Nemanja Čađo, OPNA / MEMBRANE (text, 2014/16.)

Tekst napisan 2014, objavljen na slovenačkom povodom otvaranja izložbe u Zelenici (Rog) u Ljubljani 09.08.2016. Ispod možete videti tekst na srpskom i engleskom jeziku.

Text written in 2014, published in Slovenian for exhibition opening at Zelenica (Rog) in Ljubljana on 9th August 2016. Below you could see the text in Serbian as well as in English.

Za više o našoj saradnji / For more info regarding our previous collaboration see: Mikser festival 2013 (Sr&En) & “Put svile / Silk road” (Sr). Intervju sa umetnikom povodom izložbe pogledajte ovde.

Text pdf: Academia.edu (Sr&En)

Opna / Membrane video online:

Najava / Announcement (in Slovenian):

Zelenica, Trubarjeva 72, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nemanja Čađo – Opna

Nemanja Čađo (1987) živi v Prijedoru, gde deluje u okviru umetničke grupe tač.ka. Radi autorske projekte upodročju konceptualne umetnosti i arhitekture. U Zelenici se predstavlja projektom Opna, koji je prvi put izveden 2012. u obliku video performansa.

 

SR

Opna predstavlja prostor između. Ona pokriva, razdvaja, štiti, posreduje, služi kao tampon zona, zadržava u sebi ili sprečava otvaranje ka nečemu van. Opna može da bude omotač, kao kod ćelija organizma (plazma), ili prenosnik zvuka preko treperenja površine – kao kod bubne opne ili membranofonih instrumenata (poput bubnjeva). Njena uloga zavisi od druga dva elementa – šta se nalazi u i oko opne, što određuje njenu namenu i svrhu. Arhitekta i vizuelni umetnik Nemanja Čađo je prepoznao mogućnost korišćenja pojavnosti i ambivalentne simbolike opne, govoreći o ličnim i kolektivnim tenzijama, da ocrta atmosferu i kontekst delovanja mladog umetnika iz Republike Srpske/BiH.

U performansu pod nazivom Opna (2012, 9’27’’), dokumentovanog preko video rada, koreografija i scena su postavljeni jednostavno, monohromatski – dominiraju bela boja prostora i crna boja odeće samog umetnika. Sagledavajući performans/video rad kao narativ, uvedeni smo kao posmatrači u jedan čist, beli, zatvoren prostor, sa umetnikom koji leži opružen u njemu. Osvetljenje koje pretežno dolazi iz gornjeg rakursa i centralizovan položaj umetnika, daju sliku potpune fokusiranosti na objekat/subjekat posmatranja. Postepeno, i dalje ležeći, on se izlaže najlonu koji čini sastavni ceo prostora oko njega. Taj najlon može da pobudi asocijacije na zapakovanost proizvoda, sveprisutnost plastičnih kesa u ovom našem konzumerskom svetu, ali sama radnja kreće drugim smerom. Svojstva materijala – lepršavost, lakoća, pokretanje na vazduhu (kao kod umetnikovog drugog rada Put svile), providnost, stvaranje elektriciteta i lepljenje za telo – bivaju iskorišćeni u svojstvu opne. Skidajući providnu skramu sa prostora oko sebe, umetnik se postepeno zapetljava u istu, navlačeći je na sebe. Iznenadnom promenom kadrova i fokusa, centralni deo performansa, takvom montažom izuzima pravolinijski tok. Mirovanje, nemir, zatvaranje, oslobađanje, disanje, tihi vrisak, i ponovo sve u krug, doprinosi paradoksu umetnikove borbe sa opnom. Kraj performansa zatvara priču – umetnik je u stanju mirovanja, obavijen opnom.

Svodeći svoju ideju na osnovne i jednostavne elemente, baveći se odnosom tela i omotača, Čađo se poigrava metaforom opne, kao likovnog elementa koji upućuje na mentalno, ali i fizičko stanje. Materijal ne odaje utisak težine, već je poput omotača prema kojem umetnik ima ambivalentan odnos – predstavlja čas zaštitu, čas gušenje – koga je teško osloboditi se i koji je (sve)prisutan. Čini se da atmosfera teskobe najviše nastaje na toj mešavini suprotstavljanja pojedinca i prepuštanju opni, gde leži i prostor za empatiju posmatrača. Razvijajući ovu ideju, metafora opne može biti podsećanje na prvobitnu sigurnost majčine utrobe (zaštita, nametnutost, zadovoljenje osnovnih potreba). Takođe, posledično možemo diskutovati na koji način, lično i kolektivno, gradimo opnu tokom života, kao mehurić naših uverenja, ideja, fiktivno-realnog sveta, predrasuda, ali i nametnutih pritisaka, hegemonije i tzv. meke moći.

Opisujući značenje opne, narativa i mogućeg tumačenja performansa/video rada, jasno je da je temu moguće sagledavati i kao problem mesta pojedinca u savremenom društvu. Izvesna ambivalencija je uvek prisutna, bilo da se radi o ličnom doživljaju društveno-političkog diskursa (koji je i sam u konstantnom procesu promene) od strane umetnika, ili očekivanje/oslanjanje na kulturne pretpostavke onih koji vrednuju savremena umetnička dela. Kolektivna, lična i stručna frustracija nedostatkom institucionalne podrške umetnosti, osipanja vrednosti i mogućnosti za samozapošljavanje i samopromociju, kao sveprisutnog i permanentnog stanja krize (ili tranzicije), predstavlja tenziju i omotač pritisaka na koje umetnik, posledično, referiše. Kritički potencijal je prisutan u Čađinom stvaralaštvu, imajući u vidu afirmaciju savremenih, mladih i alternativnih umetnika, koje podržava Grupa vizuelnih umetnika tač.ka kojima i on pripada, kao i njegov performans Na putu (2012, Prijedor, 8’27’’) povodom entitetskih izbora 2012. u kojem je, obučen u radničko odelo, on puzao glavnom ulicom, izražavajući svoje viđenje (ne)progresa i (ne)napretka sredine.

