Július Koller

Július Koller was born in 1939 in Piestany, he died in Bratislava in 2007.

Július Koller “found a new understanding of the social space of the city formulated in the approaches of the international avant-gardes critical of modernism, picking up from Dada and Duchamps, in Nouveau Realisme and Fluxus, in the ‘psychogeographical’ explorations of the Situationist International. This was a theme, from which it was possible to imagine a different position. Counter to the cynical technoid fantasies of omnipotence of the socialist state apparatus and its designers, or the gestalt-therapeutical ambitions of the fashionable modernists, the direct experience of the reality of the art work was to be returned to the individual. Starting from this idea, Koller has consistently developed his position up to the present day, and an oeuvre that in its stringency, obsession and peculiarity could well be called one of the most erratic and consistent of European contemporary art. It is perhaps most comparable with the universe of a Marcel Broothaers.” (Georg Schöllhammer)

In 1970 in conjunction with his U.F.O. Manifesto (Universal-Cultural Futurological Operations), Július Koller emphasized his interest in the self-initiative of the subject that is to shape future-oriented cultural situations. In the same year, Július Koller began to realize this approach in his action of an ongoing self-transformation into an “U.F.O.-naut”. This constantly transforming figure, which has manifested itself and been photo- graphically documented once each year since 1970, carries out various “operations”, which have different names but always include the abbreviation U.F.O. in the title. The photographic documentations of the “U.F.O.-nauts” show the artist in an annually modified form, a constantly changing character as a manifestation of personal life circumstances and as a commentary on the cultural and socio-political situation of each year. Over the course of years, Július Koller has thus transformed himself into a figure-sign, which connects with situations and configurations of everyday life through minimal actions and gestures, communicating ironically encoded messages in the abbreviation U.F.O. Every “operation” that Július Koller has subsequently carried out himself creates a “cultural situation” of this kind, which is oriented to “actively changing reality”.

Sport as a parallel and simultaneously real world became another playing field for Július Koller as the possibility of a “radical transformation of the idea of the work away from the object towards the trace of an action or an instruction for action” (G. Schöllhammer). In preparation for his solo exhibition in May 2003, Július Koller therefore delimited the exhibition space of the Kölnischer Kunstverein with white chalk markings, like those familiar from tennis courts and soccer fields. This action refers to a work from 1970, in which Július Koller set up a playing grounds ready to be used, open spaces for a communicative encounter. “The sports fields actually symbolize my attempt to prepare a terrain, similar to the way the new season is prepared each spring in tennis by removing the old ground cover and carrying out repairs. In the same way, I have prepared the surface for playing or for the arrival or the anticipation of something that could come from the cosmos. (…) It is basically a matter of individualizing the striving for understanding … Until 1968 we still had this idea that this understanding - or ‘democratic socialism’, as we called it then - could work better than it had done so far.” (Július Koller)

Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s

Group show including the work of Július Koller and Jiri Kovanda
The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
November 11, 2023 - March 3, 2024

The Fifth Kyiv Biennial

Biennial including the work of Július Koller and Majd Abdel Hamid
Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Lublin, Vienna, Warsaw, Berlin
October 2023 - 2024

Collective Exhibition for A Single Body

Group show with works by Július Koller and Jirí Kovanda
The National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest
The National Center for Dance Bucharest, Bucharest
September 14 - October 1, 2023

Between Earthly Beings and the Unknown Cosmic World: The Continent

Group show including the work of Július Koller
The Július Koller Society, Bratislava
June 9 - August 25, 2023

Between Looking and Seeing

Group show with the works of Ryan Gander, Apostolos Georgiou, Július Koller, Jirí Kovanda, Hassan Sharif
gb agency, Paris
March 25 - April 22, 2023

Fais que ton rêve soit plus long que la nuit

Group show including the work of Július Koller and Jirí Kovanda
Musée d’Art Contemporain de la Haute-Vienne - Château de Rochechouart
March 3 - June 11, 2023

Keep on movin’, Tales from the Morra Greco Collection

Group show with works by Július Koller
Fondazione Morra Greco, Palazzo Caracciolo di Avellino, Naples
September 29 - December, 2022

Art Basel 2022

Art Fair
Art Basel, Messe Basel
June 14 - 19, 2022

Július Koller: UNFORESEEN FORCES OF OCCULTURE (U.F.O.)

