svi stripovi i izdanja sabrana za vrijeme comixconnection projekta (2013. – 2021.) su dio muzejske zbirke (KOMIKAZE, Hate Love, Femicomix, …)! / All comics and editions collected during the comixconnection project (2013 – 2021) were added to the museum’s collection (KOMIKAZE, Hate Love, Femicomix, …)!
13 / 09 / 2019 – 29 / 05 / 2021: 20. & zadnja stanica comixconnection turneje u Muzeju evropskih kultura / 20th & last station of the comiXconnection exhibition tour @ Museum of European Cultures // 2013 – 2021: PULA / LJUBLJANA / TIMISOARA / BUKAREST / CLUJ-NAPOCA / PECS / BUDAPEST / OSIJEK / NOVI SAD / SUBOTICA / PANČEVO / BELGRADE / VRŠAC / SARAJEVO / ŠABAC / ZAGREB / VUKOVAR / STUTTGART / FREIBURG / BERLIN
CLICK CLICK – KATALOG & ESEJI: STRIP U SRBIJI, HRVATSKOJ, SLOVENIJI, BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI, RUMUNSKOJ I MAĐARSKOJ / CATALOGUE & ESSAYS; comics in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary and Romania.
BOJAN KRIŠTOFIĆ – SUVREMENA HRVATSKA STRIP SCENA/ Contemporary Croatian comics scene
“ … U Hrvatskoj danas zapravo i nema komercijalnog, ili, bolje rečeno, mainstream domaćeg stripa, makar bi stripovi određenih autora u drugačijim tržišnim uvjetima zasigurno bili bolje prodavani, a možda i profitabilni podjednako za autora i za izdavača. No, budući da tome nije tako, u kontekstu ove izložbe i publikacije, nezavisnima podrazumijevamo one autore koji u svojem radu dosljedno obrađuju teme bliske kontroverzi; razvijaju formalni jezik stripa van aristotelovske logike uzročno-posljedičnoga pripovijedanja; koriste se grafičkim stilom srodnim aktualnim tendencijama u vizualnim umjetnostima (utjecaj art-bruta i enformela, povratak figuraciji i simboličko-narativnim prikazima, citiranje općih mjesta popularne i masovne kulture), te se deklariraju kao pripadnici specifičnih supkultura mladih koje su tijekom nultih godina, pa i danas, činile kičmu onoga što se uvriježeno naziva „nezavisnom kulturnom scenom”.
Upravo su autori zastupljeni u ovom katalogu bili i ostali relevantni pokretači i protagonisti te scene, okupljeni u neformalnu grupu, odnosno udrugu strip autora Komikaze.
© State museums of Berlin, museum of European cultures / Gradski Muzej evropskih kultura // Curator: Beate Wild / WEB / Museum // Foto / Photo: Christian Krug
Od početka prošlog desetljeća, Komikaze su, zahvaljujući dosljednom umjetničkom konceptu i jasnoj ideji o svrsi svoga djelovanja, malo pomalo postale središnji inicijator i organizator dobrog dijela svih aktivnosti vezanih uz alternativni ili underground strip u regiji, a unazad tri-četiri godine, otkako su im ambicije opravdano porasle, pokazuju dovoljno snage, želje i mogućnosti za ozbiljno širenje izvan zemljopisnog okvira bivših jugoslavenskih država. A cijeli je projekt krenuo od web stranice komikaze. hr, među čijim je autorima bilo nekoliko manje ili više poznatih imena, pripadnika generacije koja se afirmirala sredinom devedesetih (Damir Steinfl, Emil Jurcan, Nadan Rojnić), ali i posve novih, nešto mlađih lica (Vančo Rebac, Vinko Barić, Ivana Armanini, Dunja Janković, Irena Jukić-Pranjić), željnih objavljivanja drugačijeg stripa na tada još relativno jednoobraznoj strip sceni. Ubrzo su im se priključili neki likovni umjetnici kojima strip nije bio primarni interes, ali ih je ova inicijativa potakla na povratak mediju, ili na prihvaćanje istog kao dominantne stvaralačke matrice (Igor Hofbauer, već spomenuti Milan Manojlović Mance). Također su vrlo brzo uspostavljene veze s neposrednim susjedstvom, te su na web stranicama Komikaza stripove počeli objavljivati i neki srpski autori sličnog usmjerenja, istaknuti stvaraoci već tada prilično jake lokalne alternativne strip scene (Aleksandar Zograf, Ivan Mitrevski, kasnije i Vuk Palibrk te Danilo Milošev Wostok). Budući da su Komikaze kao svoje glavno oružje i najvažniju medijsku platformu odabrale nevjerojatno brzo rastući Internet, glas o njima uskoro se probio i do šireg inozemstva, te se već u trećem broju njihovog web fanzina našlo mjesta za švedske autore Maxa Anderssona i Larsa Sjunessona i njihov strip Bosnian Flat Dogs, inspiriran ratom u Bosni, baš kao i remek-djelo Joe Sacca, Safe Area Goražde.
