Noemi Veberič Levovnik The Cold Days of a Clown

The title of the exhibition – Air Conditions – refers to the fact that the living and working conditions, in which artists find themselves, inevitably influence not only their lives, but also their artistic output, since every artwork is to a certain extent unavoidably influenced by these conditions, while also reflecting them.

Artists created a short and honest self-portrait, which in turn also offers a brief artistic reflection on the spatial and temporal conditions they are living in right now.

The current changes in our society and living conditions (in part due to the virus, but also because of the dramatic social and political changes in Europe and elsewhere) have contributed to an increased awareness that the world is in crisis – this heightened perception, a new perspective from which we observe the world right now, should serve as a motor for honest and deep insights and creation.

Bio

Noemi Veberič Levovnik (1985) is an interdisciplinary artist from Slovenia. She graduated from Film and Fine Arts at the University of Paris 8 and from Contemporary Art at the Ecole supérieure d’art de Quimper. Her practice lies at the intersection of performance, video, installation, text, sound and drawing. Her storytelling is often centered on an individual’s pursuit of intimacy and belonging, with themes of love, romance and often a psychologically inquisitive component. She is mainly interested in human emotions, the body and dreams/mental images. Her installations, videos and performances were shown amongst others in the MSUM - national Museum of contemporary Art of Slovenia, National Modern Gallery, Galerie A+A, SoundActs in Athens, Performance Art Festival Berlin, SOHO House and Humboldt Box in Berlin. She is now based in Berlin.

Statement

Bodies become characters within an image, that has become a space, into which the viewer can enter physically and emotionally. I want the dreaminess of the image to meet the pulsation of living matter, and enveloped by it, the erotic charge of the naked body. Lately, I want the words to convey the images, to let the mind and body travel through sensual, visceral experiences, guided by the tactile quality of the voice. The sound of words that you can taste in your mouth, sliding down your thoughts, pulsating in your blood. A dream narration, which includes all the hidden layers of existence and affects the viewer in a visceral way, excavating raw elements of human experience and psychology. In art I have been inspired to swim in the pool of those, who question gender and sexuality, especially in an explicitly erotic way, and to get truly wet in these ideas. Moving across the border between darkness and light: playfulness, humor, loneliness and implicit or explicit violence coexist. But there is always a punchline, a witty, sweet, sometimes mean repartee.

Project description

Alone, cooped up in a room, thoughts running wild. Feelings of loneliness, of anxiety, not just covid times, also freelancing single artist times, that have been around for years. Realising I might have a personality disorder. Questioning life, existence, through the absence of touch and the built-up emotions, frustrations born out of years of isolation, which has peaked in this pandemic. Desires boiled down to the basic emotional and physical needs. Writing has lately been my main solace, something to hold on to in the storm, when everything else feels like sinking ships. Words which belong to me, concrete words I can hold on to, I can hold in my mouth, I can touch by speaking them out. The sound of my voice is soothing to myself and others. It replaces the physical touch. In a way it feels like love.

The Clown is an old alter-ego who reappeared a bit more then a year ago. It appeared sometimes, about 10 years ago, but hasn’t been seen much since. However the figure has always been present in my artistic world, it is a part of my recurring imagery. Something about the world and my life brought it back, more current then ever before. Just before the Joker came to the movie theaters, I found my own inner Joker again and started sewing his coat. This coat, my first sewing creation, built over hours of experimentation, of trial and error, imperfect, magnificent, my own. This character, a bit crazy, a bit wild, a bit perverse, but also strong, is a figure of self-acceptance. Accepting my own craziness and enjoying it, dancing with it, singing with it, and even sharing it with others, with the world: here I am, in all my crazy glory, take me as I am and follow me.