Solo show
Nova Cvernovka, Bratislava
June 2 - October 30, 2022

Before Waiting Becomes Part of Your Life

Collective show with the works of Mark Geffriaud, Apostolos Georgiou, Tirdad Hashemi, Paul Heintz, David Horvitz, Július Koller, Jirí Kovanda, Roman Ondak, Pak Sheung Chuen, and Yann Sérandour
gb agency, Paris
May 14 - July 19, 2022

Ce devant quoi

A collective exhibition by Yann Sérandour
gb agency, Paris
March 26 - May 7, 2022

Autoportrait

Group show with works by Július Koller
Salle principale, Paris
March 13 - May 20, 2022

Aller contre le vent

Group show with works by Július Koller, Roman Ondak, Cally Spooner
Frac Franche-Comte, Besançon
January 22 - March 30, 2022

Pierre Bal-Blanc: I GOT UP

Group exhibition
gb agency, Paris
October 19 - November 13, 2021

Le temps est détraqué (Théâtre des expositions)

Group show with works by Július Koller
Palais des Beaux Arts, Paris
April 13 - May 23, 2021

Fuckers

Group show with works by Július Koller
Galerie der Stadt Schwaz, Schwaz
Until March 3, 2021

For Eyes That Listen

Group show with works by Július Koller
Arter, Istanbul
Until July 25, 2021

Květoslava Fulierová and Július Koller, Echo

Květoslava Fulierová and Július Koller
gb agency, Paris
Exhibition from March 11 - May 30, 2020

Activity of Matter

Group show
gb agency, Paris
From November 30th 2019 to January 11th, 2020

Pierre Bal-Blanc, Collective Exhibition for a Single Body

Collective Exhibition
gb agency, Paris
Exhibition from Oct 12 to Nov 5, 2019

Július Koller, 1969

A solo show by Július Koller
gb agency, Paris
From May 11 to July 20, 2019

Julius Koller at Arco

Solo exhibition
Arco. Ifema, feria de Madrid
February 22 - 25, 2018

Július Koller: A. for Atlantis

A solo exhibition by Július Koller
gb agency
From 31 January to 21 March 2015

Frieze, New York, 2014

Frieze Art Fair
New York
May 9-12 2014

Július Koller, Jiří Kovanda, Tamás St. Turba. New Museum, New York

Group exhibition
New Museum, New York
January 24 – April 13 2014

Parallel Forms

Group exhibition
gb agency
January 11 - February 22, 2014

Inventing a Future

Inventing a Future, group exhibition
gb agency
January 26 - March 13, 2013

Július Koller: Mini-Concepts / Maxi-ideas

Solo exhibition
gb gallery
from June 2 to July 21, 2012

Both before and after

Group show
gb agency
7 May to 3 July 2010

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Group exhibition
gb agency
27 March to 30 April 2010

Nord, Nord-Ouest

Group show
gb agency
From June 25 to July 25, 2009

Július Koller: Space is The Place

A solo show by Július Koller
gb agency
From June 2 to July 21, 2007

Links

Group exhibition
gb agency
13 September to 8 November 2003

Exhibitions (solo) catalogues and books:

