GORGONA, POSTGORGONA
curated by Danka Sosic & Zarko Vijatovic
Gorgona was non-conventional art group that was formed in the late ‘50s in Zagreb. The painters Julije Knifer, Marijan Jevšovar, Đuro Seder and Josip Vaništa used to get together regularly with sculptor Ivan Kožaric, architect Miljenko Horvat and art historians Dimitrije Bašičević Mangelos, Matko Meštrović and Radoslav Putar. This informal group was on the fringe of the art scene in former Yugoslavia, in voluntary isolation. Its members never issued a manifesto, nor collective goals. During the ‘60s, through their meetings, exchanges of ideas, and intellectual and spiritual ties, they began to create collective works and actions. Between 1961 and 1966 they published the anti-magazine Gorgona, each issue was designed by an artist as a work in its own right. They organized collective and solo-exhibitions at an alternative exhibition space, the framing shop Salon Šira, that they called Studio G.
The group members had strong connections with other avant-garde artists like Lucio Fontana, Enzo Mari, Robert Rauschenberg, Harold Pinter, François Morellet, and Yves Klein. Dieter Roth and Vasarely both published an issue of the anti-magazine Gorgona, and Piero Manzoni created three proposals entitled Tavole di accertamento, though he never produced an issue of the magazine.
Gorgona magazine has ceased publication in 1966 after eleven issues, but Gorgona has not completely disappeared. It manifested itself through the Postgorgona and then Post Scriptum issues, which are also covered by the show.
For the proto-conceptual practice of Gorgona a “Gorgonic spirit” is evoked, i.e. a nihilist and philosophical mental state in which the sole objective was pursuit of total artistic and intellectual freedom, where ample space was set aside for recurring themes such as repetition, the void, death, time, denial, destruction, but also formal considerations like the line, the pure form, the circle, black and white.
Moreover, the dematerialization of work of art brought them in the sphere of action. Through outings, assemblies and meetings they intended to surpass and transcend the materiality of work of art.
Accompanied by a vast archive of works, photographs, catalogues and material of the studio G., the exhibition Gorgona, Postgorgona is organized around the main themes addressed by Gorgona,
attempting to reconstruct the particular spirit of the group and a complex artistic practice that included multiple group actions covered by extensive photographic documentation gathered together with drawings, paintings and sculptures, undertaken individually, but shared within the group members.
We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the realization of this exhibition.
Exhibition Works
Gorgona, Action, The hour of recreation - playing football with the village boys, 1961-62, 14 silver gelatin prints, cm.13x18 each
Gorgona, Gorgona window shop, 1961, silver gelatin print, cm.18x24
Josip Vanista, Gorgona, 1977, silkscreen on paper, cm.71x50, ed. 50
Gorgona, The Visit, Gorgona members visiting Vijatovic’ exhibition, 1988, 2 silver gelatin prints, vintage, cm.24x18,1 each
Gorgona, Change of identity, Gorgona members showing Jevsovar’s catalog, 1980, 2 silver gelatin prints
Miljenko Horvat, Gorgona House, 1963, silver gelatin print, cm.23x29
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1957, Mixed tecnique on paper, cm.29x21
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1958, Ink on paper, cm.26,5x20
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1958, Ink on paper, cm.26,5x20
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1958, Ink on paper, 1958, cm.21x15
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1958, Ink on paper, cm.21x15
Miljenko Horvat, Untiled, 1958, Ink on paper, cm.21x15
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1957, Mixed tecnique on paper, cm.29x21
Miljenko Horvat, Untitled, 1964, Vintage photograph, cm.23x22
Josip Vanista, Thoughts for the Month, 1964-2010, collage with vintage documents, cm.50x70
Josip Vanista, Room, 1967, pencil on paper, cm.50x70
mangelos, Fatamorgana (a Paris quand j'etais mort), m.6, 1957 – 1963, oil on wooden board, cm.47x80,7
Julije Knifer, Zarko Vijatovic, Still Alive, Julije Knifer, 1994, 2 silver gelatin prints, cm.20x30
Julije Knifer, Response to the survey if they will continue the activities of Gorgona, 1964, collage, cm.10x12
