My Private Archive

In searching the idea for a new work, dancer and choreographer Nina Meško decided to discuss the process of conception and production with her friends, namely fellow artists from the field of contemporary dance and performing arts. This decision resulted in a clear idea which constitutes her latest project entitled Moj privatni arhiv / My Private Archive, a series of discussions recorded with – amongst others – Anne Juren, Chris Haring, Jennifer Lacey, Milli Bitterli, Michikazu Matsune, Miguel Gutierrez and Oleg Soulimenko. 

Nina Meško, who has already intervened in the structure of verbal dialogue by way of her project State of Things (created in collaboration with Tanja Lažetić, presented at the City of Women 2004), incorporates elements of self- posturing and self-criticism in her work. Such reflective strategies by contemporary artists are essential to successful operations within contemporary art as well as – to paraphrase Martha Rosler – a world in which personal is not just private, but also political. Thus My Private Archive is simultaneously performance, research, as well as an archive.

During the City of Women Festival, Nina Meško will hold conversations with participating women artists, and take the gathered data to the ARTEAST 2000 + 23 exhibition in Ljubljana’s Modern Gallery. The project, which the author intends to pursue in the future, represents among other things the antithesis of the concept of open archives, due to the fact that watching or listening to archive material requires the consent of the author (Nina Meško – discussion counterparts), by way of which the artist also draws attention to the current issues of personal data protection and the negative consequences of the development of control technologies.
Dunja Kukovec

Organisation and production: City of Women, Zavod Masa Ljubljana
In collaboration with: Cankarjev dom, Plesni teater Ljubljana
With the support of: Tanzquartier Wien