tranzit.sk/

Opening: November 21, 2024 at 18:00hod
Duration of the exhibition: November 22, 2024 to December 15, 2024

tranzit sk, Beskydská 12, 811 05, Bratislava

Artists:
Michaela Kacsiová, Filip Streďanský
Curated by: Zuzana Jakalová

Videosection:
Alexandra Gašparovičová, Michaela Kacsiová, Vivien Kvasnicová, Sára Miklášová, Kristína Anna Vachová
Curated by: Hana Ontkocová, Fanny Elisabeth Pekarčíková

Interventions in the study room:
Tomáš Brichta, Roman Bicek, Dominika Hoštáková, Jana Kapelová, Milli Keil, Vivien Kvasnicová, Július Majerník, Michaela Prablesková

The first exhibition mosaic is dedicated to life in late capitalism, particularly to the relationship between bodies, labor, lifestyle, and the formation of self-image and identity which are heavily influenced by commercialized social networks consolidated and monopolized under large capitalist Meta-type platforms, as well as by the onset of the 4.0 smart web and generally accessible online artificial intelligence tools. In this hybrid world, it is no longer possible to separate the mutual merging and overlap of digital and physical environments. In a world full of an endless flow of fragmented content, contemporary art often stands in the middle of an aesthetic flirtation between the digital and the material, and shows the ambivalence and complexity of the relationship between humans and digital technology.

Filip Streďanský’s performative-installation environment entitled Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee evokes the space of sweaty basements of the pumped-up manosphere, self-affirming misogynist online communities, men’s rights fighters and digital sexism. His artistic figure Abrahám Motýľ (Butterfly) is the embodiment of the ambivalence of this environment. On the one hand, he systematically builds his hypermasculine identity, which he anchors in illusory essentialist relational genealogies. Through a reinforced concrete object entitled Masculine Legacy with the image of a dagger and the inscription my dad in a kitschy Viking font, he refers to a fictional father figure worthy of admiration and emulation. He surrounds himself with artefacts in his gym that refer to the seemingly ancient tradition of a legendary, heroic, and brave team, adding weight to his contemporary identity. On the other hand, he struggles with its fragility. It is a composite of authentic pain, emotions and needs and internalized conspiratorial paranoia that gnaws at him and weighs him down. In the Leg Yay performance, which is part of the opening, Abraham squats slowly and drinks beer. He carries on his shoulders not only the weight of barbells, but also the weight of delicate, colorful butterfly wings. Even with a closer look at the objects in the space, the image of strong hypermasculinity falls apart. The series of objects entitled Larping Stones reveals the shortcuts and flatness of the trends associated with it through slogans establishing the life tasks of the proper man - castle to build, dragon to slay, etc. The objects are caricatures made of cheap and light materials and do not correspond to the seriousness of the slogans they embody.

Michaela Kacsiová’s installation and performance entitled Meow Spa criticizes the reality of life in late capitalism through the character of a playful yet defiant cat. This period is characterized by the consolidation of supranational corporate power and financial speculation in interconnected global markets, the precarious nature of work and working conditions, deep income inequality across social groups, rapid technological progress, environmental collapse, political polarization and social tension. Although we watch the fragments of this condition in a constant stream in the media and on digital platforms, consumerism driven by aggressive marketing and commodification of the everyday creates the impression that we can mix our lifestyle, identity and life in general as we want. And that who we are is a matter of choice. The Meow Spa installation combines a fascination with the aesthetics and functionality of shop windows, showrooms and spa centers with a critique of neoliberal wellness culture. Empty tubs torn out of place on artificial waves of cheap blue polyethylene ironically refer to the fetishized experience of pampering oneself. In the performance with the same title carried out during the opening, the cat appears as a figure defying the market control of free time and the colonization of minds and desires by consumer habits. She behaves freely and without rules, sleeping when she’s tired and making mischief when she feels like it. This is precisely why the perception of the cat as a symbol of autonomy, personal freedom, and rejection of hierarchical structures has prevailed in many anti-capitalist movements, as demonstrated by the popularity of cat memes and images on social networks and in political discourse - a playful but subversive critique of authority.