Interview with art historian Vladimir Jancevski: The research process is what gives the most beautiful energy

Photography: Julia Manojloska

The art historian Vladimir Jancevski in the past period had his hands full with active involvement in three extremely important projects in the field of contemporary art.

The setting of the exhibition of sculptures by Petar Hadzi Boskov in Stobi, where Vladimir Jancevski is the author and curator of the exhibition, had a strong response in the public and in the media. But, this is only one of the three projects that Jancevski has been working on in the past period.

Somehow, at the same time, the Museum of Contemporary Art hosted the exhibition "Defiant Paintings: John Hartfield and the Satirical Photomontage (1921-1945)", and continuously published stories on the social media of MoCA entitled "Reading Together" from the museum library. In the conversation with him we analyze all these activities.

The exhibition of works by the sculptor Petar Hadzi Boshkov in Stobi had a fantastic response from the public. What was the challenge for you in curating the exhibition?

- I am glad that the public reacted with admiration to the announcement, especially after the opening of the exhibition of works by Petar Hadzi Boskov in Stobi. And that does not surprise me so much, I can say that it was expected, because the work of Hadzi Boshkov is fascinating in itself, and of course the archeological site Stobi, as a site with rich and diverse cultural material that is layered in its long history. But that is only one part of the challenge in terms of project realization - the goal was more than just a simple set of these time-separated cultural values. I belong to a group of researchers who, although focused on the study of modern and contemporary art, place an emphasis on living production related to the social dimension of art, as well as political engagement through an artistic prism. But for me, it is crucial to know the culture and art through time, without a specific geographical restriction, because I think that a broad scope is necessary for a more thorough understanding of any epoch. Despite the particular features, I consider culture to be something that is exclusively general and essential for human life and existence. In the case of the project "Discovering the Future: Archeology of Modernity", the challenge was precisely to try to make a mutually critical reconsideration of these two temporal, aesthetic and contextually separate and distant points, and yet to emphasize their deep connection.

The purpose of the exhibition of sculptures by Petar Hadzi Boshkov in Stobi was more than just a simple set of these time-separated cultural values

From a curatorial point of view, which is reflected through the research of the potential and specificity of the site and the specific opus of the author, which define the framework for the selection and conceptualization of the setting, the project was really exciting for me. Of course, the research process is what gives the most beautiful energy. The connection is unusual and it is necessary to balance several aspects, such as the wide and rich space of the site and the dimensions and material of the specific works, their semantic value. The encounter with the works, the context in which they were created, the analysis of the social situation, the comparative analysis of the situation today and the potential of the messages were part of the research process.

As an art historian, but also author and curator of the exhibition in Stobi, what projects of this kind can offer as added or higher cultural value?

- That relationship of both knowledge, theoretical and practical, is interesting. The art historian is focused on the knowledge about the specific period, authorial opus, in this case the development path of Hadzi Boshkov, while the curatorial work implies conceptualization of a whole that would provide a different view and open key questions about our attitude towards the past and the opportunity to understand and learn more about the past, but perhaps even more important is rethinking and directing our ideas about the future. For a long time in my curatorial practice I have been advocating for a kind of organic development of the concept through the mutual relation of the material with the context in which it was created, in relation to the new situation. To look not only normal, but especially from a "sharp angle" to open a gap through what is visible on the surface to gain insight into the state of things. This project really offers an opportunity to remember the work of Hadzi Boshkov who, of course, deserves a greater presence in the public, but also to reconsider our attitude towards modern culture and art as cultural heritage.

According to which assumptions and postulates did you work on setting up the exhibition?

- In conceptualizing the exhibition I was guided by several principles: first, it should not be a chronological, linear disposition, in a defined space, as a classic posthumous retrospective, but to emphasize the idea that in this temporary exhibition Stobi is not just a space in which Hadzi Boshkov was welcomed as a guest. I wanted Stobi to be turned into the space of Hadzi Boshkov, as well as to realize one of his special tendencies for his works to fit organically into the ambience. That is why it was important to place the sculpture at the entrance, which is placed at the very entrance to his home, in his studio. Modest, unobtrusive, but firm and strong, she reveals a lot about his personality, his immense value as an author, contrary to the expectations of the main stage and the spectacle.

The central position, on the stage of the ancient theater, is assigned to a selection of his sculptures from his most significant period from 1968 to 1971. It is interesting that this year we are completing the 50th anniversary of that series of exhibitions throughout Yugoslavia, which culminated with an exhibition at the MoCA - Skopje. These are works that were confirmed by Hadzi Boshkov on the Yugoslav scene, but also beyond. That is definitely the peak of Macedonian modern art. Many interesting things emerged during the research, including a "mysterious" sculpture from 1971, in my opinion the most important in his entire work, for which we will discover a part in the publication that is being prepared, as an incentive for further research of the Macedonian modern.

John Hartfield is one of the most important authors of the first half of the 20th century, with a cult status as a leader in visual propaganda against Nazism

Simultaneously with the staging of the exhibition in Stobi, you also worked on the research project "Defiant Images: John Hartfield and the Satirical Photomontage (1921-1945)". The two exhibitions are independent of each other. For what purpose did you present Hartfield's work to the Macedonian public?

- The two projects are independent, and really different, on several levels. It is a project that I have been working on for a long time, almost a whole decade, and more intensively in the last four or five years. John Hartfield is one of the most important authors of the first half of the 20th century, with a cult status as a leader in visual propaganda against Nazism.

