Julia Bavyka (KAZ/NSW)
Gallery 1 18/5/18 - 15/6/18
Mladen Stilinović Study Centre is an ongoing project by Julia Bavyka that uses the themes of the late Croatian artist Mladen Stilinović to study concepts of work, money, conditions and power. Taking Stilinović’s text-based works, statements and simple materials as a starting point, it began as a fictional institution that was set up in 2016 for a two week residency at Frontyard Projects in Marrickville that invited public discussion around the conditions of art on an individual and social level.
At Sister, Mladen Stilinović Study Centre: On Work will focus on some of his more well-known works dedicated to the topic of work, such as: Artist at work (1978), The Conditions for My Work Are not in My Hands but Fortunately They Are not in Yours Either (1979) and The Praise of Laziness (1993). This iteration of the project has involved conversations with artists and curators about contemporary conditions of work, to acknowledge the affective labour of friendship and value of exchange and support. Including simple reproductions of works by Stilinović, audio recordings and ephemera, the exhibition reflects on work as a verb and study as collective activity.
More about the project here: http://cargocollective.com/juliabavyka/Mladen-Stilinovic-Study-Centre-On-Work
Julia Bavyka is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily across photography, language, sculpture, everyday materials and space. Using everyday materials, text and simple gestures to portray aspects of social, political and collective experience, her practice involves both solo and collaborative processes, and she regularly collaborates with other artists/cultural workers. Born in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan, she studied architecture and Theory and Practice of Visual Communication at the University of Kassel and School of Art and Design Kassel, Germany. She lives in Sydney and Berlin and is a member of the non-profit artist and non-artist run initiative Frontyard Projects in Marrickville, Sydney.
Images by Alycia Bennett and Grace Marlow.
Public Programming
Active Afternoons at the Mladen Stilinović Study Centre
"A study centre is an imaginary place to which we can have access to research and formulate our own questions instead of answering those that are posed to you in the name of an open and participatory democratic process" (Irit Rogoff, Turning, 2008)
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Join us at Sister in The Mladen Stilinović Study Centre each weekend and on the closing Friday evening for conversations about work informed by you.
In the days leading up to the event, propositions, resources, and provocations will be posted here. Join us each week to collectively undo work. We welcome contributions from people working in any field or no field.
The Mladen Stilinović Study Centre is focused on 'work' and these evenings are intended to invite all to engage with the propositions actively contributing to conversation, listening, reading, resting....
You are encouraged to contribute to dialogues about work—dialogues that are conducive to you and to group collaboration and collective pedagogy. It is up to you how you engage with the series of conversations—you may choose to attend one or all of the evenings, you may use our resources and prompts or bring your own.
————————— DATES AND TIMES —————————
SESSION 4/FINAL SESSION Friday June 15th POT LOCK DINNER Critical look at the term 'economy' In the final iteration of Active Afternoons, Julia Bavyka (NSW) will join us with Melissa Ratliff (NSW) to conclude the series of conversations.
SESSION 3 This Saturday 9 June from 5pm-8pm CONTRIBUTORS(from 6): Melinda Rackham, Glam Cyborg (Celeste A), JEM (Lauren Abineri), Connie Anthes Prompt: Economy of bodies. Mladen Stilinovic 'Money' https://mladenstilinovic.com/works/4-2/ A *surprise* ——look—— at DONNA HARAWAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2DcAf16zeI&list=PL6E6931753D1B469C&index=4&t=0s ----
SESSION 2 Sunday 3 June from 3pm CONTRIBUTORS: Pony Horseman, Maryam Allami, Teri Hoskin & Virginia Barratt ---- Join us to collectively generate an EXPERIMENTAL DICTIONARY across the afternoon(and converse and share in other ways too) ---- PROMPT: Mladen Stilinović's 'Dictionary of Pain' https://mladenstilinovic.com/works/625-2/ ---- Dictionary RESOURCE: Conversation Piece by Frontyard Projects, Glossary, page 90 https://archive.org/details/CP2018 ---- ADDITIONAL: Maryam will read an excerpt of Frantz Fanon's work titled 'For Algeria: Letter to a Frenchman' from his book 'Toward an African', you can read it here, page 55 and 61: Revolution https://monoskop.org/images/0/05/Fanon_Frantz_Toward_the_African_Revolution_1967.pdf ----
SESSION 1 Sunday 27 May from 3pm CONTRIBUTORS: Alison Coppe, Shaye Dương & Chiranjika Grasby PROMPT: “The conditions for my work are not in my hands but fortunately they are not in yours either”
Some Resources: Virginia Woolf. “Professions for Women” https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/w/woolf/virginia/w91d/chapter27.html Jan Verwoert, “Exhaustion and Exuberance” http://www.artsheffield.org/2008/pdfs/exhaustion-exuberance.pdf Mladen Stilinović, “The Conditions for My Work Are Not in My Hands but Fortunately They Are Not in Yours Either” (1979) https://mladenstilinovic.com/works/10-2/conditions-for-my-work/ Shaye & Chiranjika's recommended resources/prompts in conversation with the above prompt and resources: (critique of)James Donalt, "What Is So Asian About Asian Art Today?" https://hyperallergic.com/39366/what-is-so-asian-about-asian-art-today/ Artwork: 'Orientations: Lesbian and Gay Asians' Richard Fung 1986 Quote prompt: 'I am not a black artist, I am an artist.'- Jean-Michel Basquiat ——————
Scrambled Eggs Comp + Fixing ARI
Working bee + Scrambled eggs competition.
A few things need to be fixed at Sister ARI. We are looking forward to fixing the door to the backyard. Other fixing action might occur during the day. We might start a library. Come and get your hands dirty in? fixing ARI?. At the same time there will be a scrambled eggs competition happening on the BBQ. Some dozen eggs will be provided. Feel welcome to bring: your own brekky food (some eggs provided) some books to donate to the library.
This Wednesday 16th May we will be teaming up with Adelaide Bike Kitchen to build a Sister Gallery bicycle for artists in residence and anyone who needs to use it for the space. We will be continuing the bike build at the working bee on Sunday so please come on down for some breakfast, bike and ARI fixing.
This is an extension of Julia Bavyka's exhibition Mladen Stilinović Study Centre in Gallery 1.