Siniša Labrović

The new sociopolitical circumstances caused by COVID-19 have put us in a paradoxical situation. It’s as if we were living in some almost “ideal” planetary socialism, or at least its biological version (all humanity united against a common enemy, exposed to contagion, fighting to save the weakest among us in a concerted effort for a common good), and this socialism intersects with the ideal solipsism of neoliberalism and capitalism (atomized individualization, fear of the other, drastic class difference in access to healthcare). Because of its rich history of political agitation, the balcony seems to be the most attractive of the borderline places between private and public. Balconies allow to preserve physical distance from others while entering a public space. I chose the banner as my tool of political and social communication. Now, others are my friends and companions, but at the same time also a potential danger to me. The ideal form of closeness becomes physical distance. Every other person becomes absolutely important to me. That’s why I address them as "YOU" on the banner, expressing myself as both "FOR" and "AGAINST" them, thus creating our community of destiny in the hope that we can jointly withstand this ordeal and win.

Bio

Siniša Labrović (Sinj, Croatia, 1965) is a freelance artist living in Berlin. His first solo exhibition was held in Otok Gallery in Dubrovnik in 2000. He has exhibited all over Croatia and abroad. In 2005 he attracted the attention with his work Flock.org, in which sheep played the role of contestants in a reality show. In 2007 he won the purchase prize at the first T-HT and the Museum of Contemporary Art competition in Zagreb for the video Family Diary/News. His work is also represented in the collection of the Fine Arts Gallery in Split, the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in Dubrovnik and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka. In 2009 he participated at the 11th Istanbul Biennial, and in 2012 he represented Croatia at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale, in the project entitled Common Ground, together with Pula Group, Hrvoslava Brkušić, Igor Bezinović and Boris Cvjetanović. He is represented by the Michaela Stock Gallery from Vienna.