ART Habens Art Review ART Habens Art Review - Special Issue #97 | Page 64

ART Habens Ante Kustre three of us with &!!! That’s why I put three exclamation marks. During the following years, I really became „United Split Artists“ ( shortened form: „USA“ ). Mission Impossible Accomplished. That process, understood metaphorically as very long and complex sentence, got an exclamation mark at the end – it was my solo exhibition (the one before the last) “SPLIT HAPPENS”, that I posted last year in male and female toilet in one of the well- known Split restaurants. As far as I am informed, no one ever exhibited in such place. My transformation of the restaurant’s bathroom into the gallery was radical step in the approaching of contemporary art to conservative public.It was also an act of protest of the postmodern artist in pre-modern society, which treats contemporary art as toilet paper, and with it cleans its dirty ass, when it’s really needed. Thus, it is not surprising why Croatian society suffers of constipation. shelling the city that wears its own name. Hence, everything is connected and awareness about that should keep our conscience and feeling of responsibility awake. It is the most applicable on artists, as “life imitates art”, doesn’t it? Everything that happens in western world happens in Split as well, but I dare to say that everything that happens in Split consequently happens in the world. Or it's a sign of what will happen elsewhere. For example: we had Trump before Trump, few years ago! It was the major of Split, Mr. Kerum, who is same type of personality as Mr. Trump. This days he try to become the major again and, on the wings of Trump’s victory, he has big chance to win at the current election. His slogan is: “Yes, I can again”. I started to make the documentary “Citizen Kerum” before five years but I was stopped Indirectly but brutally from his then deputy. My movie is paraphrase on “Citizen Kane” and I’ll show – at its end – what is “rosebud” of Mr. Kerum. I hope to finish shooting and editing this year. Living in Split, as you see, is the form of performative arts by itself; similar to tennis matches of Goran Ivanisevic, which were not only tennis but also performances and uncertain drama until the last sets. Just after he managed to overcome his inner split (because of which he used to lose even certain matches), he won Wimbledon tournament. If he didn’t shine as a star on English grass, he would have been (psychologically) swallowed by Split’s darkness – there is no middle options here! Either we are overexposed, or underexposed; either our eyes are dazzled by sun reflections coming from the rocks and sea surface (reflections sharp as Roman swards), or we are step or two further, already in deep shadows of the narrow streets of Split. Art could be a purgative as it helps societal organism to digest, although it keeps art as indigestible. With my next exhibition of graphics „LOVE HAS NO AGE“, in the end of last year, my new artistic life has started, which was preceded by my artistic death in the toilet. Split audience, eventually understood “SPLIT HAPPENS” exhibition as my public suicide. However, I interpret this as final compression into the point of great density, prior to explosion (of Supernova?! ). I see split everywhere: between rich and poor, between South and North, between Ulay and Marina Abramovich, between words and actions, promises and fulfilling the promise, political elites and masses, ideologies and practices and after all between EU and UK. According to this, split is the biggest world problem; problem that expands and deepens before our eyes wide shut, threatening the humankind with total cleft and self-destruction ( total split ). What happened in Split yesterday could happen to the world tomorw. What happened in Split in early 90-ties was that ship destroyer named “Split” bombarded Split. For the first time in world history of wars, one war ship was Special Issue Nevertheless, the Dalmatian Sun stimulates lucid and critical thinking in talented individuals; innovative and concise expressions in all media, as well as radical conceptual approaches and humour, particularly black humour (the bold son of Split night). Split state of mind: either you are a 23 4 05