Július Koller

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Meeting of the organisational committee for Koller's U.F.O. Ganek Gallery, 1982. Milan Adamčiak, Igor Gazdík, Július Koller (centre), Pavol Breier, Peter Meluzin. Photo: Květoslava Fulierová. Source.
Born May 28, 1939(1939-05-28)
Piešťany, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)
Died August 17, 2007(2007-08-17) (aged 68)
Bratislava, Slovakia
Web CEAD, Artyčok TV, Wikipedia-SK
Collections Art museums in Slovakia (Web umenia), Kontakt (Vienna), Tate, Pompidou, Generali, Galerie Martin Janda (Vienna), gb agency (Paris), Museum of Art Łódź, Artandconcept Gallery (Prague)
Július Koller, Kvetoslava Fulierová, U.F.O.-naut J.K. (U.F.O), 1988. SNG.

Július Koller (1939, Piešťany - 2007, Bratislava) was a Slovak artist.

Koller studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava from 1959 to 1965. Around 1967-1968, he began to use the symbol of the question mark in his works, and from 1970 he started to take yearly self-portraits of himself as a ‘U.F.O.-naut’. During the years 1980-1989, he ran the fictional U.F.O. Galéria, in his own words, ‘a challenging and hard-to-reach fictitious space for spiritual communication between earthly beings and the unknown cosmic world’. Koller’s work aims at a constant questioning of the world and the cultural context, opening up possibilities for a humanistic utopia in unexpected places.

In 1965, the same year that the Slovak group HAPPSOC released their manifesto, Július Koller published his manifesto "Anti-Happening (System of Subjective Objectivity)", which defined the artist's anti-Happening works enacted throughout the late 1960s. Unlike Happenings, where the focus is on action, anti-Happenings concentrate on the cultural reshaping of the subject, making those who participate in the work more aware of their surroundings. During one such anti-Happening, for example, Koller repainted the white lines that defined the structure of a tennis court.

Koller's technique of imbuing simple symbols with complex meanings is explained in his Mini-Koncepcie maxi-ideí (U.F.O.) [Mini-Concepts of Maxi Ideas] (1974), a series of simple text works that play on the term "UFO". Beginning in 1970, Koller took annual self-portraits, calling himself a UFO-naut while obscuring his body with random, banal objects—for example, he held a ping-pong ball in front of his eyes with glasses. Sports, such as tennis, held appeal for Koller as symbols of playful protest. Koller titled each of these self-portraits some variation of the acronym UFO: Univerzálny Filozoficky Ornament [Universal Philosophical Ornament] (1978), Underground Fantastic Organization (1975), etc. Koller also developed the fictitious gallery project titled U.F.O. Galéria – Galéria Ganku, Vysoké Tatry [U.F.O. Gallery Ganek, High Tatras], which began with a concept around a site in the Slovak mountains to later include bureaucratic documents and structures such as Terén [Board] in 1981 (its members were Milan Adamčiak, Pavol Breier, Igor Gazdík, Peter Meluzin, and Koller himself). In 2009, the Július Koller Society was established in order to preserve Koller's work. (Source)

Works (selection)[edit]

For more works visit collections listed above and a chronological overview.

Exhibitions[edit]

Solo exhibitions and collaborations
  • Park kultúry a oddychu, Bratislava, 1965.
  • Galéria mladých, Bratislava, 1967.
  • Permanentná demystifikácia 1., 2., V-klub, Bratislava, 1968.
  • Textilné obrazy, Štátny výskumný ústav textilný, Bratislava, 1974.
  • Nová vážnosť, Kostol klarisiek, Galéria SFVU, Bratislava, 1990.
  • Post-komunikácia, Považská galéria umenia, Žilina, 1991.
  • Sondy, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava, Nov 1991 - Jan 1992; Štátna galéria, Banská Bystrica, 1992. Curated by Aurel Hrabušický.
  • Tatranská galéria, Horný Smokovec, 1993.
  • Hore-dole, Umelecká beseda Slovenska, Bratislava, 1993.
  • Subjekty a reality z r.1968, Galéria Nova, Bratislava, 1995.
  • J.K. - Univerzálne futurologické obrazy, Galéria SOGA, Bratislava, 1999.
  • To, čo sa deje, Štúdio S, Bratislava, 1999.
  • Partitúry a znaky, Vlastivedné múzeum, Trebišov, 1999.
  • Cikcaková kultúrna situácia – výber z tvorby J.K., CC Centrum, Bratislava, 2002.
  • with Roman Ondák, Teenagers, Display Gallery, Prague, 2003. [1] [2]
  • Július Koller – Kontakt, Kunstraum München, Munich, 2004.
  • Július Koller, Isabella Bortolozzi Gallery, Berlin, 2004.
  • Marec, poberáš sa starec?, Tranzit, Bratislava, 23 Mar - 17 Apr 2005. [3]
  • J.K.U.F.O., Slovenský inštitút, Prague, 2007.
  • More, Kressling Gallery, Bratislava, 25 Oct - 20 Nov 2007. Curated by Vladimir Beskid. [4]
  • Július Koller a jeho priatelia, Typo & Ars, Bratislava, 2008. Group show. [5]
  • with Jiří Kovanda, The Steins #7, Ludlow 38, New York City, 10 Jul - 16 Aug 2009. Curated by Tobi Maier.
  • U.F.O. NAUT JK (Július Koller) orquestada por Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kurimanzutto, Mexico, 2012.
  • "?", Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, 25 Sep 2015 - 10 Jan 2016. Curated by Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg and Georg Schöllhammer.

