Július Koller
![]() Meeting of the organisational committee for Koller's U.F.O. Ganek Gallery, 1982. Milan Adamčiak, Igor Gazdík, Július Koller (centre), Pavol Breier, Peter Meluzin. Photo: Květoslava Fulierová. Source. | |
Born |
May 28, 1939 Piešťany, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) |
---|---|
Died |
August 17, 2007 Bratislava, Slovakia | (aged 68)
Web | CEAD, Artyčok TV, Wikipedia-SK |
Collections | Art museums in Slovakia (Web umenia), Kontakt, Tate, Pompidou, Generali, Galerie Martin Janda (Vienna), gb agency (Paris), Museum of Art Łódź |
Július Koller (1939, Piešťany - 2007, Bratislava) was a Slovak artist.
In 1965, the same year that the Slovak Actionist group HAPPSOC released their manifesto, Július Koller published his manifesto "Anti-Happening (System of Subjective Objectivity)", which defined the artist's anti-Happening works enacted throughout the late 1960s. Unlike Happenings, where the focus is on action, anti-Happenings concentrate on the cultural reshaping of the subject, making those who participate in the work more aware of their surroundings. During one such anti-Happening, for example, Koller repainted the white lines that defined the structure of a tennis court.
Koller's technique of imbuing simple symbols with complex meanings is explained in his Mini-Koncepcie maxi-ideí (U.F.O.) [Mini-Concepts of Maxi Ideas] (1974), a series of simple text works that play on the term "UFO". Beginning in 1970, Koller took annual self-portraits, calling himself a UFO-naut while obscuring his body with random, banal objects—for example, he held a ping-pong ball in front of his eyes with glasses. Sports, such as tennis, held appeal for Koller as symbols of playful protest—as critic Jan Verwoert put it, ping-pong "represents the possibility of a more playful society in the face of socialist standardization". Koller titled each of these self-portraits some variation of the acronym UFO: Univerzálny Filozoficky Ornament [Universal Philosophical Ornament] (1978), Underground Fantastic Organization (1975), etc. Koller also developed the fictitious gallery project titled U.F.O. Galéria – Galéria Ganku, Vysoké Tatry [U.F.O. Gallery Ganek, High Tatras], which began with a concept around a site in the Slovak mountains to later include bureaucratic documents and structures such as a Board in 1981 (its members were Milan Adamčiak, Pavol Breier, Igor Gazdík, Peter Meluzin, and Koller himself). In 2009, the Július Koller Society was established in order to preserve Koller's work. (Source)
Works (selection)
For more works visit collections listed above.
More, 1963-64. Oil on canvas, 69 x 49 cm. Source.
Antihappening, 1965. Generali.
Univerzálna Fyzkultúrna Operácia A (U.F.O.), 1970. B&W photograph, 16.9 x 21.6 cm. Janda.
U.F.O.-naut J.K. (U.F.O.), 1980. Black & white photograph. Gelatin silver print, baryta paper. Photo: Milan Sirkovsky. 16 x 13 cm, mounted on cardboard, signed, dated and inscribed. 29.6 x 21 cm. Edition: 3. Source.
Exhibitions
- Solo exhibitions and collaborations
- Park kultúry a oddychu, Bratislava, 1965.
- Galéria mladých, Bratislava, 1967.
- Permanentná demystifikácia 1., 2., V-klub, Bratislava, 1968.
- with Peter Bartoš, Permanentná Antigaléria [The Permanent Anti-gallery], the display window of the Komunálna opravovňa pančúch [Hosiery Express Repair] shop, Bratislava, 1968-69.
- J.K. Ping-Pong Club, Galéria mladých, Bratislava, Mar 1970.
- Textilné obrazy, Štátny výskumný ústav textilný, Bratislava, 1974.
- Nová vážnosť, Kostol klarisiek, Galéria SFVU, Bratislava, 1990.
