1975 Born in Rijeka, Croatia
Lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia
Resumé
Igor Eškinja constructs his architectonics of perception as ensembles of modesty and elegance. The artist “performs” the objects and situations, catching them in their intimate and silent transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional formal appearance. Using simple, inexpensive materials, such as adhesive tape or electric cables and unraveling them with extreme precision and mathematical exactitude within strict spatial parameters, Eškinja defines another quality that goes beyond physical aspects and enters the registers of the imaginative and the imperceptible. The simplicity of form is an aesthetic quality that opens up a possibility for manipulating a meaning. It derives, as the artist states, from the need for one form to contain various meanings and levels of reading within itself. The tension between multiplicity and void constitutes one of the most important aspects of Eškinja’s mural “drawings” and seemingly flat installations. A void is still an active space of perception; it does not conceal; it comments on the regime of visibility, it invites the viewer to participate in the construction of an imaginary volume in an open space. The temporary nature of the artist’s spatial structures and the ephemeral quality of his carpets (where ornaments are carefully woven out of dust or ash) manifest a resistance to the dominant narratives of institutional apparatus and socio-political order.
Exhibitions
2024
Silent Transitions, Drina Gallery, Breogad, Serbia
2023
Worlds within Worlds, The Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik, Croatia
(Everything) is not what it seems, Obalne Galerije, Piran, Slovenia
Igor Eskinja: Poetics Of TransparencyThe Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik, Croatia
2021
Igor Eškinja: Impossible imageLAUBA - People & Art HouseZagrebCroatia
Kunsthalle Bratislava, curated by TevzLogar
Gallery Racic, Zagreb, curated by Branko Franceschi
2020
DO PLANTS DREAM OF THE FUTURE?, Delta LAB, European capital of culture – Rijeka 2020, organized and produced by Drugo more, Rijeka
2019
PARIS PHOTO, solo project, Prismes, Federico Luger gallery, Paris, France
MEDITATIONS ON THE HORIZON, Federico Luger (FL GALLERY), Milan, Italy
SOLO SHOW, Art Geneve, CH.
PROCESS WITHOUT THE SUBJECT, text by Krešimir Purgar, gallery SC, Zagreb, Croatia
2018
GOLDEN FINGERS OF LOUVRE, curated by Dalibor Pranjcevic, gallery Kula, Split, Croatia
RESOURCES and other short stories, Michaela Stock gallery, Vienna
2017
EFEMEROPOLIS, curated by Jasminka Babic, gallery School, Split, Croatia
PRESUPOSTI PER UN’IDEA, (Conditions for a picture), curated by Daniele Capra, studio Multiplo, Padova
EXP, curated by Monika Cejkova, gallery Kvalitar, Prague
2016
CONTRACTS, Alberta Pane gallery, Paris
EFEMEROPOLIS, Federico Luger (FL GALLERY), Milano
2015
THE RETURN OF THE SAME, gallery Drugo More, Rijeka, Croatia
POEMS OF ACCUMULATION AND GROWTH, – Scaramouche gallery, New York
2014
TEMPORARY ENCOUNTERS, curated by Branka Bencic, gallery Apoteka, Vodnjan, Croatia
QUIXOTE, curated by Adam Budak, Museum of perception, MUWA, Graz, Austria
AZURIRANJA, Mali salon, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU), Rijeka, Croatia
2013
DAN ZATEM, curated by Petja Grafenauer, Alkatraz gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
IN VITRO, curated by Alberto Zanchetta, MAC (Museo d’Arte Contemporanea) Lissone, Italy
INFINITY PAPER, curated by Daniele Capra, Galleria Paolo Maria Deanesi, Rovereto, Italy
2012
INTERIEUR CAPTIVANT, curated by Valerie Labayle, MAC-VAL, Vitry sur Seine, France
