The Misfits.pdf - Muzej suvremene umjetnosti Zagreb

and well-founded hypothesis of the end of history
as an utopian projection against inflated ideological
platitudes in which history was eternity and the
sole constant. To be historical was to be immortal.
In the wake of his treatise on post-history31,
Dimitrijevit ironized this attitude and again, as in
the Accidental Passer-by, turned the ordinary into
something special (and the other way round): quite
ordinary places in his vicinity acquired historical
importance through his decision to photograph
them.
Sanja Ivekovit's art may have found its proper con-
text in the events of 1990s. Sanja's work Gen XX
(1997-2001). although initiated in feminism, was
soon to become extremely relevant in the context
of Croatia's broader social and political reality.
Society torn by transitional traumas and war-time
stress in the early 1990s sought a foothold in
history. distant and more recent, trying to find
models for a new identity. The search took
some absurd turns as the government naively.
in a nearly post-modernist manner, announced
a reconciliation of incompatibles. Gen XX in a
way rephrases this strategy and combines the
aesthetics of the 1990s marketing with factual
personal tragedies of "national heroines" .
vic-
tims of the pro-Nazi Ustasha regime in the
Second World War. To beautiful, elegant and
sexy women on jumbo advertising posters
Sanja Ivekovit assigned names of tortured.
killed and persecuted members of the resist-
ance. The renamed "advertisements" were
published by Ivekovit in various weeklies and
magazines, full page, just as advertisements
are published. The present moment was pitted
against the past in the work Lady Rosa of
Luxembourg, made in 2001 in Luxembourg,
inspired by the golden girl statue (Gelle Fra). a
symbol of mythical Luxembourg past and per-
sonification of freedom, victory and sacrifice.
As in Gen XX, Ivekovie refers to gender issues:
her golden girl is a pregnant woman, with glo-
rifying and abusive terms usually applied to
women inscribed on the base - Madonna,
Whore, Freedom, Art. This provocative work
caused an unprecedented stir in Luxembourg
and was discussed everywhere, from the
streets to the Parliament. The goal was
achieved: all aspects of the work were dis-
cussed, including its relation to history. pres-
ent and truth, as well as the citizens' attitude
to these issues and relations.
Indoctrination and manipulation
In her project Local Newspapers Ivana Keser
has since 1994 exhibited large quantities of
local papers in various cities all over the
world. She also edits and publishes her own
newspaper. totally personal since Keser is the
editor, reporter/writer, designer. illustrator and
publisher, and circulates it in a guerrilla manner,
often inserting it in the existing local publications.
She also uses other media, such as radio or internet.
"Ivana Keser moved away from global politic and
official news to create her own true news."32 She
Sama lyekoyit
Lady Rosa of Luxembourg, 2001
13 I THE MISFITS