Opna u istoimenom radu nije zatvorena – ona ima rupa, pokidana je, što dovodi do zaključka da to, ipak nije materijal koji se ne može pokidati i (fizički) prevazići. Umetnik nastavlja borbu – čas je sasvim prekriven, pa otpetljan, pa ponovo obavijen fragilnim materijalom; kao da nema kraja takvom stanju. Neprestana borba za oslobođenjem od opne postavlja pitanja – da li je to trajno stanje, ili pitanje izbora? Opna suptilno poziva na introspekciju i promišljanje lične borbe i životnih teskoba sredine u kojoj živimo, prihvatanje otpora, ali i aludira na kolektivnu odgovornost od koje često pokušavamo da pobegnemo, neprestano joj se vraćajući.
Srđan Tunić

Istoričar umetnosti, kustos

Mart 2014.

 

 

EN

The membrane represents the space in between. It covers, separates, protects, serves as intermediate and buffer zone, keeps in itself, or prevents opening to the outside. The membrane could be a biological barrier of cells (plasma), or a transmitter of sounds like ear-drum or membranophone instruments (drums). Its role and purpose are directly defined by the elements that are found inside and outside of it. Architect and visual artist Nemanja Čađo recognised the various possibilities of using the membrane as a form of ambivalent symbol, trying to speak out about personal and collective tensions, sketching the atmosphere and context of the young artists’ practice in Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In a performance titled Membrane (Opna, 2012, 9’27’’), documented via video work, we are encountered with a simple and monochromatic choreography and scene – where the white coloured space constrasts with the artist’s black. By seeing the performance/video work as a narrative, we, as spectators, are taken into a clean, white, closed space, with the artist lying on his back. The light, directed predominantly from the upper angle, combined with the centralised setting of the artist’s body, is providing the picture with total focus on the subject/object of the artwork. Gradually, still lying down, he is exposed to nylon which covers the surrounding space. That same nylon could bring forward associations of industrial packages, or omnipresence of plastic bags in our consumer world. But the story takes a different approach. The nature of the material itself – tremulousness, airiness, being affected by the air currents (similar with Čađo’s other artwork Silk road, Put Svile), transparency, frictional electricity and being easily attached to the body – is taken into account in developing the work. By tearing down the transparent layer of the surrounding space, the artist gets covered bit by bit with the membrane. With occasional alterations of frame and focus, the central part of the performance abandons the progressive stream of the story. Stillness, restlessness, closing, liberation, breathing, silent screaming – all are repeated through the time, bringing forward the paradox of artist’s fight with the membrane. The end of the performance closes the narrative – the artist is still, covered by the membrane itself.

While grounding his idea in basic and simple elements, exploring the relations between the membrane and the body, Čađo is playing with the metaphor of the membrane as an artistic element which extends towards one’s psychological and physical state. The material itself doesn’t give away the sense of weight, rather as a light cover that has ambiguous relations towards the artist. He is either protected or suffocated by it – the omnipresent material which is hard to get rid of. It seems that the atmosphere of narrowness is mostly due to the mixture of individual’s resistance and merging with the membrane, the space where lies the possible empathy of the viewer. By developing this idea, the metaphor of the membrane could be a reminder of the primal sense of protection, security and fulfilment of basic needs inside mother’s womb. Also, following this line of thought, it could be discussed how we, as individuals and collectives, develop the membrane during our lives, as a bubble of our own beliefs, ideas, fictional-real world, prejudices, as well as imposed pressures, hegemony and so-called soft power.

Explaining the meaning of the membrane, narrative and possible understanding of the performance/video work, it is clear that this topic could be also articulated as an individual’s position in contemporary society. Certain ambivalence is always present, whether having in mind the artist’s personal experience of socio-political discourse (which is not resistant to changes), or expectations – relying on cultural assumptions on those who valorise contemporary art. Collective, personal and professional frustration of lack of support of the arts in the Balkans, values disintegration and reduced chances for self-employment and self-promotion, as omnipresent and permanent state of crisis (or transition), presents the tension and the membrane of pressures which artists consequentially relates to. Critical capacity is present in Čađo’s artwork, whether considering his engagement in affirmation of contemporary, young and alternative artists within Visual artists’ association tač.ka, or his previous works such as performance On the road (Na putu, 2012, Prijedor, 8’27’’) triggered by local elections where, dressed as a traditional workman, he crawled on the main street, expressing his disbelief in society’s progress.

Membrane in the homonymous artwork is not 100% closed – there are visible holes. It is ripped apart, which brings to conclusion that the material could be (physically) overcome. The artist is continuing the fight – he is covered, constricted, sets himself free and then again being overwhelmed by the fragile material; it seems like there is no end to this state. The continual fight for liberation from the membrane sets the question – is it a permanent state, or a matter of choice? Membrane subtly alludes to introspection and re-thinking one’s fight and life’s difficulties of the society we live in, accepting the resistance, as well as alluding to the collective responsibility, we are sometimes trying to escape from, but being constantly faced with.

Srdjan Tunić

Art historian, curator

March 2014

*Foto: Zelenica

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