RIGHT CONSTRUCTION – ADN Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2011
THE DAY AFTER, curated by Giorgio Verzotti, Federico Luger gallery, Milan, Italy
INHABITANTS OF GENERIC PLACES – MSU Museum of contemporary art Zagreb, Croatia
THE NEAR AND THE ELSEWHERE, curated by Sonja Zavrtanik, SKUC gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
ONE ON ONE, Igor Eskinja and Viktor Popovic, curated by Jasminka Babic and Sabina Salamon, Galerija Umjetnina, Split, Croatia
INHABITANTS OF GENERIC PLACES, curated by Annemarie Tuerk and Heike Eipeldauer, gallery Tresor, Kunstforum Bank-Austria, Vienna
2010
NOWHERISTAN, ADN gallery, Barcelona, Spain
TIHA PROIZVODNJA, gallery Kortil, Rijeka, Croatia
2009
YOU SAY BILD I SAY SHOOT!, Elly Brose Eiermann Gallery, Berlin, Germany
MADE IN:SIDE, curated by Alberto Salvatori, Bardinicontemporanea, Firenze, Italy
APPARENZE, Paolo Maria Deanesi Gallery, Rovereto, Italy
IGOR EŠKINJA, curated by Riccardo Caldura, Galeria Civica di Mestre, Contemporaneo, Mestre, Italy
PROJECT FOR UNSSUCCESFUL GATHERING, curated by Anne Kayser, Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain, Luxembourg
IGOR EŠKINJA, Federico Luger Gallery, Milano, Italy
IGOR EŠKINJA, CAB (Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos), Burgos, Spain
FUGAZ, ADN galeria Barcelona, Spain
2007
INFINITAS POSIBILIDADES DE MUNDOS PARALELOS, curated by Gabriela Quero Larrazabal, Centro Cultural Chacao, Caracas, Venezuela
ICEBERG, curated by Željko Marcijuš, Gallery Josip Račić, Zagreb, Croatia
IGOR EŠKINJA, Gallery Krobath Wimmer, Vienna, Austria
IMAGINEERING, curated by Branko Franceschi and Nataša Ivančević, Mali salon, MMSU-RIjeka
IMAGINEERING, Gallery PM, Zagreb, Croatia
2006
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW, AMT Gallery, Como, Italy
2005
PRESENT FUTURE, (Federico Luger Gallery), Artissima 12, Torino, Italy
REALITY CHECK, text by Alfredo Sigolo, Federico Luger Gallery, Milano, Italy
ONI/THEM, gallery Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, Croatia
2004
OBLI(LIK)OVAN/JA*, gallery Kortil, Rijeka, Croatia
Interno 12, curated by Paolo Angelosanto, Via Ratazzi, Rome, Italy
2003
NAJOBIČNIJA IZLOŽBA, («The Most Common exibition»), gallery OK, M.M.C. Palach, Rijeka
IZLOŽBA – Gallery Fontikus, Grožnjan / gallery Toš, Punat-Krk
2001
Igor Eškinja, gallery Juraj Klović, Rijeka, Croatia
Selected group exhibitions
2020
TO BE CONTINUED…Comics and Visual culture in Croatia, curated by Jasna Jaksic and Ivana Kancir, MSU, Museum of contemporary Art in Zagreb
3rd INDUSTRIAL ART BIENIAL, curated by Branka Bencic, Raša, Croatia
COLLECTION, Hommage to Claudia Gian Ferrari, MAXXI Rome
ADVERTISING THE PARADISE, A pick gallery, Torino
ART/WAR/TRANSITION, curated by Slaven Tolj and Branko Cerovac, MMSU, Rijeka
HYPERGAMES, Federico Luger (FL GALLERY), Milano
2019
COLLECTION FOR THE FUTURE – acquisitions 2009-2019, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
UNITED IN DIVERSITY, Delta lab 001, Rijeka Croatia
9th BELGRADE ENCOUNTERS, Center for Graphic Art and Visual Researches, Belgrade, Serbia
5994 IS JUST A NUMBER, ADN gallery Barcelona, Spain
UNCOVERINGS, intervention in public spaces, curated by Mirela Ramljak Purgar, Zagreb
54. ZAGREB SALON – WITHOUT ANESTHESIA, curated by Branka Bencic and Tevz Logar, HDLU, Zagreb
2018
NO PLACE LIKE HOME, curated by Marco Meneguzzo, Studio La Citta gallery, Verona, Italy
PRODUCTIVE WORK_what is it supposed to be?, curated by Anamaria Battista, Frairaum Q21, Vienna
ANY COLOR YOU LIKE, AS LONG AS IT’S WHITE, gallery Pack, Milano
INSTRUCTIONS FOR WATCHING – What the Body Wants?, collection of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, MMSU, Rijeka, Croatia
