K.A.I.R. Lucija Smodiš

Exhibition K.A.I.R.lab is second of its kind within the project Y - the point for young. It started up as cooperation of ECC 2013, K.A.I.R. and East Slovak Gallery (VSG). Represents two independent art interventions of two artists, Lucija Smodiš and Alexander Raevski, in the non-exhibition spaces of VSG. In both cases it is going formally about reaction on local culture in comparison  with culture of the country of artist's origin, or cultures and traditions in general.

Lucija Smodis (1984, Maribor, Slovenia) did study visual art at Pedagogic University in Maribor where she worked as curator and cultural manager. She operates mostly with video and public space, where she observes people's reactions on the unusual situations and sounds.

Discovering old myths

Lucija is interested in a slavic mythology. There she found a legend about demon - celebrated on December 13th, nowadays known as the St. Lucy day. It is a centuries old tradition, from times when female demon of darkness had been worshipped. Symbol of good and bad, beauty and ugly at the same time had been replaced with christian story of Lucy that rejected her pagan suitor and devoted herself to God.  Lucija got attracted by this ambivalence.  "When I came to Kosice and I was introducing myself as Lucija, sometimes the reaction was: ash, a witch." she explains. So she decided to study old rituals of this magic date.

They could be divided into three categories: 1. husband selection - a traditional manuals for unmarried girls (according one of them girl writes on December 13th a 12 names, each one on single piece of paper and one leaves blank, then everyday she burns one, so the last one that stays represents her husband or the blank one says she shouldn't marry at all) 2. getting rid of the evil  3. witches recognizing

Lucija spent three months in Kosice residency. First weeks by socializing, knowing some people that helped her and some stayed good friends. It is what she will remember about this town. Even Kosice has almost as much population as the capital of Slovenia, it feels for her much smaller. " I could handle this town very quickly" she says. Maribor is a cultural capitol of europe this year, so she is coming back home to experience those big expectations.

Second exhibitor  is Alexander Raevski (1979, Chisinau, Moldova). He studied on the Faculty of Architecture at the State University of Technology in Moldova and Pedagogic University in Chisnau. He deals with socio-political and psychological aspects of people that pushed to stop with sport as professionals because of the health issues. In his works, he uses photography, video and sculpture.

You are welcome to visit the exhibition of both artists until February 14, daily from 8am till 9pm.