Artist's books[edit]

  • Kriticko-konštruktívna aktivita. Koncepty a akcie, c1970 (samizdat). (Slovak)
  • "Z autorských programov a akcií", in Výtvarný život 8 (1970), p 41. (Slovak)
  • with Kveta Fulierová, Amo amare, ed. Petra Hanáková, Bratislava: Sputnik Editions, 2013, 100 pp. [8] (English)
  • with Kveta Fulierová, J+K, ed. Petra Feriancová, Bratislava: Sputnik Editions, 2014, 100 pp. [9] (English)/(Slovak)

Catalogues and monographs[edit]

  • Július Koller: Sondy (Probes), ed. Aurel Hrabušický, Galéria súčasného umenia Slovenskej národnej galérie, 1992, [38] pp. (Slovak)/(English)
  • Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, eds. Kathrin Rhomberg and Roman Ondák, Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Kölnischer Kunstverein, and tranzit, 2003, 245 pp. With texts by Georg Schöllhammer and Vít Havránek; conversations with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Roman Ondák. TOC. Publisher. [10] (German)/(English)/(Slovak)
  • Július Koller a jeho priatelia, ed. Peter Čepec, Bratislava: Typo & Ars, 2008, 39 pp. With DVD. (Slovak)
  • with Jiří Kovanda, The Steins #7, New York: Ludlow 38, 2009, [8] pp. With texts by Tobi Maier, Klara Kemp-Welch, and interview with Kovanda. (English)
  • Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, 366 pp. With texts by Petra Hanáková, Katarina Bajcurová, Kvetoslava Fulierová, Aurel Hrabušický, Georg Schöllhammer. TOC. Publisher. (Slovak)/(English)
  • Július Koller: One Man Anti Show, eds. Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg, and Georg Schöllhammer, Vienna: mumok, and Cologne: Buchhandlung Walter König, 2016, 388 pp. Texts: Daniel Grúň, Cristina Freire, Reiner Fuchs, Aurel Hrabušický, Karola Kraus, Joanna Mytkowska, Kathrin Rhomberg, Georg Schöllhammer. TOC. Publisher. (German)
    • Július Koller: One Man Anti Show, eds. Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg and Georg Schöllhammer, Vienna: mumok, and Cologne: Buchhandlung Walter König, 2016, 320 pp. Excerpt. [11] (English)
  • Július Koller: One Man Anti Show. Dokumentation, Documentation, Dokumentácia, eds. Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg, and Georg Schöllhammer, Vienna: mumok, 2017.

Interviews[edit]

  • Ján Budaj, "Rozhovor po roku s Julom Kollerom o športe, UFO a o kultúre", in 3SD, ed. Ján Budaj, Bratislava, [1981]; 2nd ed., 1988 (samizdat); repr. in] "Samizdatové programové, teoretické a historické texty (výber)", ed. Radislav Matuštík, in Umenie akcie 1965-1989, ed. Zora Rusinová, Bratislava: Slovenská národná galéria, 2001, pp 273-275. (Slovak)
    • "Do you like football? on UFO, Superboys and communication", trans. Jana Krajnakova, in 1968-1989: Political Upheaval and Artistic Change, eds. Claire Bishop and Marta Dziewańska, Warsaw: Museum of Modern Art, 2009, pp 226-230. Translated from the second edition of Budaj's samizdat publication 3SD (1981, 1988). (English)
  • "Július Koller im Gespräch mit Roman Ondák", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 124-133. (German)
    • "Conversation between Július Koller and Roman Ondák", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 134-141. (English)
    • "Július Koller v rozhovore s Romanom Ondákom", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 206-213. (Slovak)
  • "Gespräch zwischen Július Koller und Hans Ulrich Obrist", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 50-57. (German)
    • "Conversation between Július Koller and Hans Ulrich Obrist", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 142-149. (English)
    • "Július Koller v rozhovore s Hansom Ulrichom Obristom", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 214-221. (Slovak)
  • Stefan Römer, Interview with Koller, Conceptual Paradise, Lüneburg: Leuphana University, Sep 2003. (German)

Literature[edit]

See also catalogues.