CABINET DE REGARD: micro & macro, Microcollection, a cura di Elisa Bollazzi, Triennale di Milano
2017
FORMS OF COEXISTANCE, curated by Maria Vassileva, Structura gallery, Sofia
LET THEM DRAW, (Drawing and withdrawing) curated by Pravdoljub Ivanov, Sariev Contemporary, Plovdiv
SOFT ARCHITECTURE, Finstral contemporary collection, curated by Sarah and Kathrin Oberrauch, Temporary gallery, Friedberg, Germany
ANDARXPORTE, curated by ArtCityLab, palazzo Archinto, Milano
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE – SPACES OF INDIPENDENTS, curated by Branka Bencic, MMC Luka, Pula, Croatia
LES YEUX QUI LOUCHENT, curated by Daniele Capra, Alberta Pane gallery, Venice Italy
TEMPORARY ENCOUNTERS, curated by Branka Benčić, Galzenica city gallery, Velika Gorica, Croatia
IN THEIR EYES…, curated by Michal Kolacek and Camilla Martinelli, MMSU, Rijeka, Croatia
ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY ART, curated by Jasminka Babić and Branko Franceschi, Galerija umjetnina, Split, Croatia
EVERY TIME A EAR DI SOUN – Dokumenta 14 program, curated by Bonaventure Ndikung, Marcus Gammel and Elena Agudio, Savvy Contemporary, Berlin, Germany
MIND SET (with Goran Trbuljak), curated by Mladen Lucić, gallery Kranjčar, Zagreb, Croatia
SILENT SCREAM, curated by Ksenija Orelj and Nataša Šuković, Cultural center of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
2016
IN THEIR EYES…, curated by Michal Kolacek and Camilla Martinelli, Dum Umeni, Usti nad Labem, Cech Republic
WORKS AND LIVES IN, curated by Vanja Žanko and Aurelia Nowak, Zona Sztuki Aktualnej, Szczecin, Poland
IN THEIR EYES…, curated by Michal Kolacek and Camilla Martinelli, Kunsthalle Eurocenter, Lana, Italy
WAVEFRONT, curated by Giuliana Carbi, Palazzo Costanzi, Trieste, Italy
TIME ROBBERS, curated by Leila Topic and Jasminka Babic, Galerija Umjetnina, Split, Croatia
PLANEITE (Session #3), curated by Alberta Pane, Galerie Backslash, Paris, France
RELEVANT NOTES, Cara gallery, New York
HELIOTROPES, curated by Matthew Nichols, Geary Contemporary, New York
SUDDENLY EVERYTHING DISSAPEARS, curated by Giuliana Carbi, Institute for contemporary Art, Zagreb
T-HT award,MSU, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
2015
INTERACTIONS @ MSU, curated by M. Mrduljaš and Antun Sevšek, MSU, Zagreb, Croatia
SUDDENLY EVERYTHING DISSAPEARS, curated by Giuliana Carbi, Trieste contemporanea, Trieste, Italy
PARKOUR, curated by Branka Benčić, Gallery Forum, Zagreb, Croatia
SIZ (Self-menaged interest community in cultural center Belgrade), curated by Nemanja Cvijanović and Focus group, Culltural center Belgrade, Serbia
TEN YEARS, Galleria Paolo Maria Deanesi, Trento, Italy
LA CORREZIONE DEL FUTURO, gallery Allegra Ravizza, Lugano, Switzerland
GRAD NA DRUGI POGLED, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art-MMSU, Rijeka, Croatia
IN MY BEGGINIG IS MY END, curated by Daniele Capra, Galerie Alberta Pane, Paris
2014
NOTES ON UNDOING, curated by Branka Benčić, Garis & Hahn gallery, New York
GREAT UNDOING, curated by Branka Bencic, Porec Annale, Porec, Croatia
MY LAND HAS PALM TREES curated by Irena Boric, SIZ gallery, Rijeka
2013
8 WAYS TO OVERCOME SPACE AND TIME, curated by, Una Popovic and Stefanie Bottcher, Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade, Serbia
SILENT WORK, curated by Sabina Salamon and Slaven Tolj, Michaela Stock gallery, Vienna, Austria
ART MUST BE BEAUTIFUL, curated by Jerica Ziherl, Porec Annale, Porec, Croatia
THE IMMIGRANTS, curated by Federico Luger and Pasquale Leccesse, ex bireria Dreher, Giudecca, Venezia
10 is more then a number, curated by Miguel Angel Sanchez, ADN gallery, Barcelona, Spain
P – (P)arerga & (P)aralipomena della (P)ittura, curated by Alberto Zanchetta, Bonelli LAB, Mantova, Italy
