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
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