Žolta kronika
A MANIFESTO OF THE YELLOW CHRONICLES (ŽOLTA KRONIKA)

The Yellow Chronicles is a self-formed creature, which takes as a matter of its enunciation a reflected position that follows and reports on important social events. We also take as a matter of our critical scrutiny all so-called events that are produced through a public relations (PR) strategy. The method we endorse is professional-analytical and conducted at the scene (fieldwork) and, above all is important that this method may be authenticated (by witnesses). We operate with a strictly theoretical intellectual discourse, but, due to our feminist viewpoints, they may be qualified by the Dictionary of Standard Slovenian as emotional and expressive.

We successfully predict changes in the near future and our delicate detectors also sense libidinal investments, however, we are not some “coffee cup fortune tellers.” We cannot be bribed neither do we succumb to corruptive manoeuvres, though we are also capable of launching a rumour or two. As we find the current state of affairs in Slovenia to be one of the lowest points of Slovenian state-of-mind is our main function now to lift the bottom!

The Yellow Chronicles, is a Non Stop Working project (active 24 hours a day)
Main Office address: The Avenue of Social Importance, no 5/20
The terrace view is open toward the “Sub-Alpine native vista, third table from the left”
PO Box: Cultural Pragmatism
E-mail: zoltakronika@gmail.com

The Lacework Virus or the March of Anti-intellectualism

The Yellow Chronicles has warned against the reactionary bucolic cultural politics that dominates over Slovenia in many occasions. Our contribution for Reartikulacija will discuss the striking example of gift protocol with which the Slovene government tries to promote Slovenia while currently presiding over the European Union Let us start by mentioning an exhibition in Brussels, which took place prior to Slovenia’s turn for presidency and was organised by Dr. Romana Cizej. The event was hosted for the curious EU officials and was a precedent at the level of the European Union. Cizej provided a genuine manifestation of plebeian and uncultured Slovene politics. What are we talking about here? We are talking about the inflation of the Idrija lacework and about the so-called “lacework virus” as this fascination with lacework was defined by The Yellow Chronicles. Before Slovenia took over the EU presidency, Cizej as the “top-flight” of the most prominent Slovenian art in Brussels decided to display the exhibition Shoes with Idrija Lacework/Contemporaneity Imbedded with Tradition and a grammar school adaptation of the musical Beauty and the Beast, which, she believed, would enable the international public to enjoy the sweet-sounding Slovene language. The Yellow Chronicles perceive this as a total failure of the idea to present Slovene art, and diagnoses this precedent as a trend of the Blut und Boden (blood and soil) ideology conducted by obtuse politicians. In other words, this signifies the spread of ant-intellectualism! The politicians are smearing the image of Slovenia with their lack of cosmopolitanism, narrow-mindedness and backward attitude by making choices, which ignore topflight achievements of contemporary Slovene art. The Idrija lacework also unfailingly features in protocol gifts. The fascination is endless. Our question is, if it necessary for Slovenia to present itself with the Idrija lacework in the period 2007/08? The expansionist political strategy of the Idrija lacework has spread over the majority of protocol gifts, which Slovenia offers to distinguished foreign guests; and this is going in two batches. The contents of the gift bags are: a crystal bowl with the theme of the Idrija lacework, hand-made Idrija bobbin lace, a bottle with the theme of Idrija bobbin lace made of metal, a candle with the theme of bobbin lace, linen table mats with Idrija bobbin lace, two glasses with the bobbin lace theme, and a glass paperweight with a metal bobbin lace.

Let us, on the basis of this analysis, look in more detail at what exactly “the lacework virus” is. It is a manifestation of the ignorance of contemporary Slovene art, a lack of understanding and an inadequacy in qualifying the contemporary artistic expression. It testifies to the perverted baseness of political propaganda. The virus derives from the persistent pushing away of contemporary art into the sphere of non-institutional culture and art. It also derives from preserving non-accommodation to contemporaneity and from favouring the homeliness, which, due to the non-reflective awakening of the rural idyll at the expense of quality, has a deteriorative effect on our state of mind. Slovene contemporary art is not a field trip into the intact nature, but rather an active and reflected confrontation with the up-to-date political, cultural and global events. It is not about buying votes, silencing and soothing problems. Slovene contemporary art does not stem from self-centredness, but it is a critical struggle for change and affirmation of a view without blinkers in order to create an open society. It is not about a paradise below the Triglav Mountain, it is a struggle for the establishment of an artistic expression as a legitimate interlocutor of the society. Being an artist does not mean the yearly filling out of the applications to get funds by the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia and the City of Ljubljana as those in power perceive it, on the contrary it is a continuous fight to assure venues for presenting contemporary art in suitable spaces with quality and the possibility of discussion in all forms of media.

Your 24/7 agitators for contemporary art are Klavdi and Joli.

Translated from Slovenian by Jernej Možic.

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