SELECTION 2013

Curator: The first impression I have is one of oppressive conformity. There is an almost eerie sense of dehumanization that permeates the gallery space. Editor: Here we have Goran Despotovski’s installation "SELECTION," created in 2013. It offers a monochrome perspective, dominated by modernist figuration, presenting a profound engagement with social realism. Curator: The repetition is so striking. The endless rows, almost clinical in their arrangement, are indicative of an unsettling uniformity. What underlying statements can you see expressed? Editor: This is about selection processes in modern societies, or even processes of assimilation. Consider the facelessness, the suits. We are dealing with archetypes. Each one is not an individual but they merge to represent societal role. It draws parallels with social and political structures which value collective identity over individual expression. The use of monochrome enhances this somber effect, making it seem timeless. Curator: I appreciate how the texture plays into this too. The softness of what looks like cotton, a stark contrast to the harsh lines of the suits. This tactile vulnerability, combined with the stooped posture of many figures, injects pathos into what might otherwise feel like a cold, authoritarian vision. Editor: The beauty of the sculpture is that Despotovski utilizes powerful symbols. These faceless figures invoke diverse readings rooted in anxieties surrounding power structures. They elicit dialogue regarding issues relevant within cultural memory but also the immediate challenges to the existence of individuals and how people are selected to certain tasks or marginalized from the processes. Curator: I concur. I see an artwork rich in layered implications—commenting as much on its spatiality as on its symbolic power. Editor: The symbolism acts as a bridge, then, linking the abstract visual language to real-world experience. This enhances the installation’s profound relevance within culture.