Amsterdam – Šempas: archival exhibition Works and Words & OHO
14:00–20:00
de Appel, Tolstraat 160, Amsterdam
Milenko Matanović, OHO, Intercontinental group project America-Europe, 1970 Collection of Moderna galerija, Ljubljana. Photo Courtesy of Moderna galerija, Ljubljana
The Archive opens during February to launch this year's new The Remote Archivist with an archive exhibition in the library of de Appel. The exhibition derives from an audio reel from the Works and Words archive, an international art manifestation organised from 20-30 September 1979 by de Appel: a recording of a lecture that Annosh Urbanke was able to attribute to Marko Pogačnik. Correspondence revealed that, due to the planned grape harvest at the farm in Šempas (Slovenia), it was not possible for Marko Pogačnik to come on the requested date for a lecture, but he came a bit later, after the harvest, and gave a lecture about OHO and how life and art came together in Šempas.
The art collective OHO explored the idea of mediality. The name of the group “OHO” comes from a combination of the words “oko” (eye) and “uho” (ear) and refers to the senses through which perception is sensed. They worked close to nature, using simple materials to create works on a small scale. On the threshold of their international success in 1971, they decided to withdraw. They were not interested in the international art discourse and instead decided on building a community. OHO Group’s collective art practice continued on an abandoned farm in Šempas, while growing a community for several more years until Marko and Marika Pogačnik decided to focus on the plot of land as a family.
Annosh decided to contact Marko and Marika Pogačnik, knowing that Šempas — whether in a different form — still exists, and that the communal practice continued as a family project. One thing led to another and Annosh travelled to Šempas to learn more about the different stages and art practices that shaped their work and life in Šempas.
You can visit the exhibition during regular opening hours. See here for more informatie about The Remote Archivist.
Many thanks to Moderna galerija / Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana for their (archive) materials. This research project by Annosh Urbanke is supported by the AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts).