October 30, 10 am – 2 pm
Many thanks to the artist JAŠA for his lecture THE EMBODIED DRIVE: Cultivating Urgency and Attitude in Practice and discussing the works of our participants within the Studio Program at BAI | Berlin Artist Residency, Art School, Arts Incubator, and Live Online Courses & Classes.
“In this session, I’ll delve into the core idea of attitude as a driving force within artistic work, exploring how it manifests through urgency and tension in my own practice. Drawing from a range of my works—including durational performances, expansive installations, direct actions, and elements of activism—I will discuss the process of embedding an idea so deeply into a material or medium that it creates an undeniable presence.
My lecture is founded on the conviction that art’s strength comes from its honesty and directness. Over four years into what has become 14 individual projects, I’ll use my long-term project, The Monuments, as a direct case study. This series is a framework for how a singular work fits into an overall conceptual approach and artistic stance. I believe that poetry is the essential reason a socio-politically engaged message can come through, and through my work, I aim to keep adding to the general sound of things.
This lecture aims to provide insights into maintaining a charged intent, pushing boundaries, and navigating the often complex journey of survival, navigation, and prosperity. We will explore the question of what it means to be successful by examining art that not only comments on reality but actively creates it.
Following the talk, we’ll open the floor for a critique session, providing an opportunity to discuss your own work and explore how these principles might resonate within your artistic development. I look forward to sharing my experiences and engaging in a meaningful dialogue with you.” (Text by courtesy of JAŠA)
JAŠA (Mrevlje-Pollak, 1978, Ljubljana) is a highly influential contemporary artist renowned for his conceptual practice, which extensively uses space as a medium for transformative, site-specific interventions and durational performances. After graduating from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, he established an active international career with bases in Venice, Ljubljana, New York, and Berlin, exhibiting extensively worldwide. His prominence was cemented when he represented Slovenia at the 56th Venice Biennale (2015) with his monumental durational performance and installation UTTER / The Violent Necessity for the Embodied Presence of Hope. His extensive practice features impactful installations and critical engagements, including driving the ongoing ‘The Monuments’ series at Kühlhaus Berlin and the multidisciplinary ‘BLOOM’ 10-year retrospective (2022). He is also the co-author of ‘Making It_The Artist’s Survival Guide’ (2021) and actively fosters new talent through his ‘Making It’ international workshop series. From 2019 to 2020, JAŠA was a pivotal force in Non-Grupa, an influential activist movement in Slovenia. In addition to his art, he is an in-demand instructor, lecturer, and public figure.
More information on the JAŠA Website.