Julije Knifer, Untitled, 1967, oil on canvas, cm. 65x48
Julije Knifer, Composition, 1962, oil on canvas, cm.48x60
Julije Knifer, 3-12. XII. 78, 1978, drawing on paper, cm.36x48
Gorgona, Photo performance, Gorgona members on Julije Knifer 1st solo exhibition, Zagreb, 1966, silver gelatin print, cm.8,5x30
Gorgona, Photo performance, Gorgona members on Julije Knifer 1st solo exhibition, Zagreb, 1966, silver gelatin print, cm.18x24
Gorgona, Photo performance, Gorgona members on Julije Knifer 1st solo exhibition, Zagreb, 1966, silver gelatin print, cm.18x24
Gorgona, Photo performance, Gorgona members on Julije Knifer 1st solo exhibition, Zagreb, 1966, silver gelatin print, cm.18x24
Ivan Kozaric, Let’s break the frames, 2008, broken canvas, wooden frame, foil, tripod, cm.77x64x145
Josip Vanista, Photocompensation, Over painting, Eugène Delacroix portrait, 1961, oil on silver gelatin print, cm.14,2x12,2
Josip Vanista, Photocompensation, Over painting, Milan Horvat portrait, 1961, oil on silver gelatin print, cm.14,2x12,2
Josip Vanista, Photocompensation, Over painting, Paul Gauguin portrait, 1961, oil on silver gelatin print, cm.14,2x12,2
Josip Vanista, Genése de l’Assommoir, 1953, collage, cm.70x50
Josip Vanista, Levitating men (without ladder), 1989, silver gelatin print, cm.39,5x30
mangelos, Manifesto on Impresionism, 1977, silkscreen on paper, cm.71x50
mangelos, Manifesto on the psychological life of Picasso and the assumed pantha of altamira, 1977, silkscreen on paper, cm.71x50
mangelos, Projects and themes, 1978, tempera and pencil on paper, 12 units, cm.16,4x10,9 each
mangelos, Hamurabi, 1977, silkscreen on paper, cm.84x52
Julije Knifer, TÜ-H-DA, 1987, acrylic on canvas, diptych, cm.120x180
Julije Knifer, Untitled, 1967, oil on canvas, cm. 65x48
mangelos, Negation de la peinture, 1951-56, tempera on paper, cm.23,7x16,7
mangelos, Negation de la peinture, 1951-56, tempera on paper, cm.23,7x16,7
mangelos, Negation de la peinture, 1951-56, tempera on paper, cm.23,7x16,7
Ivan Kozaric, Let's break the frames, 2007, broken canvas and wooden frame, cm.50x60x7
Ivan Kozaric, Let’s break the frames, 2007, broken canvas, wooden frame, cm.60x62x10
Ivan Kozaric, Broomstick, 2007, broomstick, gold spray, cm.142x32x8
Josip Vanista, Silver line on silver surface, 1964, oil on canvas, cm.140x180
Josip Vanista, Black line, 1961, collage and pencil on paper, cm.32,5x40
Josip Vanista, Deposition, Action with Gorgona members Marijan Jevšovar and Radoslav Putar, 1986, digital print on archival paper, cm.48x33
Josip Vanista, Promenade, 1989, silver gelatin print, cm.18x24
Josip Vanista, Untitled, 1966, watercolor, cm.32x43
Ivan Kozaric, Red line, 2013, acrylic marker on canvas, cm.70x50
Ivan Kozaric, Blue line, 2013, acrylic marker on canvas, cm.70x50
Duro Seder, Painting III, 1970, oil on canvas, cm.130x98
Ivan Kozaric, Untitled, 2009, acylic on canvas, cm.70x50
Ivan Kozaric, Untitled (red circle), 2009, acrylic on canvas, cm.70x50
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1960, ink and charcoal on paper, cm.47,8x35,8
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1965, ink and charcoal on paper, cm.48x35,5
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1965-70, charcoal, ink on paper, cm.48x35,8
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1965-70, charcoal, ink on paper, cm.50x35,5
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1969, ink on paper, cm.62,3x44
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1971, ink on paper, cm.62,3x44
Duro Seder, Untitled, 1972, ink on paper, cm.62,3x44
Josip Vanista, Project for sphere, 1961, pencil on paper, cm.30x20
Julije Knifer, 1 c (1 c.a) - 21.X.77 ZG, 1977, pencil on paper, cm.30x39,5
Julije Knifer, 1 XII - 10 11 XII 77 ZG, 1977, graphite on paper, cm.32x41
Julije Knifer, 15-16 XI.77 ZG, 1977, pencil on paper, cm.36x50
Julije Knifer, 20-28.IV 78, 1978, pencil on paper, cm.36x48
Julije Knifer, 20b - 26.X.77 ZG 1, 1977, pencil on paper, cm.30x39,5
Julije Knifer, 23b - 27.X.77 ZG, 1977, pencil on paper, cm.30x39
Julije Knifer, 9a - 5.X.77 ZG1, 1977, pencil on paper, cm.28x38
Ivan Kozaric, Refrigerator/Shape of space, 1963, plaster, cm.28x25x24
Ivan Kozaric, Untitled, ca. 2002, plaster, cm.38x11x12
Ivan Kozaric, Shape of space, 1963, plaster, cm.24x15x13,5
Ivan Kozaric, Sphere, 1972/2002, gilded wood, diameter cm.40
Ivan Kozaric, Self-portrait, 2007, bronze, cm.30x22x23
Ivan Kozaric, Hat, 2007, bronze, cm.13x24x22