Vedran Ivanković / Pillars of society

Pillars of society are seen as fundamental structures that keep it stable. They support it and allow its existence. In society, as well as in architecture, strong and durable pillars make for a long-lived, stable edifice, while shoddy ones constitute architecture of questionable quality and brief existence. Pillars of society are substructures whose quality manifests itself in the sustainability of the whole community.

In a newly founded society like Croatian one, it is difficult to talk objectively about morality, responsibility or righteousness of the people who helped in getting it on its feet and those who are still leading it today. However, in recent years, there is an increasing number of those who identify and criticise specific societal anomalies.

Although it was conceived on foundations of justice, equality and morality, Croatian society, as the Pillars of Croatian Society exhibition author Vedran Ivanković detects, in a very short period of time found itself stuck in the middle of only seemingly superior, yet solid, foundations.

According to Ivanković, pillars of our society are personified as local sheriffs, priests, capitalists, politicians and others who are concerned primarily with their own well-being. Author notices that they occupy key positions in the society and that it has been proved difficult even to try to threaten their positions, let alone replace them. The latter action is only seemingly possible. If the transfer actually happens, it reminds of Plato’s story about the cave. It is no more than just an illusion. It is about replacing a person with another one (both are equal), and there is always the third, the fourth, the fifth… Regardless of what kind of show is put on for the public, the things are always and again the same, mass entertainment led by mass media, whose task is to keep illusion of equality and justice.

Ivanković believes that vigilant observers are getting increasingly frustrated with the absurdity and ridiculousness of the situation. For this reason, the artist decides to radically illustrate it within the exhibition at Salon Galić – he decides to completely strip the leading spheres of society. Reduce them to minimum. He determines them through his own projection of their core. He creates eighteen objects, symbolic interpretations of detected societal problems, and displays them in the gallery space, leaving visitors with options to either become co-creators or dismiss this kind of visual language.

The artist outspokenly denounces imposed moral instances in our society that have too much influence over lives of common people. He brings about the problem of living in Croatia, related to the opinion that moral criteria in our society has lost its every meaning, and reminds that there is a considerable quantity of semi-capable, however  politically suitable people, on the palette of different vital functions for society.

With this critical exhibition, Ivanković clearly states, in an interesting way, his belief that all pillars of our society are in truth equal and that they only differ in nuances.

Or, as the local saying goes – everyone smells the same.

Nina Nemec