Mnogi članovi Komikaza, osim što djeluju kao underground strip autori, ujedno su i pripadnici srodnih im urbanih supkultura, te su već sredinom devedesetih sudjelovali u brojnim akcijama i inicijativama nevladinih udruga. Njihova imena vežu se za djelovanje takvih organizacija kao što su Autonomna Tvornica Kulture – Attack!, Udruženje za razvoj kulture, brojne anarhističke, veganske i skvoterske inicijative, udruge i grupacije, te je posve jasno kako se radi o ljudima čiji životni i stvaralački svjetonazor ponešto odstupa od prevladavajućeg načina mišljenja u Hrvatskoj. Baš kao što su spomenute udruge prema mnogim gorućim društvenim pitanjima i kulturnim problemima zauzele nepokolebljiv, „alternativan” stav, interpretirajući tranzicijsku stvarnost i formalno demokratsko uređenje hrvatskog društva kao indirektan poziv na akciju i priliku za vlastitu inicijativu u smislu geneze originalnih kulturnih i društvenih sadržaja, a protiv prevladavajućih šovinističkih i nacionalističkih stereotipa, tako su i Komikaze ponudile vlastitu viziju izražajnih mogućnosti medija stripa u skladu s takvim supkulturnim vrijednostima. Ključ razumijevanja sadržajnih i estetskih elemenata njihovih stripova leži upravo u razumijevanju ideala supkulturnog konteksta iz kojeg su proizašli ti stripovi zanemaruju tradicionalno strukturiranu fabulu, jedinstvo vremena, mjesta i radnje, sustav protagonista, antagonista i sporednih lica, zanemaruju žanrovske klišeje; zanemaruju zapravo većinu postojeće pripovjedačke i vizualne tradicije klasičnog komercijalnog, tržišno isplativog stripa, pa čak i nekih njegovih radikalnijih podvrsta, poput američkog nezavisnog stripa koji jest radikalan u smislu sadržaja, ali u pogledu propitivanja forme i jezika stripa često se drži utabanih putova. To, međutim, ne znači kako stilsko opredjeljenje Komikaza nema prethodnika. Ima, i to s obje strane Atlantika, no skup utjecaja koji su ga oblikovali puno je širi od granica tradicije stripa. Čini se kako su Komikaze predano upijale utjecaje iz suvremene vizualne umjetnosti, i to ne samo iz grafike, već i slikarstva, kiparstva, konceptualne umjetnosti, pa čak i performansa, ako se osvrnemo na njihova brojna javna predstavljanja, predavanja i radionice. Drugim riječima, riječ je o stripu koji svakako nikada neće biti u središtu masovnog ukusa, ali čije bitne inovacije i stripovima srednje struje osiguravaju napredak i znače snažan izvor iz kojeg se može crpiti i učiti. Dakako, to ne znači da su svi stripovi Komikaza uspjela djela, niti da pozicija autora pitkih, komercijalnih stripova nije legitimna, već samo da stripovi Komikaza u prvom redu slave individualnost, originalnost i nepredvidivost, čak i kad im to ide na štetu. Riječ je, dakle, i o autorima koji su najbliže definiciji nezavisnog stripa u suvremenoj Hrvatskoj, kako smo naznačili na samom početku teksta – umjetnicima čiji su radovi nezavisni prema svojim estetskim i sadržajnim iskoracima i postignućima, što i jest temeljna odrednica tog krila domaće strip scene danas, kada su gerilski modeli izdavaštva, koji su nekad značili nezavisnu poziciju autora i izdavača, s vremenom djelomično institucionalizirani. Također, članovi Komikaza, kao i još poneki autor ili autorica bliski njihovom krugu istaknuti su na ovoj izložbi, pretpostavlja se, i zbog toga što su već doživjeli određenu međunarodnu afirmaciju u kulturnim krugovima zainteresiranima za takvu vrstu stripa. To će reći kako ih se predstavlja kao prikladne ambasadore živosti i raznovrsnosti hrvatske nezavisne strip scene, koja je probojem na europski kontinent zaokružila određeno razdoblje svoga postojanja, te će se u budućnosti orijentirati prema novim ciljevima i novim prioritetima. A kakvima, to ćemo tek vidjeti u uzbudljivim i nepredvidivim godinama koje dolaze.”