The purpose of this project was, above all, to acquaint the general public with the work of John Hartfield and the context in which the new medium of photomontage appears, its use in a clearly and precisely defined political engagement. However, it was very important for me to update some of the debates on the power and function of the image and the role of visual culture, in order to point out the specific processes of control of visual content and their interpretation. We must develop apparatus for rethinking the ways in which creative painting processes can be critically engaged in regenerating the social sphere and in protecting the common public good.

Where do the materials presented at the exhibition come from?

- These are materials that I have collected for a long time, they are part of my private collection, but the idea is in the coming period in continuity, in different form and different focus to be presented to the general public and to be a public good. Although there are many archives around the world that have digitized their materials and are available for research, still, for their use in publications or especially as exhibition material, there are certain restrictions and restrictions, it is necessary to regulate copyright, and it knows a lot to complicate the process of research, conceptualization, and especially the final presentation segment. That is why, especially for topics that are my long-term interest, I decided to build collections and archives that will be available here with us, with a tendency in the future to serve as further research and a building block for exhibitions. I have collaborated with many colleagues and institutions, but also with collectors and antiques from Europe and the world, and some materials appear unexpectedly. What was exhibited as part of the "Defiant Images" project is, in fact, only a part of the collection, which in this case ended with materials related to the work of John Hartfield and some of his contemporaries active in the interwar period.

In modern times it is very important to remember the anti-fascist legacy, especially at a time when the spirits of nationalism, racism, xenophobia, chauvinism and pre-modern narratives are very easily revived.

What was the significance of Hartfield in the appointed period, in which he had an active anti-fascist influence, and what is it today?

- John Hartfield is, without a doubt, one of the most important European authors in the period between the two world wars. Numerous exhibitions in the last few years in the most important museums and galleries in the world speak about its importance. It is now clear that authors like Hartfield were among the few who had a keen sense of recognizing the danger that threatened the world before the fascists came to power in Italy in 1922 and later in Germany in 1933. They are not escapists, enthusiasts, but creators who have realized that art is an integral part of the social structure. In modern times, with new technological changes, the development of the Internet and communication platforms, it is very important to remember the anti-fascist legacy, especially at a time when the spirits of nationalism, racism, xenophobia, chauvinism and pre-modern narratives are very easily revived.

What is your position on art projects and works in which a clearly defined political position is evident? Specifically, how much does political action define the artist?

- In my opinion, even the most abstract art is implicitly political. I, like some others, have a special respect for artists who have conflicting views on these issues related to the political dimension of art, and on the imperative or need for a clear and unambiguous, even propaganda message through art, on the one hand, or, on the other hand, the tendency to keep art in the field of the indirect, the metaphorical. In the last decade or so, one of the major debates has been about the relationship between politics and art and about art and activism. Artists who have diametrically opposed positions are very important to me and my development. Marcel Duchamp, for example, is the inspirer of a significant trend in art theory, its definition, and institutional critique, and Hartfield, as a typical representative of the most radical left-wing political position, is an author for whom art is an outdated category, to the point of proclaiming her definite death. According to authors such as Hartfield or Gross, in times of threat of a new World War, bourgeois elitism and salon understanding of art is something to be despised or ridiculed. The specificity of the work of art is that it is a product of a specific social situation and an individual expression which, however, is shaped by the existing discourse. Art can also be a factor, a force that will change the discourse, but the very need for radical change is embedded in the spirit of the times.

For a long time in my curatorial practice I have been advocating for a kind of organic development of the concept through the mutual relation of the material with the context in which it was created.

You have been part of the team of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje for half a year now, with a job in the library. You have already presented some content that is part of the library on the social media of MoCA. Did you manage to see what treasure is there during this period?

- In February 2021 I was invited to join the team of MoCA - Skopje, in the Documentation department with a focus on finalizing the process of gradual opening of the Library and encouraging active use of the library fund. Of course, my presence at the MoCA implies an active role in defining the project program and curating some of the upcoming exhibitions, such as the Permanent Exhibition and the solo exhibition of the Polish artist Artur Жmijevski. We immediately started reviewing the entire library material, clearing it and systematizing it. Thus, we started with the weekly announcements under the title "We read together", in which so far we have published 26 very carefully selected titles, which reveal and illustrate the vision of MoCA - Skopje. Compared to some other, public and private libraries, it may not be as large in the number of titles as it is significant, due to the fact that it is very specific and strictly specialized - most of the titles refer to modern and contemporary art from Macedonia. , the region and the world. A good part of it are publications and other printed material which is a testimony to the Museum's collaborations with other institutions and individual authors and researchers, for the active communication and for the continuous exchange of materials.

Vladimir Jancevski in the MoCA library

How many of these materials are a challenge for new curatorial projects and is it possible to have an exhibition of MoCA library materials soon?

- When you are constantly with those materials, with all those publications, you realize that with each new browsing, a new opportunity opens before you. We have already talked with our colleagues about the more intensive promotion and presence of all the visual material that is created over the years, and is related to the exhibition activity of MoCA, including the publications published by the Museum in its half-century history, from its inception until today. It is a really large publishing production of about a dozen titles per year, which means more than 500 titles - catalogs, monographs, theoretical books, essays. Of course, we should not forget the old and the new renewed series of the magazine "Big Glass", the only professional magazine for contemporary art in our country. I think that even during 2022 we will be able to create an opportunity to present to the general public a part of the history of the publishing activity of MoCA - Skopje, their specific visual identity, as a reflection of the visual culture of the time. I believe that the citizens and the visitors will be pleasantly surprised, and our goal is, of course, through the overall coordinated activity to increase the interest in culture and art, in order to enable us as a society to more confidently solve future challenges.

(The interview was published in "Cultural Press" No. 99, in the print edition of the newspaper "Free Press" on October 2-3, 2021)

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