Difference between revisions of "Alkatraz Gallery"

Latest revision as of 16:34, 9 November 2020

Alkatraz Gallery, established in 1996 as an artist run space, located in Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone, Ljubljana

Situated in Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Centre and run by KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association, Alkatraz Gallery started out in 1996 as a project initiated by young students of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. Since then, it has been actively encouraging experimental artistic endeavours, hosting various interactive, exploratory and site specific projects that apply very different approaches. Nevertheless, it sometimes also displays works that creatively use traditional media.

Its main goal and programme policy is to present fresh, yet unestablished artists and artworks to the public, thus mainly featuring projects of younger artists. In recent years, the gallery is actively visiting international art fairs, presenting its curated projects and working on international collaborations. Since 2010 it is participating in the Artyčok.TV, an open archive project led by the DigiLab of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and supported by the EU Culture programme, thus contributing to one of the largest archives covering the independent arts scene.

Background

The gallery is located in a building called the Stables, which suffered extensive damage in the period when the old authorities withdrew. It stood derelict for quite some time, but in 1996 rebuilding and re-adaptation took place. Young students from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, headed by Boštjan Drinovec and Nataša Tajnik, gave it content under the idea of an artists run gallery.

In 1998, Alkatraz started to work with the art historian Bojana Piškur, today the senior curator of Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana, and the curator Jadranka Plut, who managed the gallery from 2000 up to 2018. They reorganised the programme and alongside predominately exhibiting local artists, began to work with more recognised and internationally active artists.

Exhibitions

Setting up at least one exhibition per month, Alkatraz Gallery is mostly covering the recent production of Slovene artists, usually presented through solo exhibitions. Some of the featured artists have been Žiga Kariž, Goran Medjugorac, Tina Smrekar, Nika Autor, Robertina Šebjanič, Slađana Mitrović and Sara Filipović. International artists presented in recent years include Loreta Visic, Elke Auer and Esther Straganz, Miklós Erhardt, Goran Despotovski, Srdjan Ljubiša Stoiljković, Isidora Ilić, and many others.

Fair activities

Since 2008, Alkatraz Gallery has been attending various annual art fairs, like the Volta Show in Basel in 2008, Viennafair in 2009 and 2010 and Preview Berlin 2010. Each time the Gallery presented selected works made by Slovene artists like Damijan Kracina, Nika Oblak, Primož Novak, and Tomaž Tomažin.

Collaborations

The gallery regularly collaborates with festival organisers and other visual arts organisations, mostly those based at Metelkova mesto. Its partners include SCCA-Ljubljana Centre for Contemporary Arts, the City of Women International Festival of Contemporary Arts, the International Feminist and Queer Festival Red Dawns, the Biennial of Graphic Arts and the Photonic Moments – Month of Photography. It also cooperated with the Prostor Gallery, together presenting the project of the Brazilian artist Camila Rocha.

Contemporary Art Tea Parties

Since 2006, Petja Grafenauer, Jadranka Plut, and Zoran Srdić have been organising "Contemporary Art Tea Parties" as a joint project of KUD Mreža, the Alkatraz Gallery and the GULAG Institute for Contemporary Art and Culture. These monthly events, which were encouraging public discussions of current issues in contemporary arts, have later faded into an annual event and in 2009 accompanied the Biennial of Graphic Arts.

Location and exhibition space

Located within the Metelkova mesto, a cultural centre grown on the site of the former army barracks, the Alkatraz Gallery is known for its specific look: the façade is covered almost entirely with mosaics and different sculptures, vreated over the years.

gallery: 90m² (10m W x 9m D x 4.5m H), incorporating 30 linear metres of wall space
installation system: hammer-and-nail installation throughout
lighting: halogen lighting system
sound: mixing table, amplifiers
technical equipment: 2 TV sets, digital camera, digital camera, video recorder, screen, video projector, slide projector, laptop computer
climate control: none
availability: space can be rented if the event fits the programme

External links

Gallery

Alkatraz Gallery, interior, 2009

Expanded space (Razširjeni prostor) exhibition, Appendix 2 gallery, Warsaw, 2010/11

Alkatraz Gallery, established in 1996 as an artist run space, located in Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone, Ljubljana

Tomaž Tomažin, V čast klobuku [In honour of the hat], light box, detail, in the Tomaž Tomažin and Damijan Kracina / Serious players exhibition, curated by Jadranka Ljubičič, Alkatraz Gallery, 2010

Tomaž Tomažin's light boxes at the Preview Berlin fair, Berlin, 2010

Opening of the Podobe popolnosti exhibition by Alenka Sottler, Kiki Omerzel and duo Lukatarina, 2011

Alternative historization of the alternative, the exhibiton of Matija Praznik at Alkatraz Gallery, 2017.

