Jasmina Cibic @ Slovenian Pavilion, Venice Biennale

Review by J.D.A Winslow | 15 Jul 2013

The view that confronts you on the approach to Slovenia’s Pavilion may initially be somewhat confusing: a chronologically anonymous steel sign proclaims FOR OUR ECONOMY AND CULTURE, partially obscuring the view of a room decorated in a rather chic insect print wallpaper, on top of which are hung a number of, shall we say 'pleasant' paintings of flowers. However, moving beyond this façade things become, if not clearer, at least visually more stimulating. In another room clad with the aforementioned wallpaper a lusciously shot video plays, with a palette reminiscent of Mad Men and a dialogue suggesting a BBC courtroom drama scripted by Kafka. Gleeful overacting is accompanied by equally over-excited camera work, nicely offset by a terrifyingly bureaucratic discussion of the themes, motifs and the contractor’s desires for unnamed artworks.

The next room maintains this theme, the wallpaper continuing throughout, video focusing now on only two characters. Sparkling film cameras, artful application of red lipstick and elegantly held cigarettes abound as the camera work becomes ever more outrageous, increasingly lengthy panning shots of our protagonists in a variety of luxurious settings, accompanied again by a dialogue consisting solely of vague precisionisms.

This visual richness is bolstered by smartly researched ideas, the wallpaper, that so effectively creates a sendaline cocoon for the show, consists of a repeating print of the unfortunately named Anopthalmus Hitleri (literally, the eyeless one of Hitler), a species of blind cave beetle found only in Slovenia. The paintings of flowers are a selection from those used to decorate government offices. Cibic successfully uses these as examples from her case study of Slovenia, a case study through which she astutely examines the methods of historical navigation used in the construction of national identities. [J.D.A. Winslow]