Stane Jagodič: Metamorphosis of the Mind

Stane Jagodič established himself in the Slovenian and broader Central Eastern European space as one of the most original artists who, in the 1970s, redefined the boundaries of the photographic medium. His approach was marked by exceptional experimentalism, especially in the technique of photomontage and photocollage, where he combined photographic images with found materials, words, graphics, and X-rays. He also began to combine performance and photography, and is also considered a pioneer of abstract photography.

Jagodič’s photomontages and photocollages were not merely formal inventions but vehicles of sharp social and political critique. His images combine elements of absurdity, grotesque, and irony, often with visual quotes of contemporary technology and industry, commenting on the dehumanization of everyday life. In this respect, he draws on the legacy of Dadaism and Surrealism while establishing a dialogue with contemporary neo-avant-garde movements.

He was a co-founder and informal leader of the Junij Group, which brought together artists working across various media and from diverse cultural backgrounds and countries. The group aimed to foster a free exchange of ideas and encouraged international artistic dialogue at a time when the art scene was still deeply marked by the ideological divisions of the Cold War. In 1988, the collective was awarded the Grand Prix at the International Mois de la Photo in Paris, an important recognition of their experimental approach to photography.

Jagodic’s practice in the 1970s and 1980s went beyond classical photography, as his radical multimedia approach expanded the boundaries of the medium as a tool for experimentation, reflection and, with its autonomy, artistic resistance. He was one of the first “artists using photography”, and with Group Junij, also one of the first “artists-curators”, as he curated most of the collective’s exhibitions. His work therefore represents a radical break with the then dominant documentary conception of post-war photography.