Damijan Kracina in front of his artwork Devonian future, Zero Gallery, Berlin 2010

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 {{Article
-| status       = TOPROOFREAD NIFERTIK!
+| status       = NEEDSUPDATE WRITING TOPROOFREAD NIFERTIK!
-| maintainer   = Maja Škerbot
+| maintainer   = Simon Žlahtič
 }}
-{{Infobox
-| name         = Alkatraz Gallery
-| localname    = Galerija Alkatraz
-| street       = Metelkova mesto, Metelkova 8
-| mailing address  = Masarykova 24
-| town         = SI-1000 Ljubljana
-| telephone    = 386 (1) 434 03 45
-| fax          = 386 (1) 432 33 78
-| email        = kud.mreza@guest.arnes.si
-| website      = http://www.kudmreza.org/alkatraz
-| managed by   = KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association
-| contacts = {{Contact
+{{Infobox
-| name         = Jadranka Ljubičič
+| name             = Alkatraz Gallery
-| role         = Artistic Director and Curator
+| localname        = Galerija Alkatraz
-| telephone    = 386 (40) 454 714
+| logo            = Alkatraz Gallery (logo).svg
-| email        = kud.mreza@guest.arnes.si
+| street           = Masarykova 24
-}}
+| town             = SI-1000 Ljubljana
+| telephone        = 386 (0) 1 434 0345
+| fax              = 386 (0) 1 432 3378
+| email            = galerija.alkatraz@gmail.com
+| map              = http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lon=14.517229&lat=46.056638&zoom=18&layer=mapnik
+| website          = http://www.galerijalkatraz.org/
+| managed by       = KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association
+| contacts =
 {{Contact
 | name         = Ana Grobler
-| role         = Assistant of Art Director
+| role         = Artistic Director
-| telephone    = 386 (31) 686 060
+| telephone    = 386 (0) 31 686 060
 | email        = anagrobler@yahoo.com
 }}
-|opening hours = 11am-3pm and 4pm-8pm Mo-Thu, 4pm-11pm Fri
+| opening hours = 11am-3pm and 4pm-8pm Mo-Thu, 4pm-11pm Fri
+| accounts =
+https://www.facebook.com/pages/Galerija-Alkatraz/116005715152378
 }}
+{{Teaser|
+{{Wide Image|Alkatraz Gallery 2010 Exterior Photo Jasmina Klancar.jpg}}
-{{Teaser|
+Situated in [[Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone|Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Centre]] and run by [[KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association]], [[Alkatraz Gallery]] started out in [[established::1996]] as a project initiated by young students of the [[Academy of Fine Arts and Design]]. Since then, it has been actively encouraging experimental artistic endeavours, hosting various interactive, exploratory and site specific projects that apply very different approaches. Nevertheless, it sometimes also displays works that creatively use traditional media.
-Situated in [[Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone]] and run by [[KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association]], [[Alkatraz Gallery]] started out as a project iniciated by young students of academy in [[Established::1996]]. Encuraging experimental art, site specific projects in different approaches and media, the main goal of the gallery is to feature monthly projects of young (inter)national artists. With the seria entitled ''Contemporary Art Tea Parties'', it gives occasionally the platform for the comunication on issues of contemporary art, culture and society with the aim to encurage discussions missed in the local, microcultural context.
+Its main goal and programme policy is to present fresh, yet unestablished artists and artworks to the public, thus mainly featuring projects of younger artists. In recent years, the gallery is actively visiting international art fairs, presenting its curated projects and working on international collaborations. Since 2010 it is participating in the Artyčok.TV, an open archive project led by the DigiLab of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and supported by the EU Culture programme, thus contributing to one of the largest archives covering the independent arts scene.
 }}
-==History==
+==Background==
-After studios in [[Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone]] were in the middle of 90s slowly filled by artist, the Alkatraz Gallery was founded by the informal group of artists, at that time mostly students of the [[Department of Sculpture, Academy of Fine Arts and Design]] with [[Boštjan Drinovec]] and [[Nataša Tajnik]] on the head and primarily with the goal to present home production of Metelkova.
-In 1998, the gallery obtained two curators, historians of art [[Bojana Piškur]], today the senior curator of [[Museum of Modern Art]] in Ljubljana, and curator [[Jadranka Ljubičič]], who is managing the Gallery since 2000. They reorganized the programme: besides exhibiting authors from Metelkova, the gallery began to feature works also of more recognized artists. In time, it expanded its horizons by hosting foreign authors.
