Ana Čigon
Recording
24 September 2014 - 25 October 2014
Opening: 24 September 2014, 20:00
Artistic contributions by Qëndresë Deda and Dardan Zhegrova
Video interviews with: Linda Gusia, Majlinda Hoxha, Erëmirë Krasniqi, Vjollca Krasniqi, Lura Limani, Nita Luci, Hana Qena and Vesa Qena
Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art presents Recording with Ana Čigon. Recording is based on an artistic research project in progress, which seizes a moment of the trajectory of a research into themes that shape social structures. Recording is part of ongoing artistic work of Ana Čigon that aims to conceptualize and realize a series of works of which central subject is feminism and society structure in terms of gender inequality.
Monuments in public space typically represent a deed, an individual or events with significance to the public and are connected to a certain geographical and a context in time. Power relations differ through contexts, and monuments can still act as agents which induce social structures either by creating models to be followed, create space to develop new power relations and challenge old ones, or preserve traditional social structures, as is the case when observing gender relations that are reproduced.
Recording through interviews on feminist topics, conducted in Prishtina, aims to document factors that determined the lack of representation of women in monuments, to question the monument as an establishment, to create space to discuss more inclusive and egalitarian ways to commemorate and remember the past, as well as attempt to analyse the further impact that these have in social relations presently, and in the future.
Ana Čigon, in the artist statement about the exhibition has written: “If the (hi)stories of marginalized groups are hushed, and the (hi)stories that have visibility are not questioned, the result will always be a misleading sense of normality. A status quo that creates a platform that gives certain groups the push to the top position and other groups the push to oblivion, all accompanied by a deceptive sense of fairness and normality.”
Ana Čigon completed her undergraduate studies in Painting and postgraduate studies in Video at the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts and Design. She also received an MA in Interface Cultures in Kunstuniversität Linz in Austria. She mainly works in the areas of video, performance and new media. In her latest art projects, she is dealing with feminist topics, focusing on the issue of underrepresentation of women in the art world, and the importance of the reevaluation of the history of art.
‘Recording’ with Ana Cigon is part of AiR Stacion, the artist in residence program established by Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina.
Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina through AiR Stacion has established a new platform aiming to strengthen and intensifying the collaboration and exchange with international institutions, artists, curators and writers, and establishing a continuous flow of critical content, knowledge and information.
This flow of content and the international exchange, in our view, is seen by Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina as an important mechanism that can advance the practice of contemporary art in Kosovo, and it’s role and position in the Kosovar society and the international context.
Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina through AiR Stacion creates conditions for invited international artists, curators and writers to work and develop their research based projects in Kosovo. The possibility to be based in Prishtina and have a supporting structure to work in the development of the selected projects, proposed by international artists, curators and writers, presents a new possibility not only for the artists, curators and writers but also for the Kosovar public.
In 2013, Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina has reached an agreement with City Gallery Ljubljana for a long term collaboration that will provide exchange residencies for Kosovar and Slovenian artists at AiR Stacion in Prishtina and CC Tobačna 001 in Ljubljana. The selection process for the exchange program in 2014 was based on a research process of respective institutions.
The exchange and collaboration between Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina and City Gallery Ljubljana is based on the ambition of both institutions for the continuation and strengthening of the already existing collaboration between institutions, artists, curators and on the viewpoint that finds these opportunities for artists as significant opportunities in their work.
‘Recording’ with Ana Čigon at Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina was supported by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo, Municipality of Prishtina, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Priština, X-print, Ujë Rugove and DZG