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Pojem iluzija je vsak dan navzoč v našem življenju> bodisi da si tako želimo sami in si zato okoli sebe (včasih tudi čisto nevede) ustvarjamo svet, ki ga v resnici ni, bodisi nam iluzijo pričarajo drugi. Svet umetnosti pa je, že od antike dalje, sploh poln takšnih in drugačnih iluzij.
Če za koga, potem lahko za Marka Kovačiča rečemo, da je iluzija rdeča nit njegovega ustvarjanja. Kot izrazito raznolik umetnik se najraje izraža v medijih, ki mu omogočajo izživeti njegove vizije in fantazije. Zato ni čudno, da se je, čeprav je po osnovni izobrazbi kipar, že kmalu po študiju začel ukvarjati s filmom in predvsem z videom. Vzporedno pa so nastajale tudi njegove kiparske stvaritve objekti, ki jih je navdihoval modernizem.
Vendar so se takšne in drugačne družbene ter politične spremembe počasi začele izražati tudi v Kovačičevem delu. Bolj in bolj je puščal iluziji svojo pot. Začenjal je ustvarjati nove zgodbe z že zavrženimi protagonisti. Oživel je stare, odslužene figure ter jim v starih televizorjih namenil nov prostor pod soncem. Od oživljanja do nove stvaritve pa je le korak, in tako so se v Kovačičevem ateljeju iznenada znašli Plastosi - - iluzija brez primere. Plastosi niso več samo objekti (ali bitja), temveč je okoli njih zgrajena celotna zgodba, še več, Plastosi so zgodovinsko in geografsko določeni.
S postavitvijo Prestop se Marko Kovačič znova vrača h kipu (objektu - mehanizmu), ki s pomočjo vdelanih zrcal omogoča ustvarjanje iluzije. Z njim hoče vzpostaviti odnos med kipom, gledalcem in prostorom. Avtorja zanimajo podobe, prizori, mehanizmi, družbena in prostorska razmerja, svetloba, zvok, iluzija in preoblikovanje stvarnosti. Predvsem pa seveda gledalec. Za popolni estetski učinek ni dovolj le pasiven pogled, temveč aktivno sodelovanje gledalca. Pri svojem delu nikakor ne pozabi na zgodovinski in družbeni kontekst. Z do potankosti preštudirano postavitvijo kipa v prostor mu poskuša odvzeti avro samozadostnega estetskega objekta. Zdi se, da so kipi Marka Kovačiča kot kultni objekti, ki od nas zahtevajo nekakšen ritual čaščenja, zaradi česar je premišljena postavitev še toliko pomembnejša. čeprav ne tako neposredno, se tudi v svojem kiparstvu ne more izogniti predelavi starega v novo. Za izhodišče vzame Brancusijev kip (ali celo dva) ter nam s pomočjo zrcal omogoči pogled na Neskončni steber. Zrcalo kot simbol simbolov - - ki nas opominja na našo tukajšnjo navzočnost, minevanje in minljivost. In čeprav je Kovačičevo kiparstvo polno zrcal, se lahko le največjim pesimistom zgodi, da podležejo turobnim občutjem, ki naj bi jih ta simbol izžareval. Vsi ostali pa lahko le uživamo v umetnini, ki je izpeljana do najmanjše premišljenosti.
Petra Skaberne

Illusion is a concept which is present in our lives on a daily basis. Either because that is how we want it and we create around ourselves a world that does not exist (sometimes entirely unconsciously), or because others conjure up an illusion for us. The world of art has since ancient times been full of illusions of one kind or another.
If there was ever an artist in whose work illusion could be said to represent a common thread, then that artist is Marko Kovačič. A man of many parts, he prefers to express himself in media which allow him to live out his visions and fantasies. It is therefore no surprise that soon after finishing his studies - he is a sculptor by training - - he began working with film and, above all, video. Parallel with this activity, he continued to create sculpturesžobjects inspired by modernism. Over time, social and political changes began to be reflected in Kovačič ,s work. Increasingly, he let illusion take its course. He began creating new stories with already discarded protagonists. He reanimated old, worn-out figures and gave them a new place in the sun inside old television sets. From reanimation to new creation, however, it is but a step, and thus all of a sudden the Plastosi - - an illusion without parallel -- appeared in Kovačič ,s studio. Plastosi are no longer simply objects (or creatures), an entire story is constructed around them. Moreover, Plastosi are historically and geographically determined.
With Conversion, Marko Kovačič returns to the sculpture as an object žmechanism which, with the help of built-in mirrors, enables the creation of illusion. He wants to establish a relation between the sculpture, the viewer and the space. He is interested in images, scenes, mechanisms, social and spatial relationships, light, sound, illusion and the transformation of reality. And above all in the viewer. For a total aesthetic effect, a passive viewing is not enough< the active cooperation of the viewer is required. Kovačič never forgets about historical and social context in his work. By positioning the sculpture very precisely, he tries to remove its aura of ,self-sufficient aesthetic object,. It is as though Marko Kovačič ,s sculptures were cult objects, which demand of us a kind of ritual adoration. For this reason, careful positioning is so much the more important. Even in his sculpture he is unable to avoid transforming the old into the new, albeit less directly. He takes as a starting point a sculpture (or even two) by Brancusi and, with the help of mirrors, offers us a view of his Endless Column. The mirror as a symbol of symbols reminding us of our presence here, of passing away, of transitoriness. And although Kovačič ,s sculpture is full of mirrors, even the worst pessimists can succumb to the melancholy feelings that this symbol is supposed to radiate. The rest of us can simply enjoy a work of art that has been realised with the greatest possible attention to detail.
Petra Skaberne

