Alenka Pirman, Collected Works

The exhibition catalogue Alenka Pirman, Collected Works is an integral overview of the artistic oeuvre of Alenka Pirman with presentations of works, interpretative texts and comprehensive documentation. The catalogue includes 300 pages and prides itself with an opening essay and a wealth of visual material. The essay by Mark Jenko entitled Everyday Rarity is a precise reflection on the artist’s practice and individual works, which are placed in a broader interpretative framework by touching upon the quandaries of addressing contemporary art while also establishing the benefits of art historical analysis. The catalogue is distinguished by the editorial invention which departs from the customary presentation of contemporary art in catalogues, whereby expert texts are followed by photographs of artworks and chronological documentation. In contrast to this, the catalogue of Alenka Pirman is divided into units of rounded-off presentations of individual artwork, which are arranged in reverse chronological order. The reader can therefore learn about the works from today going backwards, which offers different connections and references, and also eludes linear reading. Each unit comprises a brief description of the work, photographs, documents explaining where and how the work was presented, and text which allows the reader a retrospective view to the time of its making and effects today. The catalogue section of the book with photographs of the installation views of the exhibition Collected Works at MGLC taken by Jaka Babnik also plays an important role in the presentation of the artist’s work. The catalogue was designed by Ivian Kan Mujezinović.