Heartbreak Q&A Chain - Lana Čmajčanin
The Heartbreak artists Q&A chain is a mini-interview series with the nine contemporary artists exhibiting in Heartbreak. Each interviewee raises a question from their own interests, which the next interview follows up on, approaching from their own perspective. Together, these linked interviews form a 'chain' that collectively asks, and answers, questions that cover a diverse range of topics: from artistic practice to the effects of geopolitics.
How does the process of presenting the artwork through the media and art critics affect the original concept and meaning of the artwork?
Lana Čmajčanin “‘Perhaps the answer can be found in two different standpoints. One from the authors and the other from the recipients. From the perspective of an artist, I am not sure if it really does affect the initial concept. The meaning of the work can be interpreted and understood in countless ways by the broader spectrum of the recipients, or it might not. It pretty much depends on the artist’s decision over the level of articulation of the idea and its materialisation. Despite the various possibilities and individual perspectives or analysis of the work, the initial concept of the artwork in the eyes of the author most probably will remain the same. It is hardly changeable once the artwork is produced. I doubt that the artist would re-conceptualise a completed piece because of the influence of the media and art critics.
Critics and media representation can help the visibility of the work and perhaps influence the understanding of the work, for better or worse. But it cannot change the original concept of the artwork. However, it is quite interesting to see and learn how individual interpretations of a single artwork might differ, and how some additional layers of meaning can be added or just simply reduced. Though, what might influence the understanding of the meaning of the artwork and its media representation is the context (social, geopolitical, cultural, economic, etc.) within which the artist operates, or artwork was created and produced, as well as its complexity..”