Radovan Kunić rođen je 1987. u Rijeci. Godine 2012. diplomirao je kiparstvo na Akademiji primijenjenih umjetnosti u Rijeci. Uz slikarstvo kao matični likovni jezik, koristi i medije poput animacije, videa i instalacije, čije odnose istražuje u galerijskom ili javnom prostoru. Sudjeluje na međunarodnim simpozijima i rezidencijama (Belgija, SAD, Njemačka) te izlaže na brojnim skupnim i samostalnim izložbama. Dobitnik je više nagrada i priznanja, a njegovi se radovi nalaze u javnim i privatnim zbirkama u zemlji i inozemstvu. Autor je javnog rada, mozaika Mehanizam, na Molu Longu u Rijeci. Bavi se i pedagoškim radom – od 2015. kao asistent na Akademiji primijenjenih umjetnosti Sveučilišta u Rijeci. Član je Hrvatskog društva likovnih umjetnika. Živi u Matuljima.
Radovan Kunić was born in 1987 in Rijeka. In 2012, he graduated in sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka. Beyond his foundation in painting, his artistic practice encompasses animation, video, and installation. Through these diverse media, he investigates the relationships between them within the context of both gallery and public spaces. He has participated in international symposia and residencies in Belgium, the United States, and Germany and has exhibited extensively, both solo and in group shows. He is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, and his works are featured in public and private collections worldwide. He is the creator of the Mechanizam mosaic on Molo Longo in Rijeka. In addition to his artistic practice, he has been teaching at the Academy of Applied Arts of the University of Rijeka since 2015. He is a member of the Croatian Association of Artists and resides in Matulji.
www.radovankunic.com
instagram: radovan_kunic
Radovan Kunić
Habitat, 2023.
ulje na lanenom platnu / oil on linen canvas
220 x 320 cm
Niska vegetacija livada ili polje, dio je okoliša koji često previđamo, jer se nalazi pod našim stopalima, ispod fokusa našeg pogleda. Naizgled jednolična površina zapravo sadrži bogatstvo bioraznolikosti, približimo li joj se dovoljno. Prostor slike sugerira prostranstvo, područje izvan konteksta vremena i geografskih koordinata, potpuno neutralno. Pa opet, ne možemo rad ne promatrati kroz prizmu aktualnog vremena i prostora. Prikazani prostor upućuje na razmišljanje o staništu, ekosustavu, biomu s jedne strane i teritoriju, tlu, poljoprivredi s druge, kontrast između prirodnih datosti i ljudskih konstrukata je prisutan iako nevidljiv. Ne mogu zanemariti ni činjenicu da sam samom odlukom prijave na Slavonski Bijenale i u radu počeo primjećivati očite podudarnosti sa Slavonijom- nešto čega prije nisam bio svjestan. Život koji ispunjava sliku je nevidljiv, ili neprimjetan. Gledamo u polje, u prostor gusto nastanjen živim bićima - travkama-, koji se propagira i širi uz minimalno povoljne uvjete, dakle vrlo efikasno. Unatoč tome, svakodnevni ga čovjek (uključujući i mene samoga) ne može ni izdaleka doživjeti kao život usporediv s onim vlastitim, u očitom se manifestira nevidljivost.
Low vegetation – a meadow or field, is a part of the environment we often overlook, as it lies beneath our feet, outside the focus of our gaze. This seemingly uniform surface actually contains a wealth of biodiversity when we get close enough. The space of the painting suggests vastness, an area outside the context of time and geographic coordinates, completely neutral. Yet, we cannot view the work without the lens of the present time and space. The depicted space invites us to consider habitat, ecosystem, biome on one hand, and territory, land, agriculture on the other, the contrast between natural givens and human constructs is present though invisible. I cannot ignore the fact that by simply applying for the Slavonian Biennial, and in the work itself, I began to notice obvious similarities with Slavonia – something I was not aware of before. The life that fills the painting is invisible, or imperceptible. We look at the field, at a space densely populated with living beings – grasses – that propagate and spread with minimal favorable conditions, thus very efficiently. Despite this, the average person (including myself) cannot even remotely experience it as a life comparable to their own; in the obvious, the invisible manifests itself.
