Okoli dejavnosti lova, ki je pred nastopom poljedelskih kultur ob nabiralništvu predstavljal osrednji način človekovega prehranjevanja, se je skozi čas ustvarila prostrana mreža pomenov in simbolike. Ta je s pomočjo kultne figure lovca izpostavljala vrednost lova za preživetje, predvsem pa utrjevala predstavo o lovčevi (patriarhalni) prevladi nad stvarstvom. A lov, ki se je kasneje marsikje uveljavil tudi kot modni oziroma statusni simbol, je sčasoma vsaj v »razvitem« svetu v največji meri izgubil svojo primarno vlogo pridobivanja hrane – lovska kultura se danes opredeljuje predvsem kot metoda upravljanja, nadzora in varovanja prostoživečih vrst živali oziroma njihovega okolja. Tudi zato lov kot tak v sodobnem svetu vzbuja nasprotujoče si občutke: na eni strani se vzpostavlja kot samoumevnost in tradicija, kot prežitek pranagona v človeku in izraz nekakšne prvobitnosti, na drugi kot poskus gospostva nad ekosistemom, umetno vzdrževanje njegovega ravnotežja, ki ga je s svojo agresivno nadvlado nakrhal prav človek.

Lovsko kulturo dojemamo bodisi kot dobronamerno varovanje okolja bodisi kot kruto plenjenje; ob tem fenomenu se poraja svojevrstna napetost med racionalnim in prvinskim – in prav iz tega konflikta črpa tudi Mito Gegič. Umetnik, ki se je uveljavil s tehnično nekonvencionalnim slikanjem sveta sodobnih lovcev, z zadnjimi razstavnimi projekti vse bolj posega po drugih medijih: kompleksen odnos človeka in narave, kot se kaže skozi prizmo kulture lova, Gegič na tokratni razstavi uprizarja s pomočjo objektov oziroma instalacij, pa tudi z videom in zvokom.

Umetnikova najnovejša dela temeljijo na naboru predmetov, ki jih tako ali drugače povezujemo z lovom. Slikarsko platno je nadomestilo zanimanje za specifično materialno kulturo: igrive metamorfoze, ki vzbujajo presenečenja, predvsem pa vešča poigravanja s konteksti oziroma s funkcionalnostjo proizvajajo pomenljive alegorične učinke, ki jim seveda ne manjka ironičnih poudarkov. Z zasedbo prostora, ki postane nezanemarljiv element razstavnega doživetja, se umetnikove težnje usmerjajo k njegovi preobrazbi ter interaktivni manipulaciji gledalčeve izkušnje v njem. Gegičevo tematiziranje lova in lovske kulture se osredotoča predvsem na nekakšen angst: razstava izpostavlja temeljno, vseprežemajoče nelagodje, ki ga vzbuja človekov dvoumni odnos do narave – in kot se  nazorno razodeva prav skozi fenomen lova. Poetični naslov razstave stoji v opreki s tistim, kar ta pripoveduje: ob videnem se je težko upreti občutku, da se za blagozvočnim poimenovanjem skrivajo predvsem smrt in uničenje, strah in tesnoba. Mehanski zvoki, ki jih s svojo bližino sproža gledalec, le še krepijo tovrstno izkušnjo. Zdi se, da se lovske parafernalije levijo v absurdne označevalce nadvlade, ki se obrača proti tistemu, ki jo izvaja. Proti človeku torej, z njegovim rastočim nelagodjem in tesnobo vred. Avtor je to dosegel tako, da je v vsako izmed treh razstavljenih del vpisal svojevrstno razpoko, semantični lom, ki iz nevidne točke uperja prst v odsotnost … ali kot pravi avtor, »v igro med prostorom in časom, prehodom in vdorom, med prej in zdaj.«

Matjaž Brulc

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Through time a vast array of meanings and symbolism have been linked to hunting, which was – together with gathering – the main food supply for mankind before we turned to agriculture. Through the cult figure of the hunter this exposed the value of hunting for survival, and strengthened the image of the hunter’s (patriarchal) domination of the world. However hunting, that was often established as a fashion or status symbol, gradually lost its primary role of obtaining food – at least in the ‘developed’ world. Nowadays hunting is predominantly conceived as management, control and protection of free-living animals and their environments. This is one of the reasons why hunting rises mixed feelings in the contemporary world: on one hand it is established as self-evident and a tradition, as a surplus of the ancient instinct in man and an expression of a certain essence, while on the other it is seen as an attempt to master the ecosystem, artificially maintain its harmony, which mankind disrupted with his aggressive dominance.

We experience hunting either as well intentioned protection of nature or as cruel plundering; at this a certain tension appears between the rational and the primal – and Mito Gegič draws from this very conflict. He is an artist who has established himself with technically unconventional paintings of the world of contemporary hunters, however, in his last exhibitions he started to increasingly reach for other media. In this exhibition Gegič depicts the complex relation between man and nature as shown through the prism of the hunting culture depicted with the aid of objects and installations, video and sound.

The artist’s most recent works are based on a collection of objects that are in one way or another connected to hunting. The painting canvass replaced the interest in specific material culture: the playful metamorphoses trigger surprises while the skilful toying with contexts or functionality produce meaningful allegoric effects, which of course do not lack ironic emphasis. By occupying the space which becomes a significant element within the exhibition experience, the artist’s aspirations are guided to his transformation and interactive manipulation of the viewer’s experience within himself. Gegič’s focus on hunting and the hunting culture revolves mainly around a certain angst: the exhibition exposes the fundamental, pervasive unease, which is raised by the people’s ambiguous relation towards nature – and is clearly revealed through hunting. The exhibition’s poetic title stands in opposition with what it narrates: while looking at it, it is hard to resist the feeling that behind the finally tuned title we can feel death and destruction, fear and anxiety. The mechanical sounds that are triggered by the viewer’s proximity strengthen this experience. It seems that the hunting paraphernalia are transformed into absurd signifiers of dominance, and this is turned against the one who is enforcing it. Of course this means it is turned against humans with their growing unease and anxiety. The artist achieved this by introducing a unique crack into each of the three exhibited works, a semantic break that points a finger towards the void… or, as the artist stated, “into the game between space and time, passage and invasion, between before and now.”

Matjaž Brulc

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Zvrst: prostorska instalacija

Kdaj, Kje: 31. 7. 2017 ob 21h – 4. 9. 2017, Galerija Kresija, Stritarjeva 6, Ljubljana

Vodstvo: 28. 8. 2017 ob 18h

Konstrukcija mehanizmov: Zoran Srdić, Polona Černe

Programiranje: Matic Potočnik

Zahvala: Tina Dobrajc in Družina

Prevod: Sunčan Stone

Foto: Mito Gegič

Produkcija: Jana Putre Srdić, Zavod Gulag

Soorganizacija: Galerija Kresija

Podpora: Mestna občina Ljubljana – Oddelek za kulturo, Ministrstvo za kulturo RS