ENGLISH VERSION / ENGLESKA VERZIJA:
“… while almost the entire local production of comics can ostensibly be classified as ‘independent’, mostly as the artists seldom pander to the tastes of mass audiences and prefer to develop original, personal, artistic voices as far as the context allows. Commercial main- stream comics are just not produced in Croatia, although there are artists who would perhaps benefit from a larger market where they could be expected to garner profit for themselves and their publishers. Since this situation remains fictional, in the context of this publication we will continue to use ‘independent’ as a qualification for artists who continuously work on controversial subject matter, develop the formal language of comics beyond the Aristotelian logic of cause-effect narration, use a graphic style akin to contemporary tendencies in visual arts (the influence of art brut and art informale, the return to figuration and symbolical narrative, referencing of mass-culture cliches), and declare themselves members of specific youth subcultures which formed the nucleus of what was commonly called ‘the independent cultural scene’ in the 2000s, and still is today. The artists in this catalogue are exactly the ones who have formed and led this scene, associated in an informal group of comic strip artists which goes by the name Komikaze.
Subculture as a Solution/ Making their first appearance in the early 2000s, Komikaze soon distinguished themselves by the integrity of their concept and clear vision of their goals, and gradually became the main initiators and organizers of activities connected to alternative underground comics in the region. Understandably, in the last three or four years their ambition has grown, and they continue to prove themselves strong, willing and able enough to spread beyond the borders of former Yugoslavia. The starting point of the project was the website www.jedinstvo.hr/komikaze (later shortened to komikaze.hr), that initially presented the works of some established artists who rose to prominence in the nineties (Damir Steinfl, Emil Jurcan, Nadan Rojnić), but also a lot of fresh, somewhat younger authors (Vančo Rebac, Vinko Barić, Ivana Armanini, Dunja Janković, Irena Jukić-Pranjić), all of whom sought to bring some diversity into a comics scene that at the time seemed quite monotonous. They were soon joined by visual artists who primarily work in other media, but the action either reignited their interest in comics, or they acquiesced to its dominant position in the creative mainstream of the period (Igor Hofbauer, the previously mentioned Milan Manojlović Mance). They were also quick to establish connections with neighbouring countries, and Komikaze’s web page became an outlet for similarly minded artists from Serbia, some of whom were already noted figures in the quite strong alternative comics scene there (Aleksandar Zograf, Ivan Mitrevski, later Vuk Palibrk and Danilo Milošev Wostok). Using the incredibly quickly expanding Internet as their primary weapon and main media platform, Komikaze spread further from home and included a pair of Swedish artists in their 3rd edition, Max Andersson and Lars Sjunesson, whose Bosnian Flat Dogs, like Joe Sacco’s masterpiece Safe Area Goražde, was inspired by the Bosnian war.