2020: AMA. Ľubomír Ďurček, Květoslava Fulierová, Július Koller and Amateur Artists. Edited by Daniel Grúň. Coordination: The Július Koller Society. Publisher: Schlebrügge.
2010: Július Koller: Science-Fiction Retrospective, ovenska narodna galeria, Bratislava. Texts by Petra Hanakova, Katarina Bajcurova, Kvetoslava Fulierova, Aurel Hrabusicky, Alexandra Kusa, Georg Schollhammer
2003: Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, Kolnischer KunstvereinCatalogue, edited by Kathrin Romberg, Roman Ondak, 248 pages, with 185 illustrations; Essays by Georg Schöllhammer and Vít Havránek. Conversations with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Roman Ondak, text in German, English and Slovak. Published by Verlag Walter König, Cologne
1992: Július Koller: Sondy (Probes), Galeria sucasneho umenia Slovenskj narodnej galerie

Exhibitions (collective) catalogues and books :

2010: Index / Assembly (Index), de Appel arts centre; Fluxus East, Fluxus Networks in Central Eastern Europe, with texts by: Eric Andersen, Andrea Bátorová, György Galántai, Milan Knížák, Vytautas Landsbergis, Pavlína Morganová, Luiza Nader, Maria Anna Potocka, Tamás St. Auby, Petra Stegmann, Emmett Williams, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, 2010; Promises of the Past, A Discontinuous History of Art in Former Eastern Europe, with text by Vit Havránek, Joanna Mytkowska, Slavoj Zizek, Natasa Petresin, Christine Macel, Igor Zabel. MNAM, Centre Pompidou, Paris, Published by JRP | Ringier
2009: Situation (Documents of Contemporary Art), with text by Claire Doherty, MIT Press, Whitechapel Gallery
2008: Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art, with texts by Francesco Manacorda, Lydia Yee and Tom McCarthy, Barbican Art Gallery, London; The Book of Intentions, F.R. DAVID, de Appel Arts Centre; From the scene to the clandestine. Insternational Activities of Artists on the unofficial Slovak Scene 1973 - 1976 text by Bartosova Zuzana; Unofficial Slovak Art Scene (1973-1976), Normalization of Artistic Life, Artistic Discourse; Regards sur l’art de l’autre Europe: l’art contemporain est-européen text by Olivier Vargin, L’Harmattan, Paris
2007: Charley n° 05, Les Presses du Reel; Documenta 12 Magazine #3 - Education, Documenta 12
2006: East Art Map, edited by IRWIN, Afterall Books; Frieze Projects, series of publications recording the commissions and talks at Frieze Art Fair; KONTAKT…works from the collection of Erste Bank Group, Exhibition Catalogue, German/English, 2006, Publisher Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien
2004: Cordially Invited, BAK - basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht; Collected Views from East or West, Generali Foundation; De ma fenêtre, des artistes et leurs territoires…with Texts by Maria Anna Potocka, Maria Morzuch, Kathrin Rhomberg, Georg Schoellhammer, ENSBA, Paris; Passage d’Europe: réalités, références : un certain regard sur l’art d’Europe centrale et orientale, Musée d’art moderne Saint-Etienne
2003: Now What? Dreaming a better world in six parts, BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht
2002: Ausgeträumt…with contributions of Egon Bondy, Rike Frank, Boris Groys, Hakan Gürses, Matthias Herrmann, Reni Hofmüller, Julius Koller, Joanna Mytkowska, Diana Nenadic, Oswald Oberhuber, Roman Ondak, Carola Platzek, Kathrin Rhomberg, Ruth Sonderegger, Branka Stipancic, Friedrich Tietjen, Daniela Hammer-Tugendhat, Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Igor Zabel, Luise Ziaja. Secession, Wien
2001: Art Action 1958 - 1998, Inter Art Actuel et Le Lieu, Centre en Art Actuel, Quebec
1999: Global Conceptualism: Points of Origin, 1950s-1980s, Queens Museum of Art
1996: Face à l’histoire,1933-1996 : l’artiste moderne devant l’événement historique, text by Jean-Paul Ameline, MNAM, Centre Georges Pompidou, Flammarion
1991: The Routes of European Culture Lodz / Bratislava / Brussels / Berlin
1980: Works and Words, De Apple, Amsterdam

