IVAN GRUBANOV: Skin Nation Class

About

The exhibition presents Skin Nation Class, a large polyptych over 10 meters long and three paintings from the Motto paintings series.

“In 2015, at the Venice Art Biennale—says Ivan Grubanov—I exhibited the installation United Dead Nations, a fresco of 200 square meters, painted with the flags of countries that no longer exist. The initial trigger and the feeling behind this work was my experience of the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the urgency to transcend it through art ». «My reflection on the notion of the national representation in the arts—Grubanov continues—established a very good dialogue with the Italian public and had numerous significant feedbacks. In my first solo show in Italy I wanted to show a new body of works that further explores the idea of nationhood at a time when the repercussions of this very notion had started a new war in Europe, providing yet another, albeit sad and conflicting, opportunity for an exchange with the Italian public”.

At IPERCUBO, the Serbian artist exhibits Skin Nation Class, a title that gives its name to the entire exhibition. It is a large polyptych (over 10 meters long) composed of six square canvases, the surface of which is made by assembling stretched canvases and stained flags of the former Yugoslavia recovered from public buildings and monuments. The mirror at the center of each of the six pieces reflects the viewer, including her in the work, the stretched canvas emphases exploitation through the process of imprinting using the stained flag, which at the same time alludes to the conventional and often forced nature of what is called “state-nations”

The exhibition itinerary is completed by three Motto paintings, in which the artist uses the mottos of different nations to allude to its almost magical power, to how the people of a certain nation identify with it, and the way in which citizens identify with the ideals of a country.

Ivan Grubanov. Bio

Ivan Grubanov (Belgrado, 1976) has studied at the Belgrade Academy of Fine Arts, followed by training programs and residencies at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam, the Delfina Studios in London, Casa de Velazquez in Madrid and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. In 2015, he represented Serbia at the 56th Venice Biennale with his project United Dead Nations.

Solo shows include Laboratorio 987 at MUSAC in Leon, Le Grand Cafe Centre d’Art Contemporain in St Nazaire, Gallery of the Belgrade Cultural Center and Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, Stroom Center for Contemporary Art in Den Haag, Nogueras Blanchard in Barcelona.

Participations in group shows include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, Witte de With in Rotterdam, Kiasma in Helsinki, the 3rd International Festival of Contemporary Art of Algiers, the 10th Istanbul Biennial, the 1st Thessaloniki Biennial, Stedelijk Museum CS, SMART Project Space and De Appel in Amsterdam, the Drawing Center and Apex Art in New York, City Gallery in Prague, the 50th Belgrade October Salon, the Spa Port Biennial in Banja Luka, the 3rd Bucharest Biennial of Young Artists, Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana, the 3rd Tirana Biennial, the 3rd Biennial of Quebec, Kunsthalle Bern, Office Baroque and Extra City Kunsthal in Antwerp, Aeroplastics in Brussels, South London Gallery, ARCOS Museum in Benevento, Museum De Beyerd in Breda, Henie Onstad Art Center in Oslo, National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, Museu Colecção Berardo in Lisbon, Iaspis in Stockholm.

IVAN GRUBANOV. Skin Nation Class

Milan, IPERCUBO (corso di Porta Ticinese 87)

May 4th – June 8th 2022

Mon-Fri, 3-7pm, or by appointment

Contact

info@ipercubo.eu

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