  • Klaus Groh, "Július Koller", in Groh, Aktuelle Kunst in Osteuropa, Cologne: Dumont, 1972, pp [96-98], HTML. (German)
  • Tomáš Štraus, "Three Models of Contemporary Slovak Art Actions", in Works and Words: International Art Manifestation, Amsterdam, Amsterdam: Galerie de Appel, 1980. [12] (English)
  • Marian Dzúrik, Ann Stephen (eds.), After the Spring: Contemporary Czech and Slovak Art, Sydney: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1994. (English)
  • Zora Rusinová, "Július Koller", in Umenie akcie 1965-1989, ed. Zora Rusinová, Bratislava: Slovenská národná galéria, 2001, pp 73-88. (Slovak)
  • Vít Havránek, "J.K. und die kulturelle Situation der Slowakei", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 58ff. (German)
    • "J.K. and Slovak Cultural Situation", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 150ff. (English)
    • "J.K. a slovenská kulturní situace", in Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Cologne, 2003, pp 222ff. (Czech)
  • Vít Havránek, "Slovenský U.F.O.-naut: Július Koller", Revue Art 2:4, 2005. (Czech)
  • Daniel Grúň, "Der Kosmos der Slowakischen Neoavantgarde zwischen Utopie, Fiktion und Politik", in Crossing 68/89, eds. Jürgen Danyel, Jennifer Schevardo and Stephan Kruhl, Berlin: Metropol, 2008, pp 136-155. (German)
    • "Red Planet: Cosmic Imagery of the Slovak Neo-Avant-Garde", in Star City: The Future Under Communism, eds. Łukasz Ronduda, Alex Farquarson and Barbara Piwowarska, MAMMAL Foundation, Nottingham Contemporary, and Vienna: tranzit.at, 2011, pp 52-68. (English)
  • Omar Mirza, "Július Koller", in Mirza, Aktionskunst in der Slowakei (1965-1989), Vienna: Universität Wien, 2008, pp 44-50. Master's thesis. (German)
  • Petra Hanáková, "Kultúrna stopa JK", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 9-28. (Slovak)
    • "Cultural Trace JK", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 29-48. (English)
  • Georg Schöllhammer, "Július Koller: kozmológ, skeptik - a hráč", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 49-56. (Slovak)
    • "Július Koller: Cosmologist, Skeptic - and Player", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 57-63. (English)
  • Petra Hanáková, "Žila som s ufonautom. Rozhovor s Kvetou Fulierovou", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 65-74. (Slovak)
    • "I Lived with a Ufonaut. Petra Hanáková interviewing Kvetá Fulierová", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 75-85. (English)
  • Aurel Hrabušický, "Uvedenie do diela Júliusa Kollera. Šesťdesiate roky (s obrazovo-textovou dokumentáciou)" / "Introduction to Work of Július Koller. The Sixties (with picture and text documentation)", in Július Koller: vedecko-fantastická retrospektíva / Science-Fiction Retrospective, eds. Petra Hanáková and Aurel Hrabušický, Bratislava: Slovak National Gallery, 2010, pp 87-318. (Slovak)/(English)
  • Daniel Grúň, "Archivovať U.F.O. Július Koller ako zberateľ 'kultúrnych situácií' z tlačových médií", Romboid 7, 2010, pp 56-63. (Slovak)
  • Vít Havránek, "The Post-Bipolar Order and the Status of Public and Private under Communism", trans. Ivan Gutierrez, in Promises of the Past: A Discontinuous History of Art in Former Eastern Europe, eds. Christine Macel and Joanna Mytkowska, Zurich: JRP|Ringier, and Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou, 2010; repr., abbr., in Art and Theory of Post-1989 Central and Eastern Europe: A Critical Anthology, eds. Ana Janevski, et al., New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2018, pp 185-193. (English)
  • Tomáš Pospiszyl, "Národní konceptualizmus. Obrozenecké motivy v díle Stana Filka a Júliuse Kollera", ch. 3 in Pospiszyl, Asociativní dějepis umění: poválečné umění napříč generacemi a médii, Prague: tranzit.cz, 2014, pp 81-121. (Czech)
    • "National Conceptualism: Slovak National Revival Motifs in the Work of Stano Filko and Julius Koller", trans. Ivan Gutierrez, in Pospiszyl, An Associative Art History: Comparative Studies of Neo-Avant-Gardes in a Bipolar World, Prague: tranzit.cz, and Zurich: JRP/Ringier, 2017. (English)
  • Daniel Grúň, "Das Leben als Signal. Die kommunikative Provokation von Július Kollers künstlerischer Praxis", in Július Koller: One Man Anti Show, eds. Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg, and Georg Schöllhammer, Vienna: mumok, and Cologne: Buchhandlung Walter König, 2016, pp 20-28. (German)
  • Boris Kršňák, et al., Ume? Nie! Príbeh zbierky Artandconcept, Bratislava: Petrus, 2020. (Slovak)
  • Daniel Grúň (ed.), AMA. Ľubomír Ďurček, Květoslava Fulierová, Július Koller a amatérski výtvarníci / Ľubomír Ďurček, Květoslava Fulierová, Július Koller and Amateur Artists, Vienna: Schlebrügge.Editor, Sep 2020, 340 pp. Texts by Ľubomír Ďurček, Květa Fulierová, Daniel Grúň, Július Koller, and interviews between Dagmar Gazdíková and Július Koller. Publisher. Review: Tuka (Artalk). [20] (Slovak)/(English)

See also[edit]

Links[edit]