Matjaž Geder: On the Wings

The map of Matjaž Geder’s contemplations, which unfold through the landscapes on his graphic prints is broad, for Geder is interested in contemporary social themes as well as in the current crisis. The artist is known for his graphic prints in which he addresses issues dealing with the systems found within society, the individual’s rebellion, the search for borders and the desire for freedom, all of which are best shown in the themes linked to the period of growing up. He has a special connection with the youth, for he meets and teaches them on a daily basis in his role of an art teacher. His prints often depict classroom motifs in the form of objects such as rulers and stamps which the teachers use to mark the work of the pupils, school desks and the green colour of blackboards. School desks full of drawings and writings, slogans and verses that capture the various fragments that create the youth’s world, depict their desires, interests and rebellions present the most common background in the artist’s prints.

The title of the exhibition On the Wings marks both youthful exuberance and crossing of borders, as well as a desire to overcome conflicts, inspiration and a fly of imagination. The exhibition is complemented by mobiles in the form of paper aeroplanes printed with wrappers of psycho-pharmaceutical pills. They reflect the desire to move, to free oneself from the clutches of social systems and control in schools and families. At the same time, they carry the message of deep mental distress and an epidemic of tranquilizers and antidepressants, which increasing numbers of people need to function ‘normally’ in a dysfunctional world.

Curator: Kristina T. Simončič

Photo: Marko Adamič, GBJ archive