- Post-komunikácia, Považská galéria umenia, Žilina, 1991.
- Sondy, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava, Nov 1991 - Jan 1992; Štátna galéria, Banská Bystrica, 1992. Curated by Aurel Hrabušický.
- Tatranská galéria, Horný Smokovec, 1993.
- Hore-dole, Umelecká beseda Slovenska, Bratislava, 1993.
- Subjekty a reality z r.1968, Galéria Nova, Bratislava, 1995.
- J.K. - Univerzálne futurologické obrazy, Galéria SOGA, Bratislava, 1999.
- To, čo sa deje, Štúdio S, Bratislava, 1999.
- Partitúry a znaky, Vlastivedné múzeum, Trebišov, 1999.
- Anti-obrazy I. (Textextily), Linea Gallery, Bratislava, 29 Jul - 27 Oct 2002. Curated by Petra Hanáková.
- Cikcaková kultúrna situácia – výber z tvorby J.K., CC Centrum, Bratislava, 2002.
- Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 19 Jul - 21 Sep 2003. Curated by Roman Ondák. Review: Jan Verwoert (Frieze 2003 EN).
- Anti-obrazy II. (Reality), Linea Gallery, Bratislava, 4 Aug - 31 Oct 2003.
- with Roman Ondák, Teenagers, Display Gallery, Prague, 2003. [1] [2]
- Július Koller – Kontakt, Kunstraum München, Munich, 2004.
- Július Koller, Isabella Bortolozzi Gallery, Berlin, 2004.
- Marec, poberáš sa starec?, Tranzit, Bratislava, 23 Mar - 17 Apr 2005. [3]
- Július Koller and Jirí Kovanda, Index, Stockholm, 7 Jun - 10 Sep 2006.
- Július Koller, Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna, 24 Jan - 24 Feb 2007.
- J.K.U.F.O., Slovenský inštitút, Prague, 2007.
- Space is the Place, gb agency, Paris, 2 Jun - 21 Jul 2007. Video interview.
- More, Kressling Gallery, Bratislava, 25 Oct - 20 Nov 2007. Curated by Vladimir Beskid. [4]
- Július Koller a jeho priatelia, Typo & Ars, Bratislava, 2008. Group show. [5]
- with Jiří Kovanda, The Steins #7, Ludlow 38, New York City, 10 Jul - 16 Aug 2009. Curated by Tobi Maier.
- Július Koller, Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna, 24 Mar - 30 Apr 2010.
- Vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava, 23 Apr - 20 Jun 2010. Curated by Aurel Hrabušický and Petra Hanáková. [6]. Video report (Artycok TV, EN subs). Review: Daniela Čarná (Rider 2010 EN). Commentaries: Alena Vrbanová (Jazdec 2010 SK).
- Anti-obrazy III. (Spomienky), Linea Gallery, Bratislava, 26 Apr - 11 Jun 2010.
- Atlas of Fantastic Science - From the Július Koller Visual Archive, Kunstraum Lakeside, 30 Mar - 20 May 2011. Curated by Daniel Grúň.
- U.F.O. NAUT JK (Július Koller) orquestada por Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kurimanzutto, Mexico, 2012.
- Mini-Concepts / Maxi-ideas, gb agency, Paris, 2 Jun - 21 Jul 2012.
- Archiv Júliuse Kollera: Badatelna / Július Koler Archive: Study Room, Tranzitdisplay, Prague, 11 Sep - 11 Nov 2012. Curated by Tomáš Pospiszyl.
- U.F.O.–NAUT JK (Július Koller) orchestrated by Rirkrit Tiravanija, Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna, 10 Apr - 25 May 2013.
- A. for Atlantis, gb agency, Paris, 31 Jan - 21 Mar 2015.
- Situaciones Culturales, Casas Riegner, Bogotá, 11 Mar - 28 Apr 2015.
- "?", Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, 25 Sep 2015 - 10 Jan 2016. Curated by Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg and Georg Schöllhammer.
