Mario Matoković
https://mariomatokovic.com/

Mario Matoković rođen je u Osijeku 1985. godine. Diplomirao je 2010. na Umjetničkoj akademiji u Osijeku na Odsjeku za likovnu umjetnost. Profesionalno se bavi umjetničkom djelatnošću u području suvremene vizualne i likovne prakse kroz medij grafike, videa, performansa, instalacije te umjetničke fotografije. Izlagao je na brojnim domaćim i nekoliko međunarodnih izložbi. Sudjelovao na više umjetničkih radionica i projekata u domovini i inozemstvu. Dobitnik je Rektorove nagrade Sveučilišta Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku. Finalist nagrade Radoslav Putar, nagrade za mlade umjetnike do 35 godina u organizaciji Instituta za suvremenu umjetnost. 2017. nagrađen je 3. nagradom na „5. Biennalu suvremene umjetnosti u Novorossyisku“ u Rusiji za rad „Zastava“ te 2018. nagrađen nagradom „Ex Aeuqo“ nagradom na 26.slavonskom Biennaleu u Osijeku. Inicijator umjetničke rezidencije u sklopu projekta MMML Studija koji je zamišljen kao platforma za vizualna istraživanja u vidu kratkih umjetničkih rezidencija ali i projekata koji doprinose unaprjeđenju kreativno-kritičkog mišljenja unutar zajednice. Živi i radi u Osijeku.

Mario Matoković was born in Osijek in 1985. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Osijek, Department of Fine Arts in 2010. His professional engagement in the field of contemporary visual arts practice includes printmaking, video, performance, installation, and art photography. He has participated in numerous exhibitions at home and several abroad as well as many art workshops and projects. He is a holder of the Rector's Award of the J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, and a finalist of the Radoslav Putar Award for young Croatian artists up to 35 years of age granted by the Institute for Contemporary Art. In 2017, Mario received the 3rd Award at the 5th International Biennale of Contemporary Fine Arts in Novorossyisk in Russia for his work Flag, and in 2018 Ex Aeuqo Award at the 26th Slavonian Biennale in Osijek. He is the initiator of the art residence within the MMML Studio project conceived as a platform for visual research in the form of short art residencies as well as the projects that contribute to the improvement of critical and creative thinking within the community. He lives and works in Osijek.

Mario Matoković
U kut(u), 2018./2019., prostorna instalacija, serija analognih fotografija 35 mm film u boji, poliptih
Cornered, 2018/2019, spatial installation, series of analog photographs 35 mm color film, polyptych
3 x 50 x 70 cm, 6 x 20 x 28 cm,
2 x 25 x 35 cm, 1 x 50 x 35 cm

Serija analognih fotografija koje predstavljaju devastirane i napuštene industrijske prostore dok se motiv „kuta“ ponavlja iz fotografije u fotografiju. Obilazeći navedene prostore s osobama koje su tamo provele velik dio radnog vijeka uvidio sam da su to prostori “obilježeni” intimom, energijom navedenih ljudi, koji vrlo emotivno reagiraju prilikom suočavanja s istima. S druge strane, ti iste pojedinci svojevremeno su bili “stjerani u kut” te su morali proći gotovo prisilni odlazak iz prostora usred propasti koja je, bez daljnjega, poprilično kancerogeno umrtvila grad. Vodeći se izrazom da “svatko ima svoj kutak mira” shvatio sam da su te osobe ostale bez svojeg ja (bez svog kutka) kojeg su gradile gotovo cijeli radni vijek te da im je dio života istrgnut, dok ga danas potiskuju iz vlastite memorije. Ono što je dovelo do sloma bila je bučna, gotovo poput noise glazbe glasna, ratna pošast, nemir i užasi što se vežu uz istu. Današnja situacija, nasuprot gore navedenoj, jest vrlo tiha te na suptilan način pustoši prostore, razdvaja ljude, emocije, kontakte, te se pitam jesmo li opet stjerani u kut pod motom “novog normalnog”?!
(iz umjetnikove izjave)

A series of analog photographs representing devastated and abandoned industrial spaces in which the "corner" is repeated from photograph to photograph. Having visited these spaces with people who had spent a large part of their working life there, I realized that these are spaces "marked" by the intimacy and energy of these people, who react very emotionally when facing them. On the other hand, these same individuals were once "cornered" and almost forced to leave them in the midst of the collapse that, at all events, put a cancerogenic end to a city. Guided by the expression that everyone "has their own corner of peace", I realized that these people were left without their own self (without their own corner), which they had been building almost their entire working life, and that part of their lives was torn out striving to push it out of their own memory today. What led to the breakdown was noisy, almost as loud as noisy music, war plague, unrest and horrors associated with it. Today's situation, in contrast to the above, is very quiet and subtly devastates spaces, separates people, emotions, contacts, and I wonder if we are again cornered under the motto of "the new normal"?!
(from the artist's statement)