ZERO POINT OF MEANING, curated by Sandra Krizic Roban, Ivana Hanacek, Irena Gessner, Camera Austria, Graz, Austria
LO PARCIAL COMO SIGNIFICATIVO, curated by Emilio Navarro, Cento de Arte Alconbendas, Madrid, Spain
2012
STARDUST, curated by Laurance Gateau and Slaven Tolj, FRAC Pays de la Loire, Nantes, France
2nd URAL INDUSTRIAL BIENNAL, curated by Iara Boubnova, Ekatarinbourg, Russia
DIMENTIONS OF HUMOR, curated by Blazenka Perica, Sonja Gasperov and Vedran Perkov, Gallery Klovicevi dvori, Zagreb, Croatia
TOPICAL TACTICS, Media-Scape 2012, Biennial, Zagreb, curated by Ingeborg Fulepp, Zagreb, Croatia
ASH AND GOLD. A WORLD TOUR. curated by Anne Schloen, Schloss Moyland, Germany
ABSTRACTION, curated by Ana Medic and Ivana Mance, Klovicevi dvori Musuem, Zagreb
SWEPT AWAY, curated by David McFadden, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, USA
ASH AND GOLD. A WORLD TOUR. curated by Anne Schloen, Marta-Hertford, Germany
REARVIEW MORROR, curated by Christophere Eamon,Art gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
2011
REARVIEW MORROR, curated by Christophere Eamon, Power Plant gallery, Toronto, Canada
DIMENTIONS OF HUMOR, curated by Blazenka Perica, Sonja Gasperov and Vedran Perkov, Gallery Kazamat, Osijek, Croatia
ZERO POINT OF MEANING, curated by Sandra Krizic Roban, Ivana Hanacek, Irena Gessner,
Art pavilion, Zagreb, Croatia
DOLOMITI CONTEMPORANEE, curated by Daniele Capra, Italy
ARTE NON E’ COSA NOSTRA, Accademia pavilion, 54th Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy
DIRT: The Filthy Reality of Everyday Life, curated by Kate Ford, Wellcome Foundation, London
VOLUME COLLECTION, curated by Nemanja Cvijanovic, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka
PARALLEL LINES, with Michael Boran, Kevin Kavanagh gallery, Dublin, Ireland
V. DAYS OF GRAPHIC ART, Gallery of fine arts, Osjek, Croatia
CARPET DIEM, Plusdesign, Milano
Residences
2017 Q21, Museums Quartier, Vienna, May-June
2012 MAC-VAL, Vitry sur Seine, May-October
2007 Kulutrkontakt, Vienna, June-September
2006 Triangle-France, Marseille, January – Fabruary
2004 ISCP-New York, residency program, November-December
2000 One month study program in Berlin
1999/02 studio grant Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa, Venice, Italy
Awards
2019 54. Zagreb salon – Without anesthesia, award of MoMA Dubrovnik
2016 T-HT award, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
2013 Blumm prize, (shortlisted), Brussels, Belgium
2007 T-HT award, award by Museum of Contempoarary Art in Zagreb, Croatia
2006 Youth Artist Prize – Henkel, Kulturkontakt, Vienna, Austria
2004 Radoslav Putar prize, winner 04, curated by SCCA (Institute for Contemporary Art), Zagreb,
Gliptoteka HAZU-a, Zagreb
2003 Anual award of the Association of visual artists HDLU,gallery Kortil i gallery Juraj Klović, Rijeka
1999/00 Nuova Icona prize, 83° collettiva, Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa, Venice, Italy
1998 Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia prize, 82° collettiva, Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa, Venice, Italy
Public collections
MAXXI – Museo nazioniale delle arti del XXI secolo – Rome, Italy
MSU – Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
MAC/VAL – Musee d’Art Contemporain Val de Marne, Paris, France
MMSU – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia
FRAC-Pays de la Loire, Carquefou, Nantes, France
CAB – Caja De Arte Burgos, Spain
Galerija Umjetnina, Split, Croatia
Department of culture – Madid,Spain
Zagrebačka banka – Unicredit, Zagreb
Hypo-Alpe Adria Bank, Zagreb, Croatia
Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia, Italy