnih partij (svetlo / temno, kromatsko – nekromatsko), kar se manifestira na vseh področjih likovnega ustvarjanja od risbe do slike, od fotografije do videa ali od reliefa do kiparskega dela in seveda tudi v arhitekturi. Kontrastnost je dosegljiva z izbiro in načinom uporabe izraznih komponent, ki so lahko snovne (gradiva, razstavni prostor) ali nesnovne (svetloba, vizualni mediji, zvok). V arhitekturi je bila svetloba od nekdaj ena najpomembnejših izraznih komponent, ne glede na to, ali je bila pri načrtovanju uporabljena naravna ali umetna svetloba. Ta moment je še izrazitejši v sakralni arhitekturi. Bazilikalna svetloba nekdanje samostanske cerkve v Kostanjevici na Krki, s poudarkom na prehodih dnevne svetlobe skozi okenske odprtine glavne apside in line kora, je podčrtana še s splošno narekovano orientiranostjo krščanskih cerkva (vzhod - zahod). S prehodi svetlobe, ki se spreminjajo dnevno in skozi letne čase, se značaj stavbe prelevi v svojstven živ organizem. Prav ta karakteristika tega prostora je do sedaj že navedla nekatere likovne umetnike, da so ob koncipiranju svojega projekta zaznali in vključili svetlobo kot posebej dragocen vizualni element (med njimi Matjaž Počivavšek in Mirsad Begić). Akademska slikarka Uršula Berlot je prav v izraznih potencialih svetlobe našla svoje osnovno izrazno sredstvo. A njeno interesno polje ni več usmerjeno v naravno svetlobo, temveč v iskanje novih izraznih potencialov umetne svetlobe. Tako kot vsaka nova vizualna pojavnost je tudi iznajdba umetne razsvetljave sčasoma vzbudila zanimanje tudi na področju likovnih umetnosti, saj je ponujala povsem nove izrazne možnosti. Iz zgodovine likovne umetnosti prejšnjega stoletja poznamo kar nekaj znamenitih umetnikov (med njimi Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Laszlo Moholy Nagy ali James Turrell, Anish Kapoor ali najaktualnejši Olafur Eliasson), ki so svoje ustvarjalne potenciale usmerili v raziskovanje svetlobnih učinkov. Ustvarjalnost Uršule Berlot lahko v nekem smislu razumemo kot nadaljevanje njihovih raziskovanj in hkrati kot utiranje pionirske poti v našem prostoru. Pri iskanju novih vizualno perceptivnih učinkov stremi k popolnosti interaktivnega sožitja snovnega (dani oziroma izbrani prostor, likovno interpretirano pleksi steklo) in nesnovnega (svetloba, zvok). Razčlenjenost sakralnega prostora je umetnici nudila specifične pogoje, da je lahko svojo pripoved gradila parcialno, a vendar logično berljivo. S premišljeno načrtovanim sožitjem izbranih segmentov prostora (apsidi, stranska ladja, stenski niši) in posameznimi likovnimi stvaritvami je dosegla svojstveno dramatiko prostora s pridihom enigmatičnosti. Namreč, doživetje te razstave se ne začne, tako kot praviloma do sedaj, takoj ob vstopu v cerkev, temveč šele ko dospemo do križišča obeh ladij. V tistem trenutku pa se začne naša pot po prostoru, kjer se nam pričnejo razkrivati vedno novi »svetlobni« prostori, ki nas privzdignejo v višje ali prestavijo v druge duhovne sfere. Tokratna razstava Uršule Berlot ne nudi le vizualnega ugodja, kot smo bili vajeni doslej, temveč nas s tem projektom napelje h globljemu razmišljanju. Z magnetno resonančnim posnetkom glave oziroma možganov (video posnetek) opozori, da je plod vsake kreacije (tudi njene trenutne razstave) zelo premišljeno in s čustvi prežeto dejanje. Možgani (namenoma je uporabila svoje), ki so v nenehnem gibanju, so vir celotnega dogajanja v tem prostoru. Posledično je v gibanju prosojna slika v fraktalno obliko prevedenih možganov, ki v smislu neskončnosti širijo (video zapis odsevov v eni izmed niš) svoje sposobnosti in s tem omogočajo vedno nove kreacije (prosojne slike v severni ladji cerkve). A tako kot pri vsaki produkciji se tudi ob miselnih procesih ustvarjajo stranski produkti, ki jih je potrebno s premišljenim selekcioniranjem odvajati (svetlobna instalacija v komaj zaznavnem gibanju v apsidi zahodnega kora). Uršula Berlot nam je torej na svoj način predstavila »zgodbo« o svojem ustvarjalnem procesu, kar enako velja za vse kreativno naravnane individuume. In glede na vizualno ugodje, ki ga ob tem ponuja, nas navaja k misli, da se je na tako pot vredno podati. |
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