THIRD ART MANIFESTO
1
Third Art both does not exist yet and has existed as long as art exists.
Third Art is not self-sufficient. While it is an integral part of all possible realms of being and non-being it should not lose itself as art.
Third Art is interested in the destiny of life upon the Earth and in the universe.
2
“First Art” is the art of serving a given culture and its dominant patterns of civilization and religion. (Classical art)
“Second Art” is the art expressed as art – art that focuses on its own essence and follows its own purpose; its foundation and justification is art itself. (Modern art)
»Third Art« is the art of co-creating the space of reality plus looking into the unknown.
3
Creating an art work upon the Earth means that the creative process evolves within the Gaia consciousness and embraced by the elemental powers of Gaia.
Gaia is the creator of life forms visible and invisible. It is Gaia that teaches the art of living, creating, and transforming in the conditions of matter.
4
The possibility of embodying an artwork or any other work in a more or less material form is the gift of Gaia. Together with its elemental and sub-elemental beings, Gaia the Earth goddess has developed the ability to respond to human visions and ideas developing ways how to manifest them in corresponding material or pre-material forms.
5
Limiting our existence and existence of other beings to material forms should not be accepted. The range of forms in which the existing can exist is unlimited, reaching from pure spirituality, passing the realm of energy patterns up to the embodiment in material tissue. A work of art is capable of resounding throughout the entire spectrum.
6
The space of reality becomes restricted to the material form if irrevocably caught in the horizon of reasoning mind. The space of reality becomes imprisoned in the one-dimensional space and time structure if perceived exclusively through the optics of the subjective-objective distance. If experienced holistically, however, the multidimensionality of space and time becomes apparent.
7
To experience reality in a holistic way means to perceive it by combining physical senses with one’s emotional sensitivity, imagination, and one’s intuition.
To perceive reality of life in a holistic way means to become one with the perceived phenomenon, to embody it first within one’s inner world and only then step out of it creating a logical statement about the experience.
8
In the conditions of perception being strictly limited to the boundaries of the logical mind, artist should set an example and move beyond and navigate freely between the various dimensions of the Earth and the Universe, making use of the freedom allotted to artistic activity by the contemporary culture.
9
Human freedom is only worth as much as other beings are free to be who they really are, either fellow human beings or other beings belonging to the natural or supra-natural worlds.
Freedom is a relative cause. Person may be free in terms of the right to vote or travel wherever they want and still be un-free if caught in the thought patterns of the governing civilization and its rules of control.
10
There are tools which enable the universe in all its diversity to be built and rebuilt in every instant. Art is allowed to use these same tools of creating reality if it is willing to collaborate with the matrices of the universal creation.
11
The path of art is simultaneously the path of self-knowledge – this is true both for artists themselves as for the people enjoying their creation – which means experiencing who an individual is in his or her essence
12
Art is capable of offering an open language of communication with beings of other dimensions of space and time that the contemporary civilization is ignoring.
Art is capable of re-creating the sacredness of landscape, of the life flow permeating it and the sacredness of beings visible and invisible that are its custodians.
Marko Pogačnik, UNESCO Artist for Peace 2012–2018
Marko taking part in the international selection of the 57th Venice Biennale 2017 entitled “Viva Arte Viva”
This year I am invited to take part twice in the international part of the Venice Biennale selected by Christine Macel from Centre Pompidou, Paris.
As first I take part as a member of the OHO group with some works from 1969-70.
Secondly I take part as an individual artist with my geomantic work about Venice (drawings and books 1986-2016). Both will be exhibited in the Arsenale.
The exhibition will be open from May 13th till November 26st.
There will be one day dedicated to my work called “Tavola aperta” which will take place on Saturday November 18th 2017. That day and the following Sunday I intend besides presenting my work also to do guided tour and workshop for/in Venice. Details will be later published on this website under “Programs”.
Marko Pogačnik, 1969, programmed forest, aluminium sheets, numerical program
Some background to my present-day art work
My work in art started in 1962 with my first exhibition featuring ready-made objects.
In 1965 we founded together with the poet Iztok Geister the OHO movement that after 1969 transformed into the OHO group. We worked in conceptual art, land art, performance, film etc. (for documentation see Moderna galerija Ljubljana).
In 1971 OHO group transformed into a commune to integrate daily life into the art work – including agriculture and serving as a spiritual centre for that time Yugoslavia. We worked in the field of art as “Sempas family” (1971-79).
After 1979 my art work transformed into a specific form ofecological art that I call lithopuncture i.e. “acupuncture of the Earth” (see the button “Lithopuncture”).
Parallel to this I started together with my wife Marika after 2005 to build art installations in galleries and museums. We use for this purpose the language of cosmograms expressed through natural materials.
Enjoy some of our installations photographed by Bojan Brecelj.
