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Kobal & Ilić / The Trojan Horse
Art for sale
UGM Šop, Strossmayerjeva 6
28 October 2021 - 31 January 2022
opening: Thursday, 28 October, 18.00

curator: Jure Kirbiš

UGM Šop is an artists’ corner within the museum bookshop, dedicated to presentations of young artists from north-eastern Slovenia. We are proud to present the sculptor and tattoo artist Špela Kobal and the painter, working under the enigmatic name Ilić. The only thing we may reveal about their connection is that they were both students of the painter Ludvik Pandur, whose work you can see in his retrospective exhibition at the UGM between November and March, and who may have influenced their work to a certain extent. Look for the influence yourself!

“Start with a simple exercise. Take the soap and when washing your hands “JUST” wash your hands, think about how the soap feels on your palms, how it slides, how differently your palms feel just because you decided to think about them.
Inhale upon realizing what your mind is capable of, IF it is focused, conscious!
- not wandering lost somewhere in space –
Wash yourself through to the truth. Observe how it is getting closer and more visible after each use.
I'm not saying you have to use all the soap at once - don't rush to the TRUTH, give it time and understand it gradually.”
— Špela Kobal, excerpt from the artist's statement (the full text is available on the display table)

“At first glance inconsistent artistic expression and verbal message are indeed a reflection of the same sentimental and mental stimuli that arouse as a result of the predicament in which the current global community finds itself in. In a visually playful way, formed by expressive colourful strokes and simple striking statements, the series draws attention to major pandemic themes such as abuse of power, capitalist agendas of large interest groups, political extremism, encroachment on personal freedoms, erasure of personal autonomy and censorship. Traces of the two most influential contemporary artists, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Cy Twombly, are recognizable in the works. The self-reflective, socially and politically critical hip-hop music of Kanye West and others, which Ilić literally samples in some parts, is often an inspiration.”
— Ilić, artist’s statement

 

PRICE LIST
Špela Kobal, Manus manum lava, soap, terracotta, cca. 8 x 5 x 3 cm, 2021, from a series of 99 unique pieces
25 € (per piece)

Ilić, Whose bias do you all seek?, acrylics, charcoal, pastels on paper, 100 x 70 cm, 2021
350 € (framed)

Ilić, Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!, acrylics, charcoal, pastels on paper, 100 x 70 cm, 2021
350 € (framed)