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"Suprematism on the Square!" In its contemporary manner, this poetic art action invokes Suprematism, the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century, with its geometrical, objectless painting that concerned itself with endorsing the spiritual in art. Covering the signs of material and economic progress with black, this intervention has connotations of violent erasure, censorship, death, and through this wishes to prompt passers-by to think positively about the ephemerality of life, to say yes to the intangible and to play down material values. Although the intervention is conceived in such a way as to encompass the whole of the square, and offer three color possibilities, for a beginning we resolved to produce a trial intervention on the eastern side of the square lasting three days. We did not entirely succeed in this. project outline 9/08 pdf

Corporate lobbying proved to be more persuasive than the needs of freedom of artistic expression, marketing imperatives stronger than the recommendations and consent of the municipal authorities. Some seem to think the world will come to an end if a bank’s logo goes missing from the square for 72 hours. The action was censored in an illegal procedure. A bank director, motivated by the financial crisis, called the mayor, who then cancelled the project permission issued 2 weeks beforehand. The companies wanting to take part in the event were not allowed to do so.

As a result, this web site was initiated in order to promote the project and open discussion about public space and its erosion caused by private and corporate interests. Do you think that corporate entities have the right to deprive members of the public, passers-by, of the experience of a work of art? To whom, do you think, does public space belong? Do you know who controls it? Have we decided democratically that we would rather look at company logos than the architectural heritage? Your answers to these and similar questions are an important step towards the democratic control of public space.

As the intervention itself might never happen, the core of the project is the media presentation of its realization which will be documented on this web site. Each of the 110 companies involved in the advertising on the square will be asked to cover their adverts at their own expense. Through several meetings, our team will try to talk them into participating in the project. The documentation explores to which extent they are ready to give up advertising for a poetic cause. It will give an unusual insight into the corporate world of Croatia, and its most prominent companies.

By signing the petition and by writing a comment, you might help us realize the project. Thank you.

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