Curriculum Vitae 2018

I was born in the year 1947 in Ljubljana, the city where I have lived and worked for my entire life. I spent my picturesque childhood between the city and the country. After elementary and secondary school I enrolled at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology of the Ljubljana University and in 1974 graduated in the subject of technical mathematics.
I started my career in 1971 in the inspiring environment of Jožef Stefan Institute. I planned and led the elaboration of new applications in different fields for different companies, usually by means of the most updated computer technology. By the end of 2002 I retired from my job at Telekom, Slovenia.
From 1975 to 1983 I primarily devoted myself to my family.
Parallel to my job I retained my interest in arts. I joined my sister, who was an architect, for her study travels all over Europe, North America, and Asia.
In 1988 I began to organize public exhibitions in my home named Vila Katarina ( non-professional, non-profitable, non-institutional gallery) and later on after meeting the sculptress Rene Rusjan, in my decorative garden. My meeting with Anja Šmajdek, who was a student of sculpture in 1991 resulted in various events which penetrated into public space. I officially ended organizing exhibitions in 1998 with a group exhibition called “Svetlobni kipi v vrtu” (Light Sculptures in the garden).

About My Artistic Work
My feelings and thoughts about the swiftly changing society which pervaded after the fall of the Berlin Wall as well as own life, gave birth to the “ Državica Ptičjestrašilna” ( The Pocket-size State of Scarecrows) on May 14, 1992 in the vegetable garden of Vila Katarina. Under the patronage of the Pocket-size State of Scarecrows I, as a dilettante, performed several public actions which commented actual events in Slovenia and were intertwined with my intimate stories. To create my pieces and exhibitions I as a rule took objects which I no longer used; they themselves tell the story of our era and within this frame also my story. In 2000, I was nominated a professional artist in the Pocket-size State of Scarecrows. Since then I focused my art work on the true meaning of work. I wanted to shed light on schizophrenic and absurd attitude of today’s western civilization towards work. As soon as I was pronounced a professional artist I was invited to main galleries in Ljubljana: Moderna galerija, Kapelica and MGLC. Thus in 2006, I decided that it was time for a radical change and a career in art.
After the projects: “ Minulo delo – ulična razprodaja, Kupec določi ceno!” (“Past works – Street Clearance Sale, The Buyer Sets the Price”), “ Odprtje Državičinih arhivov” (Opening of the Statelet Archives) and after publishing the booklet “ Državica Ptičjestrašilna v sliki in besedi 1992-2007« (The Pocket-size State of Scarecrow in picture and words 1992-2007) I decided, that I would no longer produce anything of substance. I also do not document my work except on web site. Between 2006 and 2012 I was developing project- process "Personal Talks" where I exposed non-material, momentary and personal. With it I was participated on MANIFESTA, Bolzano, 2008. In project-process "GIFTS are received and donated" I restore anti-production. My collaboration on residency ON HIATUS was crucial for my returning on the margin of the art world. After that I am consciousness and active INACTIVE in art. 

Artistic titles: Dilettante, professional artist and career contemporary artist represent the three different phases of my relationship with the institution of art. In the first phase I was innocent and free, outside the art galleries and without any borders. The second phase with the title of professional artist and invitations to the main galleries, I became limited.  As a career contemporary artist I need a gallery as a partner in my projects.

From the year 2018 I am a retired career contemporary artist. Now I spend my time for gardening and learning about nature, Homo sapiens and technology.