Fernisering – Needy, Nerdy, Artificial – Episode 3

For Episode 3 of the chain exhibition, Ivan Grubanov presents an exploration of nationalism and collective memory. His work deconstructs the iconography of nationalism by embedding disfigured humanoid faces within the stripes of a flag. These faces are impressions of individuals crushed by the weight of their imposed identities. The process of painting is physical: vintage flags are soaked, stiffened and reworked into textured three-dimensional surfaces. No longer flying as idealised banners of state, these flags become calcified objects of control. Imprinted humanoid faces, covered in thick impasto, evoke the fragmented memories of individuals, manipulated and reshaped by collective narratives.

Grubanov's installation extends the themes of artificiality established in the previous episodes. Like Nemanja Askov's rabbit replicant from Episode 1, programmed with false memories of nature, Grubanov's work explores implanted memory. It takes over the gallery space, expanding outwards like a monument. At the same time, it becomes the stomping ground for Rebecca Krasnik's digital tortoise from Episode 2, a ghostly re-creation of nature that steadily tramples on the constructed identities embedded in the artificial terrain of Grubanov's flags. These works touch on the complexities of empathy in an increasingly digital world. They ask whether we might find it easier to empathise with an artificial intelligence than with people from another culture.

The chain exhibition format continues to create a dynamic process, with each artist responding to the previous work. This approach allows for multiple interpretations and connections, making 'Needy, Nerdy, Artificial' a space where creative exchange becomes a medium itself.

'Needy, Nerdy, Artificial' takes place over 4 episodes from 23 August to 1 December 2024:
Episode 1: Nemanja Askov - 23 August, 2024
Episode 2: Rebecca Krasnik - 13 September, 2024
Episode 3: Ivan Grubanov - 11 October, 2024
Episode 4: Uffe Isolotto - 8 November, 2024

Kilde:
TITLED