Apart from their work as underground comic strip artists, many members of Komikaze take part in urban subcultural ac- tivities and have been active in non-governmental initiatives since the nineties. They worked within organizations such as Autonomna Tvornica Kulture (Autonomous Culture Factory) Attack! and Udruženje za razvoj kulture (Association for Development of Culture), took part in many anarchist, vegan and squatting initiatives and groups, and clearly promoted an attitude to life and creativity that stood apart from the worldview to which most Croatians are accustomed. In much the same way that those associations took a hardcore ‘alternative’ stance towards many controversial social issues and cultural problems, interpreting the realities of the transitional period and the for- mal instigation of democracy in Croatia as a call to action and a chance to facilitate the genesis of original cultural and social content opposed to dominant chauvinist, nationalist stereotyping, Komikaze offered a vision of comic expression in tune with subcultural values. To comprehend the content and aesthetic elements of their work, one must be able to comprehend the ideals of the subcultural context from which it springs. Their neglect of traditionally structured plots, unities of action, space and time, the system of protagonists, antagonists and support- ing characters, and the clichés of genre comics, can be seen as a rejection of almost the entire narrative and visual tradition of classic commercial comics intended to make a profit on the market, and even some of its more radical forms, such as American underground comics, which dealt with controversial subject matter but weren’t so prone to experimenting with form and visual style. That doesn’t mean the style of Komikaze is without predecessors: they do exist, on both sides of Atlantic. But the influences exceed the comics tradition and also come from graphics, painting, and conceptual art, with even a trace of performance art present in their public promotions, seminars and workshops. In other words, these kinds of comics will never appeal to majority taste, but their innovations open up new possibilities for mainstream comic books and represent a significant source of experience to be appreciated and studied. It does not mean that all the comics by members of Komikaze succeed as works of art or that producing escapist commercial entertainment is not a legitimate artistic activity, just that Komikaze comics should principally be viewed as a celebration of individuality, originality and unpredictability, even at their own risk. It follows that they are closest to the position of independent comics in today’s Croatia as defined in the beginning of this essay: artists who stand apart for their visual and narra- tive experiments and formal innovation, which remained their strong points even as their former guerilla publishing model was gradually institutionalized. It is also quite safe to assume that the members of Komikaze, as well as some other authors close to their circle, have been selected for this exhibition because they already enjoy some international recognition in cultural circles interested in this form of comics. This means they are considered representative of the vibrance and diversity of the Croatian independent comics scene, and their European presentation surely marks the end of a certain phase of their progress, leaving them to find new goals and priorities to aspire to in the future. Which goals those will be, we will see in the exciting and unpredictable years that are to come.”
comiXconnection takes up the subject of current independent comics in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary and Romania. The exhibition project seeks out the varied comic scenes in these adjoining countries and explores correlations between them. It has toured through that region and other venues since 2013. comiXconnection brings audiences closer to the little known world of comics in Southeast Europe, while also showing different applications for the genre.
internacionalna izložba comiXconnection @ WHW GALLERY, ZAGREB, 2015.: (org & photo: komikaze)
LINK1: IZLOŽBE – https://komikaze.hr/izlozba-comixconnection/
LINK2: RADIONICE – https://komikaze.hr/comixconnection-radionice/
Artists: http://comixconnection.eu/artists/ / Networks: http://comixconnection.eu/networks/ Locations: http://comixconnection.eu/locations/
Artists: Žiga Aljaž, Ivana Armanini, Kaja Avberšek, András Baranyai, Linda Barkasz, Matjaž Bertoncelj, Primož Bertoncelj, Matei Branea, Nina Bunjevac, Andreea Chirică, Alexandru Ciubotariu, Dániel Csordás, Cristian Dârstar, Marko Dješka, Dušan Durman, Miklós Felvidéki, Zoltán Fritz, Alexandra Gavrilă, Balázs Gróf, Ana Maria Guguian, Igor Hofbauer, Ciril Horjak, Irlo, Dunja Janković, Helena Janecić, Ivana Pipal, Irena Jukić-Pranjić, Jakob Klemenčič, Matej Kocjan, David Krančan, Miran Križanić, Mátyás Lanczinger, Tomaž Lavrič, Miroslav Lazendić – dr Gnoj, Oana Lohan, Izar Lunaček, Vladan Nikolić, Neuro & Mucs, Aleksandar Opacic, Vladimir Palibrk, Vuk Palibrk, Damir Pavic Septic, Mircea Pop, Radovan Popović, Тњрдо Мрлје aka Vančo Rebac, Iztok Sitar, Veronica Solomon, Boris Stanić, Stark Attila, Damir Steinfl, Ileana Surducan, Maria Surducan, Nicolae Timotei Drob, Sorina Vazelina, Maja Veselinović, Zsolt Vidák, Wostok, Aleksandar Zograf, Miro Župa.
comixconnection is a project of the Coordination East Central and Southeast Europe at the Museum of European Cultures, National Museums Berlin, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