+The gallery is located in a building called the Stables, which suffered extensive damage in the period when the old authorities withdrew. It stood derelict for quite some time, but in 1996 rebuilding and re-adaptation took place. Young students from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, headed by [[Boštjan Drinovec]] and [[Nataša Tajnik]], gave it content under the idea of an artists run gallery.
-As a non-profit space, the Alkatraz Gallery has been sponsored by the Soros Foundation from the time of its formation until its withdrawal from Slovenia. Since 1998, its has been sponsored also by the city of Ljubljana and by the Ministry of Culture of Republic of Slovenia.
+In 1998, Alkatraz started to work with the art historian [[Bojana Piškur]], today the senior curator of [[Museum of Modern Art]] in Ljubljana, and the curator [[Jadranka Plut]], who managed the gallery from 2000 up to 2018. They reorganised the programme and alongside predominately exhibiting local artists, began to work with more recognised and internationally active artists.
-==Location==
+==Exhibitions==
-Located within the Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone, in a former barracks of the army of ex-Yugoslavia, the Alkatraz Gallery is known from its specific "outlook:" the façade is covered almost entirely with mosaics and different sculptures, inspired by the slogan of Metelkova citizens ''all for one and one for all''. Large numbers of young participants contributed significantly to shaping of its look.
-==Exhibitions==
+Setting up at least one exhibition per month, Alkatraz Gallery is mostly covering the recent production of Slovene artists, usually presented through solo exhibitions. Some of the featured artists have been [[Žiga Kariž]], [[Goran Medjugorac]], [[Tina Smrekar]], [[Nika Autor]], [[Robertina Šebjanič]], [[Slađana Mitrović]] and [[Sara Filipović]]. International artists presented in recent years include Loreta Visic, Elke Auer and Esther Straganz, Miklós Erhardt, Goran Despotovski, Srdjan Ljubiša Stoiljković, Isidora Ilić, and many others.
-With more than one exhibition per month the Alkatraz Gallery is featuring mostly the recent production of Slovene artists, presented as solo exhibition, so there was recently exhibiting Dominik Mahnič, [[Žiga Kariž]], [[Nika Oblak]] and [[Primož Novak]], [[Goran Medjugorac]], [[Tina Smrekar]], [[Jur Samec]], [[Nika Autor]], [[Robertina Šebjanič]] and plenty other artists from Slovenia. International artist presented recently in the Gallery include Elke Auer and Esther Straganz, Miklós Erhardt, and many artist from the Balkan region as Goran Despotovski, Srdjan Ljubiša Stoiljković, Slađana Mitrović, Sara Filipovič, Isidora Ilić, Loreta Visic, and many others.
-In last years the programme is involving more and more international artists, as well established one, and cooperates with other  institutions. In 2009 the Gallery was so one of the venues for the [[Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art]], event basicly prapared by the [[International Centre of Graphic Arts]], which proposed the theme of the main show (''The Matrix: An Unstable Reality'') and further developed by curatprs of invited institultions. Within this event the Alkatraz Gallery featured works by international artists as Anita di Bianco, Ivan Grubanov, or Ahmet Ogut, etc. Further, the Gallery cooperated in 2009 with the [[Studio 8 Gallery]] from Ljubljana with whom the art project of the Brazilian artist Camila Rocha was presented.
+===Fair activities===
-In the same year the Alkatraz Gallery gave also its exhibiting space to the [[SCCA-Ljubljana Centre for Contemporary Arts]] and to the curator Saša (Glavan) Nabergoj, the only constant member of the ''World of Art'', a course for curators and a series of lectures being organised since 1997 to encourage young prospective professionals to streamline their endeavours in tackling contemporary art. After eleven editions of the World of Art, which was penned by Alenka Pirman (who initiated the programme together with Lilijana Stepančič), Nabergoj presented personal selection of all courses, featuring also the work of [[Lada Cerar]] and [[Sašo Sedlaček]], Alen Floričić, [[Marko A. Kovačič]], [[Tanja Lažetić]] and [[Dejan Habicht]], Ivan Marušić Klif, etc.
+Since 2008, Alkatraz Gallery has been attending various annual art fairs, like the Volta Show in Basel in 2008, Viennafair in 2009 and 2010 and Preview Berlin 2010. Each time the Gallery presented selected works made by Slovene artists like [[Damijan Kracina]], [[Nika Oblak]], [[Primož Novak]], and [[Tomaž Tomažin]].
-The Gallery cooperated several times with the [[City of Women International Festival of Contemporary Arts]].
+==Collaborations==
-== Contemporary Art Tea Parties and other activities==
-Beside workshops, suitable for children and teenagers conducted mostly by Katjuša Kovačič and Urška Domevšček, and beside gueded tours of professionals involved in the programme of the Alkatraz Gallery, the space is next to KUD Mreža and [[GULAG – Institute for Contemporary Art]] known as the organizer of the ''Contemporary Art Tea Parties'', prepared in different spaces around Ljubljana by [[Petja Grafenauer Krnc]], [[Jadranka Ljubičič]] and [[Zoran Srdić]].
