Moderna galerija (MG+)
Mladen Stropnik
B. 1977, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia. Lives and works in Ljubljana and Velenje, Slovenia.
Mladen Stropnik’s art practice is not removed from his everyday life. It is in the banality, in what feels most boring, that he often finds the most interesting insight and the most captivating ideas. These crystallise in his mind, perhaps as titles, before the form of the artwork even begins to take shape. He is a keen observer and, while his artworks often consist of the most ordinary objects, he is able to elicit from them a completely new way of being or interacting. One that can be humorous, multilayered, engaging, relatable and moving in more ways than one.
Resisting definitions or detailed explanations, his art calls to be experienced in a certain suspension of conventional reading patterns. It requires us to fill in the blanks, at which point things usually become much clearer. When reflecting on his work of the last few years, he noted that five pillars had formed spontaneously in his practice: repetition, sexuality, (in)visible work, desire and looking for this moment right now. These themes seem to surface more frequently than others, and by specifying them, he was able to stabilise himself and his practice.
As in this exhibition, mirrors play an important role in his work. They are a tool for reflection, one that is able to (de)centralise us or offer a shift in perspective. For Stropnik, they are also a tool that has to be put up just at the right moment, offering a space for reflection that stops us in our tracks. In telegraphic lines, he summarises an overview of his work over the last 15 years and writes for 2025: “to bring something into the moment”, perhaps a reflection can do that as well. To pause for a moment and experience the idea that is in front of us.
2025 to bring something into the moment
2024 BT+LD+TM = ...
2023 believe it has already happened
2022 who am I? I write titles...
2020 neutral, easy, effortlessly, floating and gently approaching
2019 love to sleep
2018 improving stay
2017 seeking for freedom.
2014 just now
2013 there is no space and time
2010 samo poslušam R.N. i odmaram
