Novi kolektivizem (NK)

Novi kolektivizem (NK) is the design section of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) movement founded in 1984 to meet the design needs and develop the image of the newborn organisation. Novi Kolektivizem is led by professional designer Darko Pokorn and consists of members from each of the main NSK groups – Laibach, Irwin and Noordung Cosmokinetic Cabinet. Other members of "New Collectivism" are Roman Uranjek, Dejan Knez, and Miran Mohar.

NK is one of NSK's most active and highly successful departments, designing posters, records covers, books, passports and NSK letterheads. Its designs for Laibach merchandising won an award at the 1994 Ljubljana BIO - Biennial of Industrial Design, and it has also overseen the main designs for construction of the Neue Slowenische Kunst - NSK State website. Novi Kolektivizem also undertakes numerous external commissions, carrying out design work for clients such as Museum of Modern Art and Radio-Television Slovenia (RTV Slovenia). Although Novi Kolektivizem's work often features the distinctive NSK style, some of its recent designs do not display any trace of its NSK connections.

Today Novi kolektivizem works as a classical design studio, yet rather to adapt to client's needs it still follows the principle of retro-avantgardism and presents its own artistic approach combining art and design. Among the most important designs is the logotype for one of the oldest and largest non-profit contemporary art institutions in the United States – P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, a partner gallery of the world most acknowledged gallery Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Since then NK designs all the exhibition catalogues of the events where both P.S.1 and Berlin based Kunstwerke cooperate.

Background

In 1984 groups Laibach, Irwin and Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre joined together to create the Neue Slowenische Kunst (meaning "New Slovene Art" in German). Together with Novi Kolektivizem and later established Noordung Cosmokinetic Cabinet they began addressing the nationalist aspirations surfacing in Yugoslavia. NSK Department of Pure and Applied Philosophy presents another flexible subdivision of NSK, sharing a similar way of thinking and expressing through different media. The book entitled Neue Slowenische Kunst showcased the work of the various individual groups of the NSK up to the year 1989; designed by Novi Kolektivizem it was released in 1991.

Novi Kolektivizem was responsible for one of biggest scandals in the history of Yugoslavia, which came at a time of increasing instability as that state descended towards violent disintegration. In 1987 NK took part in the competition to design a poster and a torch to commemorate the Dan mladosti (Day of Youth, 25 May) and the birthday of Josip Broz Tito. NK's entry won, picked by the juries of the organisers, and the poster was reproduced in Politika, the main Yugoslav daily newspaper, where an astute member of the public spotted the striking similarity to Nazi artist Richard Klein's painting The Third Reich and duly informed the press. In a country heavily steeped in the romanticised mythology of the anti-fascist, communist partisan struggle, this was highly embarrassing for the authorities. This poster brought home the uncomfortable point that fascism is very much the same as Communism. The full scale of the scandal took NK by surprise, with news travelling beyond Yugoslavia's borders. Michael Benson first heard of the NSK through reports of the story in the USA while working with the New York Times, and a few years later he filmed Prediction of Fire. Despite the furore, no charges were brought against NK. (Source: http://www.gla.ac.uk/~dc4w/laibach/poster87.html)

NK was the only NSK group who responded to the Yugoslavian attack on Slovenia in 1991.

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Novi kolektivizem (NK)

Background

See also

External links

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