A society of spectacle and relentless competition on social media, a struggle for likes and short-lived media glory, a culture of influencers and an insatiable hunger for global visibility are just some of the consequences of sacrificing one’s own individuality and succumbing to a vain desire for popularity. However, the gladiatorial struggle for algorithmic confirmation of social status does not take place only on Instagram or by hunt for the followers in the virtual space. The most dramatic consequence of the new digital ubiquity is the need to please everyone and to submit to a collective identity within which we feel loved and safe. Since art should be the ultimate space of freedom, it is clear that it is artistic creativity that is the biggest victim of globally established new value systems. In order to reaffirm the individuality, originality and courage that should be the basis of any artistic activity, the fourth edition of the International Student Biennale invited all students of art schools and academies to turn to themselves and independently reflect on the achievements of their own creativity. We have asked them: if you could choose the best painting, sculpture, installation, video or performance you have ever made or that you only dared to imagine – what would they look like? Would you manage to counteract the authority of professors, curators’ requirements and lack of funding? More importantly, would you be able to defeat the critic within you who always tells you that this idea has not yet been sufficiently elaborated or that yet another work has not been meticulously executed? Let’s take a look how the best of them responded to the challenge.
Jury/Board: Miran Blažek, Tina Vukasović Đaković, Vedran Perkov, Ana Petrović, Krešimir Purgar, Domagoj Sušac, Josip Šurlin
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