Slaven Tolj
Encyclopedia
Slaven Tolj a multimedia artist
from Dubrovnik
, Croatia
. He achieved international recognition for his installations
, body art
, and performances presenting distinct political and social-cultural criticism
.
The beginning of Slaven Tolj’s work, as an artist, was determined by his experiences of the Yugoslav War, the Siege of Dubrovnik
by the Yugoslavian army in the years 1991-1992, as well as the disintegration of former Yugoslavia
.
In the course of the late 1990s
Slaven Tolj gradually extended the scope of his art, incorporating themes and issues related to political transformation and the emergence of multiculturalism
and globalization
.
Slaven Tolj has also been involved in organisational and curatorial activities. He is one of the founders of Art Workshop Lazareti
in Dubrovnik – a key institution for contemporary art scene in Dubrovnik and Croatia.
In 2005 he was the commissioner of the Croatian pavilion at the Venice Biennale
.
Multimedia artist
Multimedia artists are contemporary artists who use a wide range of media to communicate their art. Multimedia art includes, by definition, more than one medium, therefore multimedia artists use visual art in combination with sound art, moving images and other media...
from Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. He achieved international recognition for his installations
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, body art
Body art
Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. The most common forms of body art are tattoos and body piercings, but other types include scarification, branding, scalpelling, shaping , full body tattoo and body painting.More extreme body art can involve things such as mutilation...
, and performances presenting distinct political and social-cultural criticism
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
.
The beginning of Slaven Tolj’s work, as an artist, was determined by his experiences of the Yugoslav War, the Siege of Dubrovnik
Siege of Dubrovnik
The Siege of Dubrovnik is a term marking the battle and siege of the city of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area in Croatia as part of the Croatian War of Independence. Yugoslav People's Army invaded the Dubrovnik area in October 1991 from Montenegro, Bosnia and even parts of Croatia, surrounding...
by the Yugoslavian army in the years 1991-1992, as well as the disintegration of former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
.
In the course of the late 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
Slaven Tolj gradually extended the scope of his art, incorporating themes and issues related to political transformation and the emergence of multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
.
Slaven Tolj has also been involved in organisational and curatorial activities. He is one of the founders of Art Workshop Lazareti
Art Workshop Lazareti
Art Workshop Lazareti in Dubrovnik, Croatia, is an independent cultural center, with an integrated club, for contemporary art that brings together artists, philosophers, writers and theoreticians and promotes an active and investigative approach to contemporary art and culture, society, politics...
in Dubrovnik – a key institution for contemporary art scene in Dubrovnik and Croatia.
In 2005 he was the commissioner of the Croatian pavilion at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
.