Nina Koželj
Cornfield (Stay as Long as You Like), 2020
The cornfield is woven from strips of pasture fencing and electrified with a battery-powered electric fence. When the leaves are touched, weak electrical impulses are transmitted – the entire cornfield is energised, we sense a trembling, and hear crackling and clicking noises. When visitors touch it, they feel a slight electric shock, which can be physically uncomfortable and is often accompanied by a smile of surprise and slight embarrassment. “Discomfort and disturbance, unusual behaviour, and reaction are a constant feature of Nina Koželj’s art. They are impersonal provocations on a personal level. In one instance the wind blows in your eyes, another time it hisses for no particular reason, and a third time you’re electrified when you touch things.” (Vasja Nagy-Hofbauer) All these states lead to thematically clear, concrete (and often humorous) sculptural bodies in which the visual motif is unambiguous, with the visual language often guided by the choice of material and technique. The installation poses no danger to human health. People with pacemakers are advised not to come into contact with the installation.
electrified sculpture installation, courtesy of the artist, photo: Mitja Kuret
Nina Koželj (1985) works in sculpture, printmaking, and spatial installations. After graduating from the Secondary School for Design and Photography in Ljubljana, she studied at the Faculty of Education in Ljubljana, specialising in fine arts education. She has presented her work in group and solo exhibitions in Slovenia and abroad, including [Kunst]-Projekte Gallery (in tandem with Cordue), Mannheim, Germany (2019), Velenje Gallery (2017), Simulaker Gallery, Novo mesto (2015), Ivan Grohar Gallery, Škofja Loka (2011). In 2016, she took part in the U3 Triennial of Contemporary Slovene Arts in the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana. She received the award for the best young artist at the May Salon (2023) and for the best young artist at the Etike/te Biennal, Novo mesto (2021). She was nominated for the Artima Art Prize, Karlsruhe (2020) and held a scholarship from the Swiss Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation (2010). She lives and works in Stahovica, near Kamnik, Slovenia.