Presse (Sélection)

2010: Le Monde, L’univers ironique et décalé des artistes de l’est, by Roxana Aximi, June 5.
2009: Obersee Nachrichten, Vier Künstler - eine Ausstellung, 12 Marz, #39; Tagblatt, Ausstellung, Rapperwil II, seite 48, 27 March.; Zürichsee-Zeitung, Die grizchische Skulptur flieg in den Weltraum, Seite 2, 16 March; Züritipp, Frische Luft im Weltall, seite 35, 19 March; Frieze, Life Work by Jan Verwoert, # 212, March.
Ludlow 38, Jirí Kovanda & Július Koller, The Steins #7, Ludlow 38, New York.
2008: Art 21, Nouvelles du Mont Analogue, by Loraine Dumenil, #17, Printemps.
2007: Frieze, Július Koller 1939 - 2007, by Jan Verwoert, #111, Nov / Dec.; Untitled Tranzit: an institution without institution, by Tobi Maier, # 42, Summer.; Documenta Magazine, Július Koller, #3.; Springerin Július Koller 1939-2007, April.; Flash Art International, The Grand Tour, Július Koller, Artist Bratislava, page 76, Oct.; Le Monde, Július Koller gb agency by Emmanuelle Lequeux, 23 June.; Telerama, Július Koller : Space is the Place, 22 june.; Le Monde, Le retour des années 1970 ou le refus de l’amnésie, by Roxana Azimi, 10-11 June.
2006: Index, Engagement instead of Arrangement. Július Koller’s Erratic Work on the Re-Conception of Aesthetic Space 1960, by Georg Schöllhammer.
2005: Springerin, Július Koller : …in March, an old man came around, by Jiri , #2.
2004: Artforum International, Július Koller, Kolnischer Kunstverein by Tom Holert, Jan.
2003: Piatok, Slovenska umenie v Stanici utopie, by Maria Hrabkova, 22 Aug.; SME, Slovenské umenie sa zastavi v stanici utopia, by Ludo Petransk, 3 June.

Július Koller
AMA, 2020

Soft cover
Editor: Daniel Grúň
Production and coordination: The Július Koller Society, Bratislava
Publisher: SCHLEBRÜGGE.EDITOR
ISBN: 978-3-903172-62-3
Dimensions: 23 x 30 cm
Language: English
340 pages

Július Koller
One Man Anti Show, Dokumentation, Documentation, Dokumentàcia, 2017

Publication

Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg, Georg Schöllhammer (eds.)
Mumok - Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien

Július Koller
One Man Anti Show, 2016

Publication

Daniel Grúň, Kathrin Rhomberg, Georg Schöllhammer (eds.)
Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter König, Köln
Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien

Július Koller
Galéria Ganku, 2014

Monographic publication

Edited by Daniel Grúň
Published by Schlebrügge.Editor, Vienna, 2014
English/Slovak, 124 pages
numerous illustrations in b/w and colour
297 x 210 mm, softcover
ISBN 978-0-9570494-3-7

Július Koller
Science-FIction Retrospective, 2010

Book

texts by Petra Hanakova, Katarina Bajcurova, Kvetoslava Fulierova, Aurel Hrabusicky, Alexandra Kusa, Georg Schollhammer
366 pages, english/czech
© Slovenska narodna galeria, Bratislava 2010
ISBN : 978-80-8059-148-9

Július Koller
Július Koller: Univerzálne Futurologické Operácie, 2003

Book

Catalogue, edited by Kathrin Romberg, Roman Ondak, Kolnischer Kunstverein 2003
248 pages, with 185 illustrations
Essays by Georg Schöllhammer and Vít Havránek. Conversations with Hans Ulrich Obrist and Roman Ondak,
Text in German, English and Slovak.
Published by Verlag Walter König, Cologne 2003
ISBN : 3-88375-744-6