Slavs and Tatars, "A Monobrow Manifesto" at Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen, 2011. Courtesy of the artists
The Gallery at the Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theater and Downtown Center for Contemporary Arts host a show from one of today's enigmatic art formations. The anonymous Slavs and Tatars group presents an unlikely union - the political, economic, social and cultural transformations of Iran and of Poland
Friendship of Nations: Polish Shi'ite Showbiz is one of the the transnational group's intriguing projects, particularly relevant in the current global climate of political change in the Middle East and beyond. Its point of reference is the history of self-determination in the two very different geopolitical situations, examined through key moments in the historical narratives of the Islamic regime and of the communist regime, which eventually led to political and social reforms. The highlights of these changes are separated by a decade, the Iranian Revolution occurring in 1979 and the Solidarity Movement of 1989. Extended further, these momentous shifts can then include the U.S. and global financial crisis of 2009.
The exhibition contributes to understanding Poland and Iran through their remarkably heterogenic identities and complex cultural systems. The works featured in the show was developed over years of extensive research through archive materials. The members of
Slavs and Tatars (founded in 2006) may be scattered across the world, yet all of them are invested in addressing the evolution and hybridisation of tradition, language and politics across media and disciplines, and exploring the history, culture and politics of the Eurasian borderlands and attempting to revive those regional cultures.
They refer to themselves as "archaeologists of the everyday", and draw upon deeper layers of meaning exemplified by tradition, custom, performance, language, anthropology, politics and pop culture. Their works are emotional, humorous and very determined in their message. By breathing life back into vast, misunderstood and often neglected regions, the artist collective aims to "resuscitate" Eurasia.
The L.A. exhibition of art objects, embroidered tapestries and a lecture series is part of "an ongoing series of works that employ disparate media and graphic styles to focus on an oft-forgotten sphere of influence between Slavs, Caucasians, and Central Asians", according to the curatorial statement. These objects include novel takes on Persian carpets, kebabs and turbans, along with witty slogans that tie tradition within a form that is functional and intelligent.
Slavs and Tatars on the Links between East and West from Culture.pl on Vimeo.
Earlier editions of Friendship of Nations: Polish Shi'ite Showbiz have been shown at the Sharjah Biennale in the United Arab Emirates and at the the 9th Gwangju Biennial in South Korea in 2012. New York City's Museum of Modern Art hosted a wide survey of the group's works the same year, that included pieces drawn from their numerous projects. Beyonsense took its name from a translation of zaum - Russian Futurist experiments with "trans-rational" language and poetry by artists and authors at the turn of the 20th century - along with a play on the name of one of pop culture's most recognisable names: Beyoncé.
The Slavs and Tatars' exhibition at REDCAT is funded with support from Étant donnés, the French-American Fund for Contemporary Art, as part of Ceci n'est pas... Art Between France and Los Angeles; and the Consulate of Poland, Los Angeles. Additional support provided by Stefan Simchowitz and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
The Gallery at REDCAT aims to support, present, commission and nurture new creative insights through dynamic projects and challenging ideas. The Gallery presents five exhibitions every year, often of newly commissioned work that represents the artist's first major presentation in the U.S. or Los Angeles, aiming to facilitate dialogue between local and international artists contributing to a greater understanding of the social, political and cultural contexts that inform contemporary artistic practice. REDCAT is located in the Disney Theater, designed by Frank Ghery and one of the most iconic buildings of downtown Los Angeles. For more information, see:
www.redcat.org
Simultanously, the Los Angeles Central Library is hosting
Dear 1979, Meet 1989 between the 7th of February - 23rd of March. It features the group's archive of books, magazines, and printed ephemera on the 1979 Iranian Revolution and Poland's Solidarność movement as part of the library's Works Sited series. For more information, see:
www.works-sited.info
Author: Agnieszka Le Nart
Source: REDCAT, e-flux, own sources