- Július Koller: One Man Anti Show, mumok, Vienna, 25 Nov 2016 - 17 Apr 2017. Curated by Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg, and Georg Schöllhammer. [7]
- Selected exhibitions (incl. group shows), 1968-1989.
Artist's books
- Kriticko-konštruktívna aktivita. Koncepty a akcie, c1970 (samizdat). (Slovak)
- "Z autorských programov a akcií", in Výtvarný život 8 (1970), p 41. (Slovak)
- with Kveta Fulierová, Amo amare, ed. Petra Hanáková, Bratislava: Sputnik Editions, 2013, 100 pp. [8] (English)
- with Kveta Fulierová, J+K, ed. Petra Feriancová, Bratislava: Sputnik Editions, 2014, 100 pp. [9] (English)/(Slovak)
Catalogues
- Július Koller: Sondy (Probes), ed. Aurel Hrabušický, Galéria súčasného umenia Slovenskej národnej galérie, 1992, [38] pp. (Slovak)/(English)
- Julius Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, eds. Kathrin Rhomberg and Roman Ondák, Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Kölnischer Kunstverein, and tranzit, 2003, 248 pp. With texts by Georg Schöllhammer and Vít Havránek; conversations with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Roman Ondák. [10] (English)/(German)/(Slovak)
- Július Koller a jeho priatelia, ed. Peter Čepec, Bratislava: Typo & Ars, 2008, DVD. (Slovak)
- with Jiří Kovanda, The Steins #7, New York: Ludlow 38, 2009, [8] pp. With texts by Tobi Maier, Klara Kemp-Welch, and interview with Kovanda. (English)
- Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, 366 pp. With texts by Petra Hanáková, Katarina Bajcurová, Kvetoslava Fulierová, Aurel Hrabušický, Alexandra Kusá, Georg Schöllhammer. [11] (Slovak)/(English)
- Daniel Grúň, Tomáš Pospiszyl, Archiv Júliuse Kollera: Badatelna / Július Koller Archive: Study Room, Prague: tranzit.cz, 2012, 24 pp. (Slovak),(Czech)/(English)
- Július Koller: One Man Anti Show, eds. Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg and Georg Schöllhammer, Vienna: mumok, and Cologne: Buchhandlung Walter König, 2016, 388 pp. Texts: Daniel Grúň, Cristina Freire, Reiner Fuchs, Aurel Hrabušický, Karola Kraus, Joanna Mytkowska, Kathrin Rhomberg, Georg Schöllhammer. [12] (German)
- Július Koller: One Man Anti Show, eds. Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg and Georg Schöllhammer, Vienna: mumok, and Cologne: Buchhandlung Walter König, 2016, 320 pp. [13] (English)
Interviews
- Interview with Koller, c2003. (German)
- Koller talks about his work, Kadist Art Foundation, 2 Jun 2007. Video, 11 min. Slovak with EN subs, low res.
- Ján Budaj, "Do you like football? on UFO, Superboys and communication", trans. Jana Krajnakova, in 1968-1989: Political Upheaval and Artistic Change, eds. Claire Bishop and Marta Dziewańska, Warsaw: Museum of Modern Art, 2009, pp 226-230. Translated from the second edition of Budaj's samizdat publication 3SD (1981, 1988). (English)
Literature
See also catalogues.
