The exhibition Beyond Myself examines the relevance of the self-portrait as an artistic motif in the contemporary context of social media, particularly in regard to the medium of photography and video. In photography, the self-portrait is artistically applied in a variety of methods, e.g., as a self-reflective artistic confession, through which artists explore themselves, and their relation to society. However, photography is also utilised as a medium of experimentation, transformation, and manipulation of their self-image, where they question not only personal but also socially relevant topics.
In their works, the selected artists largely problematize consumer society and the role of the individual within it. By placing themselves at the forefront of their work, the artists create conceptual projects, in which the main motif of the self-portrait is manipulated and subjected to several interventions. Instead of being solely introspective in their work, they reveal stereotypes specific to their own individual lives, as well as to the society at large. The artists thus present themselves through the motif of the self-portrait as “constructed identities” positioned within several aspects of contemporary social life.
Participating artists:
Uroš Djurić, G.R.A.M., Dušan Kochol, Paula Muhr, Nika Oblak & Primož Novak, Evelin Stermitz, Tomaž Tomažin
Curators: Dejan Sluga & Metka Zupanič