Coupé International VOL. THREE - Eva Engelbert and Maja Marković
14.06.2016 to 24.06.2016
French Pavilion, Student Centre, Zagreb
Curated by Coupé International and NOMAD
Artists: Eva Engelbert and Maja Marković
Magazine Text: Irena Borić
The projects initiated by Coupé International, a platform to promote intercultural exchange and international networking among young artists, are based on the juxtaposition of two artistic oeuvres. Through exhibitions in the artist’s respective hometowns a first step is made to encourage an involvement and to get to know their particular environment in order to lay ground for future collaborations.
After two presentations in New York, Coupé International is happy to announce its first project in Zagreb in collaboration with the Croatian organization Nomad founded by curator and art historian Vanja Žanko. VOL.THREE is supported by the Student Centre Zagreb, French Pavilion curator Marta Kiš, the Austrian Cultural Forum Zagreb, Otto Mauer Fonds, the Arts Division of the City of Vienna and the Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria.
For Coupé International’s VOL.THREE the curators Vanja Žanko and Michael Strasser invited Austrian artist Eva Engelbert and Croatian artist Maja Markovic to investigate the history of the French Pavilion, an architectural jewel in Zagreb, to develop new works in this specific context and to exhibit at that particular place, as well as a part of Parallel Vienna 2016 with the exhibition presented at art space Kluckyland and at the Museum of Fine Arts in Osijek during Austrian Culture Days.
The so-called French Pavilion near Zagreb’s main railway station is located on the present site of the Student Centre Zagreb and was built in 1936 – 37 by the architect Robert Camelot specifically for the presentation of French cars and airplanes within Zagreb Fair. Due to its unconventional and difficult to play on architecture the pavilion fell into oblivion. Ultimately it was decided to save this unique building from decay and for the first time since its restoration and re-opening in November 2014 the premises will be used for a presentation of contemporary art.
With Eva Engelbert (based in Vienna, Austria) and Maja Marković (based in Zagreb, Croatia) the curators chose two artists who often work with specific locations and who share an interest in exhibition situations outside the classic white cube.
Eva Engelbert´s work is multidisciplinary, combining craft, text, archival material and photography. She translates her research about history, as well as historical narratives of specific places into visual forms that operate somewhere between the real and the surreal, between the past and future.
Maja Marković graduated in 2011 from the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb with a MA-degree in painting. There she refined her own visual and conceptual vocabulary that emerged from her focus on intersection between architecture, drawing and spatial analysis. After a phase of depicting space horizontally (geographically) by supplementing historical elements without insisting on synthesis she assumed a different position; more active, more personal and thus more exposed.
Locations: French Pavilion , Student Centre Zagreb
Kluckyland Vienna, Parallel Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts Osijek
Partners: Student Centre Zagreb, Nomad Zagreb
Financed by: Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria,
Austrian Cultural Forum Zagreb, Cultural Division of the City of Vienna,
Otto Mauer Fonds
Image courtesy: Coupé International
https://coupeinternational.wordpress.com