-As monthly meetings promoting discussion and dialogue within contemporary art, the Contemporary Art Tea Parties are addressed on all pofessional and interested profiles involved in the contemporary art with the aim of establishing a constructive dialogue, increasing and exchanging the knowledge on topical subjects. The very first discussion in Februar 2007 opened actual themes on the field as the current state of art education (Škratova čitalnica, Metelkova), further the meetings were discussing art terminology, dealing with the notion of the death of art of American philosopher Arthur C. Danto (in [[Tovarna Rog]]).
+The gallery regularly collaborates with festival organisers and other visual arts organisations, mostly those based at [[Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone|Metelkova mesto]]. Its partners include [[SCCA-Ljubljana Centre for Contemporary Arts]], the [[City of Women International Festival of Contemporary Arts]], the [[International Feminist and Queer Festival Red Dawns]], the [[Biennial of Graphic Arts]] and the [[Photonic Moments – Month of Photography]]. It also cooperated with the [[Prostor Gallery]], together presenting the project of the Brazilian artist Camila Rocha.
-On the only Contemporary Art Tea Party in 2009, occuring within the [[Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art]] it was discussed about the importance of having a large exhibition site like Biennial is since its founding in 1955.
+=== Contemporary Art Tea Parties ===
-==Commercial brunch==
+Since 2006, [[Petja Grafenauer]], [[Jadranka Plut]], and [[Zoran Srdić]] have been organising "Contemporary Art Tea Parties" as a joint project of [[KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association|KUD Mreža]], the Alkatraz Gallery and the [[GULAG Institute for Contemporary Art and Culture]]. These monthly events, which were encouraging public discussions of current issues in contemporary arts, have later faded into an annual event and in 2009 accompanied the [[Biennial of Graphic Arts]].
-Since 2008 the Alkatraz Gallery is visiting international art fairs with the aim to present more radical positions of the artists that are coming out from critical or even ironical situations towards the actual global problems. Since then the Gallery attended each year one art fair: in 2008 Volta Show in Basel, and in 2009 Viennafair. Each time the Gallery presented art works of [[Damijan Kracina]], [[Nika Oblak & Primož Novak]] and [[Tomaž Tomažin]], who are creating in different art media from installations, drawings, photography to videos. The commercial activity is run by the current artistic director Jadranka Ljubičič.
+==Location and exhibition space==
-==Exhibition space==
+Located within the [[Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone|Metelkova mesto]], a cultural centre grown on the site of the former army barracks, the Alkatraz Gallery is known for its specific look: the façade is covered almost entirely with mosaics and different sculptures, vreated over the years.
-Gallery: 90m² (10m W x 9m D x 4.5m H), incorporating 30 linear metres of wall space; installation system: hammer-and-nail installation throughout; lighting: halogen lighting system; sound: mixing table, amplifiers; technical equipment: 2 TV sets, digital camera, digital camera, video recorder, screen, video projector, slide projector, laptop computer; climate control: none; availability: space can be rented by appointment if it fits the programme.
+* '''gallery:''' 90m² (10m W x 9m D x 4.5m H), incorporating 30 linear metres of wall space
+* '''installation system:''' hammer-and-nail installation throughout
+* '''lighting:''' halogen lighting system
+* '''sound:''' mixing table, amplifiers
+* '''technical equipment:''' 2 TV sets, digital camera, digital camera, video recorder, screen, video projector, slide projector, laptop computer
+* '''climate control:''' none
+* '''availability:''' space can be rented if the event fits the programme
 == See also ==
 * [[Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone]]
 * [[KUD Mreža Arts and Culture Association]]
-* [[Department of Sculpture, Academy of Fine Arts and Design]]
-* [[Museum of Modern Art]]
-* [[Ljubljana International Biennial of Graphic Art]]
-* [[International Centre of Graphic Arts]]
-* [[SCCA-Ljubljana Centre for Contemporary Arts]]
-* [[City of Women International Festival of Contemporary Arts]]
 ==External links==
 * [http://www.galerijalkatraz.org/ Alkatraz Gallery website]
 * [http://www2.arnes.si/~ljkudmr1s/alkatraz.htm Alkatraz Gallery (1997&ndash;2004) website]
-* [http://metelkova.goucher.edu/interviews.html#Jadranka Video interview with Jadranka Ljubičič, director of Alkatraz Gallery]
+* [http://metelkova.goucher.edu/interviews.html#Jadranka Video interview with Jadranka Plut, the director of Alkatraz Gallery]
+* [http://artycok.tv Artyčok.TV website with contributions by Alkatraz Gallery]
+{{Gallery}}
-[[Category:Visual arts venues]]
 [[Category:Visual arts galleries]]
 [[Category:Visual arts]]
 [[Category:Galleries]]
 [[Category:Venues]]