mavena NMG@PRAKTIKA_Tina Spahija: Umijeće propadanja (The Art of Decadence)

NMG@PRAKTIKA_Tina Spahija: Umijeće propadanja (The Art of Decadence)
Klub Kocka Gallery, Youth Center Split, Ulica slobode 28
OPENING: Thursday, August 3rd 2023. at 8pm

ABOUT THE WORK:
Researching the modernist architecture of the city of Split has prompted contemplation on its ephemerality and the approach to address it, aiming to halt time momentarily and revisit the past to raise awareness about the need to preserve buildings and the knowledge they represent for the city and its people. The focus is on architectural structures that have fallen into neglect, yet hold significant historical value and serve as holders of memories. The work is dedicated to Poljud Stadium, Poljud Pools, Koteks Shopping Center, Koteks Sports Center, as well as urban areas like Split 3 and Trstenik. Through a multimedia approach encompassing photography, textile design, fashion, and photo editing, the goal is to depict the research of history, the transience of time, and the decay of specific parts of Split and its architectural objects. By emphasizing their flourishing during the golden age of the past century, their abandonment, and subsequent deterioration over the years, the intention is to capture the essence of these architectural objects through photographs, which are then printed on textiles used to design and create garments that reflect the architecture they represent. The garment patterns and construction highlight the passage of time, evoking the purity of newly constructed architecture and the decay of neglected structures. This approach seeks to revitalize and emphasize the design value of the targeted architecture, offering a new authorial interpretation. Additionally, it aims to raise awareness among the audience about different approaches to art and foster interest, particularly among younger generations, in new, alternative, and informal forms of expression; conceptual fashion as an event, process as art in itself, rather than just its outcome, and experimentation.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Tina Spahija is a fashion and costume designer hailing from Split, Croatia, and currently based in Zagreb. She completed her studies at the School of Fine Arts in Split, specializing in fashion design. Tina then pursued a bachelor’s degree in Textile and Fashion Design and a master’s degree in Theory and Culture of Fashion at the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb. During her time working on her master’s thesis, Tina relocated to Berlin to further expand her knowledge and artistic practices through collaborations, internships, and residencies. She has made significant contributions as a costume designer in both the film industry and theater. Simultaneously, she has embarked on her own independent design and art projects. Tina’s work encompasses visual exploration that blurs the boundary between fashion and costumes. She exhibited her work at a range of fashion and art exhibitions in cities including Split, Zagreb, Novi Sad, and Berlin.

CURATOR: Katarina Duplančić
NMG CURATORIAL TEAM: Katarina Duplančić, Natasha Kadin, Vedran Perkov
DESIGN: Nikola Križanac
DOCUMENTATION: Glorija Lizde
SETUP: Jakov Leskur, Glorija Lizde
DONORS: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Split
MAVENA SUPPORTED BY: Zaklada Kultura nova
SPECIAL THANKS TO: KUM, MKC, PDM, Silvana Balić, Glorija Lizde, Božena Spahija, Alma Štrkljević, So Beast!