Long live 1st May!

May 1 1982

Goce Smilevski

In his work (attributed to On Kawara, born 1932, i.e. half a century before him) entitled On Kawara: Today Series May 1 1982 (on the blackboard the date of birth of Marko Stojanovic is written with a note: “Text verso: Marko Stojanovic, the artist, was born in Negotin today”) a young artist named Marko Stojanovic completely relativises the entry of the young artist into the Symbolic Order of Art. Instead of creating in accordance with tradition or against it, instead of speaking the Language of the Father or the Language against the Father, he forces the Japanese artist On Kawara (who here plays the role of the Symbolic Father) to speak in his own language (at the same time, Kawara has created his work of art on Vietnam on the same board) for his younger colleague and thus to introduce him to the Symbolic Order, which with this act on the part of the young artist is exposed to mild irony, thus treating with irony the everlasting need of artists to create in accordance with tradition or against it. In the catalogue, Stojanovic quotes a part of an alleged interview with Kawara in the New York Times where he explains the creation of his work: “I am often asked how I knew that such an important man had been born on precisely this date in a small and distance place, and I only say: Heaven knows! Three stars showed me the way… Then I found the data on the Internet and they proved to be correct. So I made this painting, without delay, precisely on May 1st, 1982. It was a step forward in my choice of this very important event to which I dedicate this painting. In the multitude of paintings that deal with political events, this one dealing with just one newly-born man also had to take its place!” Here Marko Stojanovic makes a parody of tradition: we are not turned towards the past - just the opposite, the past is turned towards us; its not the contemporary artist who researches tradition, it is tradition that tries to “presuppose” the future artist.

1. Maj 1982

Goce Smilevski

... Svojim delom (pripisanim On Kavari, koji je rođen 1932. godine, znači pola veka pre njega) nazvanim “On Kawara: Today Series – May 1 1982” na crnom platnu ispisan je datum rođenja Marka Stojanovića sa dodatkom: “Text verso: In Negotin today was born Marko Stojanovic, the artist”), mladi umetnik Marko Stojanović dovodi do potpunog relativiziranja ulazak mladog umetnika u Simbolički Poredak Umetnosti. Umesto da stvara u saglasju sa tradicijom ili protiv nje, umesto da govori Jezikom Oca ili Jezikom protiv Oca, on “prisiljava” japanskog umetnika On Kavaru (koji ovde ima ulogu Simboličkog Oca) da progovori svojim jezikom (na istom takvom platnu, svojevremeno, Kavara je stvorio delo posvećeno Vijetnamu) o svom mladom kolegi i tako ga uvede u Simbolički Poredak koji samim činom mladog umetnika, podložan blagoj ironiji, ironizirajući tako i večnu potrebu mladih umetnika da stvaraju u saglasju sa tradicijom ili protiv nje. U katalogu, Stojanović objavljuje i deo intervjua koji je Kavara navodno dao za New York Times, koji objašnjava nastanak dela: "Često me pitaju kako sam znao da je baš danas, u tako dalekom i malom mestu, rođen taj važan čovek. Ja samo kažem – nebo. Tri zvezde su mi pokazale put... Onda sam pomoću interneta proverio podatke i ispostavilo se da su tačni. Tako sam bez ijednog dana zakašnjenja, baš 1. maja 1982. godine uradio ovu sliku. Ona je učinila jedan iskorak u mom odabiru najvažnijeg događaja kome ću posvetiti sliku. U moru slika koje se bave političkim događajima, morala se desiti i ova, koja se bavi samo jednim čovekom, umetnikom, koji se upravo rodio!”. Ovim Marko Stojanović parodira odnos prema tradiciji – nismo mi okrenuti prema prošlosti, već je prošlost okrenuta nama, nije savremen umetnik onaj koji istražuje tradiciju, već je tradicija ta koja se oprobava u “otkrivanju” budućeg umetnika. ...

1. May 1982

Dejan Radovanović

Investiture, ordaining or deification of the artist in the cycle May 1 1982, done by forging Kawara's work, lies on the other side of the ethical and aesthetic codex. This forging manipulation gives a true statement – enthroning the chosen role model as a Prophet who heralded Marko's advancement through a mystical sign. Irony and distortion in the function of truth. Almost impossible, but functional as the myth about Yorick's skull. By emitting a number of casual and gaudily decorative, often confusing messages, Stojanovic invites the search for the grain of essence under a brand. A good starting attitude of a designer.

1. Maj 1982

Dejan Radovanović

Investitura, rukopoloženje ili deifikacija umetnika u ciklusu 1. maj 1982. falsifikovanjem rada umetnika On Kawara, sa druge je strane etičkog i estetskog kodeksa. Ovim falsifikatom i manipulacijom daje se tačan iskaz – ustoličenje odabranog uzora u Proroka koji je mističnim znakom nagovestio rađanje Markovog prosedea. Ironija i distorzija u funkciji istine. Gotovo nemoguće, ali funkcionalno kao mit o Jorikovoj lobanji. Slanjem mnoštva naoko uzgrednih i napadno dekorativnih, često zbunjujućih poruka, Stojanović poziva na traganje za zrnom suštine ispod brenda. Dobar početni stav dizajnera.