- Klaus Groh, "Július Koller", in Groh, Aktuelle Kunst in Osteuropa, Cologne: Dumont, 1972, pp [96-98]. (German)
- Tomáš Štraus, "Three Models of Contemporary Slovak Art Actions", in Works and Words: International Art Manifestation, Amsterdam, Amsterdam: Galerie de Appel, 1980. [14] (English)
- Marian Dzúrik, Ann Stephen (eds.), After the Spring: Contemporary Czech and Slovak Art, Sydney: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1994. (English)
- Zora Rusinová, "Július Koller", in Umenie akcie 1965-1989, ed. Zora Rusinová, Bratislava: Slovenská národná galéria, 2001, pp 73-88. (Slovak)
- Georg Schöllhammer, "Engagieren statt arrangieren... Július Kollers erratische Arbeit an der Neukonzeption des ästhetischen Raumes 1960ff", Springerin 2, Vienna, 2003. (German)
- "Engaging instead of Arranging: Július Koller's erratic work on the reconception of the aesthetic space 1960ff", trans. Timothy Jones, Springerin 2, Vienna, 2003; exp. as "Engagement Instead of Arrangement: Julius Koller’s Erratic Work on the Re-Conception of Aesthetic Space 1960ff", in Julius Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003. (English)
- Georg Schöllhammer, "Július Koller, 1939–2007", Springerin 4, Vienna, 2007. (German)
- "Július Koller, 1939–2007", trans. Jennifer Taylor-Gaida, Springerin 4, Vienna, 2007. (English)
- Jan Verwoert, "Július Koller, 1939-2007", Frieze 111 (Nov-Dec 2007). (English)
- Omar Mirza, "Július Koller", in Mirza, Aktionskunst in der Slowakei (1965-1989), Vienna: Universität Wien, 2008, pp 44-50. Master's thesis. (German)
- Marian Mazzone, "Drawing Conceptual Lessons from 1968", Third Text 23:1, 2009, pp 79-84. (English)
- Piotr Piotrowski, In the Shadow of Yalta: Art and the Avant-Garde in Eastern Europe, 1945–1989, trans. Anna Brzyski, London: Reaktion Books, 2009, pp 216-220. (English)
- Daniel Grúň, "Archivovať U.F.O. Július Koller ako zberateľ 'kultúrnych situácií' z tlačových médií", Romboid 7 (2010), pp 56-63. (Slovak)
- Aurel Hrabušický, "O zrozumiteľnom Kollerovi a nezrozumiteľnom Filkovi", Jazdec 4:3, Bratislava: Galéria Cypriána Majerníka, Jul-Sep 2012, pp 2-5. (Slovak)
- Daniel Grúň, "Július Koller: Dialectics of Self-Identification", trans. Jana Krajnakova, in L'Internationale. Post-War Avant-Gardes between 1957 and 1986, ed. Christian Hoeller, Zurich: JRP Ringier, 2012, pp 196-202. (English)
- Beata Jablonská, "Spor o slovenské 'More'", Sešit pro umění, teorii a příbuzné zóny 15, Prague, 2013, pp 6-19. (Slovak)
- Klara Kemp-Welch, "Doubt", ch. 2 in Kemp-Welch, Antipolitics in Central European Art: Reticence as Dissidence under Post-Totalitarian Rule 1956-1989, I.B.Tauris, 2013, pp 57-100. [15] (English)
- Daniel Grúň (ed.), Július Koller. Galéria Ganku, trans. John Minahane, Vienna: Schlebrügge, 2014. [16] [17]. Review: Alexandra Tamásová (Hentak 2014 SK). (English)/(Slovak)
- Tomáš Pospiszyl, "Národní konceptualizmus. Obrozenecké motivy v díle Stana Filka a Júliuse Kollera", ch 3 in Pospiszyl, Asociativní dějepis umění: poválečné umění napříč generacemi a médii, Prague: tranzit.cz, 2014, pp 81-121. (Czech)
- Daniel Grúň, "Life as Signal. Communicative Challenges of of Július Koller’s Archive / Viaţa ca semnal. Sfidările comunicaţionale ale arhivei lui Július Koller", Revista Arta 6(20-21): "Conceptualism in Eastern and Central Europe", Bucharest, 2016, pp 49-53. [18] (English)/(Romanian)
See also
Links
- Selection of works, with English translations.
- Július Koller, U.F.O.-naut?, symposium, SNG, Bratislava, 23-26 Apr 2009.
- Koller's works auctioned at SOGA, White&Weiss