New CollectivismNew Collectivism (SI)

series of posters & video

In 1987 New Collectivism took part in a competition for the design of the poster and torch to commemorate the 25th of May (the Day of Yugoslav Youth), which happened to fall on the birthday of Josip Broz Tito. The jury selected NK's proposal as the best and it got the first prize. The NK work was a re-design of a poster by the German designer Richard Klein from the 1930's. On their poster Nazi symbols were replaced with Socialist symbols. After the decision of the jury the poster was reproduced in Politika, the main Yugoslav daily newspaper. A Belgrade engineer named Grujić informed the press where the image was taken from. A big scandal appeared in all the Yugoslav media and when the jury was asked why they had chosen the poster, they said they liked it but didn't know where the image was taken from. After a long investigation, a general prosecutor in Slovenia decided that there was not enough proof to send NK members to court. The case was dismissed; only a year later the traditional Socialist ritual surrounding Tito's birthday was abolished.

Alongside posters, the exhibition will present two documentary video work about New Collectivism: Fragment of the exhibition NEW COLLECTIVISM − Purification and Rejuvenation and The Fine Art of Mirroring, Youth Day 1987 by Tome Bačića and Corrine Enquiste.

New Collectivism (SI)

New Collectivism was established in 1984 as the graphic design department of Neue Slowenische Kunst. The members are Dejan Knez (Laibach), Miran Mohar (initially a member of the Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre, then a member of Irwin), Darko Pokorn (designer), and Roman Uranjek (Irwin). New Collectivism employs the method of the retro principle and designs posters, records covers, books, passports and NSK letterheads. Its designs for Laibach merchandising won an award at the 1994 Ljubljana Biennial of Industrial Design (BIO). New Collectivism also undertakes numerous external commissions, carrying out design work for clients such as the Museum of Modern Art (Ljubljana) and Radio-Television Slovenia (RTV Slovenia). Among the most important designs are the logotypes for the new Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova and for one of the oldest and largest non-profit contemporary art institutions in the US – P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, a partner gallery of the world's most highly regarded gallery, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.

Author's contact: nsk-nk@siol.net