Lala Rascic

Light is the matter which I am currently concerned with. When I talk about projection, illumination and light these days I think and talk about it in a non-material way, I talk of it as the Platonic idea.

Coming to Vienna I have given myself as set of assignments.

Assignment #1: Images, sort out thru thousands of photographs that have been multiplying on my computer. The photo library reaches back to 2004. All those folders with names, containing photographs of forgotten events, some good some sad, that one never takes the time to come back to, not in thought – not in the computer, have been sitting there and fading as a memory does or as a photographic print does.
As predicted, sudden visits to moments lived years back, triggered intense emotional responses. The idea of revisiting the past comes at a time when I feel in my live a need for reflection and reevaluation.
Reflection – here we come to light. Images bring back memories that once again project into the forefront of the consciousness. The image projects, the image is the light. It is itself of the medium of light.

Assignment #2: Draw. Use images to produce drawings. Use light table, trace on the window, project the image onto paper. Use light as a tool to draw. Use light to project the already (in the minds eye) projected image to guide the hand.
I have been tracing over photos always. Ivan Grubanov gave me advice about an interesting excersize that I intend to pursue. The intention of the exercise it to get into the medium of drawing using the methods that I already employ.
Note on drawing: Select and choose and pick the motifs that are to be the drawings. Drawing is to be a by – product of a process. I never draw or paint to produce a drawing or painting. I draw or paint to induce…It is a less abstract than thought, it is a polygon for thought.

Assignment #3: Live it out in the process, images illuminate, trigger emotional reactions, I confront myself thru confronting the images over and over in drawing, the images delivered to me by light, acts of drawing and looking performing the function of light – of cleansing, of searching – of discovery.
I shall write of these processes, I will find correspondences between forgotten memory, personal need for reflection, this city, light and the performative acts of writing, speaking, drawing – that seem to guide me and illuminate my way.

Do not be surprised if you come to me expecting a satirical text and get shone on.

Getting all work done I never shared my video for Domes, one of Zvukbroda. The song is his and the video is a birthday present. We made it as a one-shot, one-off, one take shoot after the filming of a bigger production I was doing for Bosnian TV while all the camera dolly and light was in place.

In spite of the cracked ceramics and the last-minute installing the show opened in B.O.P Gallery, Zagreb and went fine. Still don’t know if it was a huge sucess, but I am very happy with the results of the project.

There were a thousand openings last night in town so I am very happy with the turnout of the guests. I just hope that many of them come back to dedicate an hour to the exhibition, as that is how long it really takes to see and understand the show. There is lot to see and hear and I think it can draw into its narrative anyone who has any sort of social consciousness. Again a heart-braking story wrapped in beauty and humor.

After a long period of working, the project is finished and now I await for the fruits of my labor. The art book stole the show, thanks to Laboratorium’s design. I am performing the script with Vuneny live on 24.06. in Ljubljana for the opening of the City of Women and have been invited to do it on the Youth Salon in Zagreb in October.

Will be uploading the materials soon.

All circumstances are telling me that I should be having a hefty panic attack. Why then am I spending a whole day relaxed, cooking, blogging and making sure that the subtitles on a work form year ago are ok? Tell me that? Self denial, I tell you!

Finished modeling the relieifs last night. A dozen. Great number, great word dozen is!Individual Utopias is a project based on over-interpretation – if there is such a thing!

The project consists of:

Testimonials: Marija (Mostar), Asja (Sarajevo), Doctor (Mostar), Nurse (Mostar), Sandra (Banja Luka), Anna (her text scrooling on video), a patient (Mostar)

summary: the above stated are telling their version of the events of workshop in Mostar 2007 on video

status: unfinished, not even started to be organized, need to borrow /rent camera, travel to stated cities, needs to be filmed, edited and mastered for DVD

Book : 2 books cca 80p. each, bound in a box, ed 500signed n numbered

Summary: the script for the audio drama/performance Individual Utopias illustrated with the characters drawn portraits, based on the actual workshop participants photos

status: all materials finished, at designers (not answering my email), still waiting for impressum from CC (not answering my email), needs to be proofed and paid for

Reliefs: 12 scenes, ed 3

summary: 12 scenes based on photographs taken during workshop process, forming an alternative narrative, thru a comic book like sequence of scenes, baked terracotta

status: clay modeling finished, needs to be cast into negative and then again to positive, needs to dry and bake and be paid for (hope sugar daddy or sugar gallery sponsors) and transported, big chance of breaking

Drawings: 28 portraits, for now originals, in future, fine art print, ed 3

summary: pencil drawings based on workshop participant photos, correspond to the number of characters in the script, serve as illustrations in the book, I intend to give the portraited individuals their portraits.

status: drawn, already in Zagreb, need to be framed (hope sugar daddy or sugar gallery sponsors)

Audio drama/performance: 30 min involving Vuneny

summary: a subjective parodized account of Art and Survival workshop in Mostar, October 2007. Meant to be performed live and then documented to be a video piece. Already performed once. Will be performed live during the opening

status: need to translate recorded parts into Bosnian, recording voice bits in studio, rehearsing with guys Bosnian version (English version finished), needs to be performed once for camera under controlled conditions, light, sound, needs to be edited and mastered for DVD, organise the perfomance

And with a glorious less than a month till the opening to go, a panic attack is bound to come. Today was spent doing nothing. Well I did upload my portofolio, for all to see and have. I really don’t have time to go down to the post office to mail stuff out. Why did my fn assistant have to go get married? Honeymooning while I am in a rut! Tell me should I painc? (not to mention I have also to go to Zagreb, see Hot Chip live, meet the boyfriend and VJ for Vuneny and make 6 illustraions for a facebook app in the meantime and mail out documentation) Time is merciful!

And while I never thought I would be saying this, the scope of the Individual Utopias show is making me scream: I need a curator!

I hope this is the way to spell it! Hi five to Derya our organizer and all the Istanbulites who joined us 22.04 – 23.04 on the events of the opening of the exhibition in Apartman Projesi and the performance and concert held a day later at Studio Live.

I guess I was satisfied with both. Exhibiton was standard and I’m happy for the performance because I learned a lot. The performance was something totally new to me and now I know how it should be done next time to make it even better. I know it wasn’t one of my best ever gigs, not a lot of people reacted. That is because no one wanted to tell me it sucked. Well I know very well how it was, so I went searching for criticism and feedback and got what I wanted out of WHW’s Sabina after tackling her down in Gallery Nova on Zenit magazine reprint launch. Thank you Sabina for the constructive words!

Well the performance might have been a better sucess if Vuneny hadn’t played a brilliant concert afterwards and stole the show from me. By the time they were finished no one was thinking of me. Nedim’s ego is as big, if not bigger than mine, I suspect trouble if we don’t keep cool about stealing each other’s shows .

S, vene, vidi …and I’ll leave vici for later. Will post more and more and more, but for now have to logg off with a podcast of the Individual Utopias premierre – Live in Istanbul so the quality might not be the best!

 

 Individual Utopias Live in Istanbul: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Individual Utopias by Lala Rascic is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Croatia License.