Igor Grubic (Croatia)
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Igor Grubic was born in 1969 in Zagreb. One of the most significant works in the begining of his career as an activist artist was the action "Black Peristil in Split," in 1998." That was 30 years after the "Red Peristil" event, when the entire square "Peristil" in the emperor's Palace was painted red. Grubic left a message: "In the honor of the group Red Peristil, 30 years after, Peristil, as a magic mirror, reflects the state of society's conscience." In May 1998, for the "33 Zagreb Salon" festival all newspaper articles and documentation about the earlier Black Peristil action were presented anonymously. It was awarded the second prize, which Grubic received as a contact person, not as an author. Grubic's work has continued to develop through the use of media provocations. When after a performance, he was charged by a Split court of law with "devastation of public property," a media scandal ensued in which intellectuals and artists defended the right to provoke, criticize and protest as an important component in modern art practices--until the charge was withdrawn. Later in 1998, Grubic organized "Book and Society - 22%," a one day multimedia manifestation with 40 participating artists joining in protest against the national 22 % tax on books. Performances were held in the city center and installations were set-up in streets, squares, bookshops and libraries. His most recent work with the hospital, "Ideas of the Clinic" is part of an ongoing project to break the institutional art system through interventions in public spaces. |
"Summer
Night Smiles at Noon," action by Tomislav Gotovac during the "Book and
Society - 22%" manifestation, 1998
Contact: fade.in@zamir.net