IRWIN's Photographic Works Exhibition Opens in Ljubljana

The Museum of the City of Ljubljana is hosting "IRWIN: Photographic Works," an exhibition offering a comprehensive look at a less-highlighted aspect of the influential Slovenian art collective IRWIN's creative output. The exhibition brings together more than 50 photographic works, many of which have never been displayed together before.

These pieces serve multiple purposes: documenting IRWIN's interventions, performances, and temporary installations, as well as standing as meticulously conceived artistic creations in their own right. The collection provides insight into the group's four-decade-long artistic journey, which began in Ljubljana in 1983 with members Dušan Mandić, Miran Mohar, Andrej Savski, Roman Uranjek, and Borut Vogelnik.

Though primarily painters, IRWIN's practice defies singular categorization. They integrate painting, photography, performance, exhibitions, and publishing into a cohesive artistic endeavor. A key method they employ is the 'retroprinciple,' which involves placing historical images, national symbols, and political motifs into new contexts. In 1984, IRWIN became the visual arts component of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) collective, alongside Laibach and the Scipion Nasice Theatre.

The exhibition is structured around four thematic sections, highlighting IRWIN's most significant projects. These include "Svoji k svojim," a tribute to the conceptual art group OHO; works created within the NSK State in Time; photographic pieces related to the "Was ist Kunst" painting series; and individual projects stemming from various artistic concepts. The exhibition deliberately refers to "photographic works" rather than just "photographs," acknowledging the evolution of photography within IRWIN's practice from a documentary tool to a deliberate artistic medium.