Marko Kovačič se je rodil leta 1956 v Ljubljani. Končal je študij kiparstva na Akademiji za likovno umetnost
v Ljubljani, kjer je pozneje nadaljeval tudi specialistični študij in ga leta 1988 zaključil. Vse od začetkov svojega umetniškega delovanja je bil aktiven na raznih področjih. Med letoma 1983 in 1985 je bil član skupine IRWIN, bil pa je tudi član gledališke skupine Ane Monroe (1981 - 1991). Njegovo interesno območje, poleg kiparstva, zajema tudi performans. Bil je eden začetnikov videoprodukcije v Sloveniji, naredil je vrsto kratkih filmov ter nastopal v gledaliških predstavah.

Pomembnejše razstave>
/1983/ Bauhaus in soočanje z gledališčem Ane Monroe, Kapelica, Ljubljana
/1983/ International Meeting on Youth Culture, Forum Bario, Rim /1985/ Was ist Kunst (s skupino IRWIN) škuc, Ljubljana /1996/ Katastropolis 2227, Galerija Loža, Koper /1998/ Fiziognomika Plastosa, Moderna galerija, Ljubljana /1998/ Body and the East, Moderna galerija, Ljubljana /1998/ Requiem, (performans), Moderna galerija, Ljubljana /2003/ Plastosi, Narodni muzej, Ljubljana
Izbor videa, filmov, performansov ter izbor samostojnih in skupinski razstav je na naslovu> http://www.videodokument.org/kovacic/kovacic.htm

Marko Kovačič was born in Ljubljana in 1956. He is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, where he also completed postgraduate studies in sculpture (1988). Since the very beginning of his artistic career he has been active in several fields. Between 1983 and 1985 he was a member of the IRWIN group. He has also been a member of the Ana Monro Theatre (1981-1991). Besides sculpture his interests include performance, video and film (he was one of the pioneers of video production in Slovenia and has made a series of short films). He has also appeared in a number of theatrical productions.
Major exhibitions> /1983/ Bauhaus in Confrontation with the Ana Monro Theatre, Kapelica, Ljubljana /1983/ International Meeting on Youth Culture, Forum Bario, Rome /1985/ Was ist Kunst ž (with IRWIN), škuc, Ljubljana /1986/ Katastropolis 2227, Galerija Loža, Koper /1998/ Fiziognomika plastosa (Physiognomy of the Plastos), Moderna galerija, Ljubljana /1998/ Body and the East, Moderna galerija, Ljubljana /1998/ Requiem (performance), Moderna galerija, Ljubljana /2003/ Plastosi, National Museum, Ljubljana
A selection of videos, films, performances and solo and group exhibitions can be found at>
http//:www.videodokument.org/kovacic/kovacic.htm

Katalog izdal: Festival Ljubljana
Zanj: Darko Brlek, direktor
Trg francoske revolucije 1-2
1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija
Tel.: +386 1/241 60 00
Faks: 01/241 60 37
www.festival-lj.si

Razstavo je pripravilo
Društvo likovnih umetnikov
Zanj: Mojca Smerdu, predsednica
Kustosinja razstave: Petra Skaberne
Fotografija: Damjan Kocjančič
Pokrovitelj: Galerija Gallus
Gallusovo nabrežje 29
1000 Ljubljana

Festival Ljubljana sofinancira
Mestna občina Ljubljana
april 2004