15. 11. 2024, 19.00

15 November 2024, at 7pm

DUM Project Space
[Kolodvorska 6, Ljubljana]
The exhibition will be on display also on 16 and 17 November 2024, 5-8pm.

The exhibition Spatial Predictability showcases brand new work by Jake Babnik, who poses fundamental questions about the perception of mediated image and the complex relationship between space and (its) image and meaning. In doing so, he continues his profound reflection of the ontology of photography, in particular from the perspective of photographic composition, which in everyday situations is often aimed to attract, please and persuade. With minimal spatial intervention, he explores the transformative tools and unwritten criteria that can frame and define a potential photograph. Therefore, the exhibition does not showcase photographs, but fragments of a space that could easily become ideal photographic composition.

Instead of photographing a space and transferring it into a two-dimensional image, he physically frames it, in a way that he simply highlights the composition that would work best in the photograph. In doing so, he explores the social and cultural conditionality of the gaze and visual codes. In his professional practice Babnik often documents exhibitions and exhibition spaces that require predetermined views and compositions in order to appear convincing and effective, and consequently he also questions the mechanisms that establish conventions, and label a certain image as good, effective and attractive. In doing so, he aims to establish a discourse on the ontology of photography and visual culture, and to reflect on the knowledge, experience, innate aesthetics, symbols and memories that determine the way images are perceived. On the other hand, he is well aware that he himself – no matter how hard he may try – cannot exempt himself from the learned cultural code that profoundly informs his artistic practice and professional work.

Jaka Babnik (1979) graduated from social studies and history at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, and has been working as a photographer and cinematographer since 1996. Currently he works as a photographer, artist and publisher who gained local and international acclaim with projects such as We Are Dogs! (2007-2009), Jebodrom (2014), Holy Land (2017), Why So Serious? (2016-2017), Heroes of My Time (2017), Pygmalion (2018-2019), Time Levelling (2020) and Photographs for Illustration Purposes Only (2020), Exercises in Style (2021), Moving Pictures (2024) in It Matters What Your Eyes Can See (2024). He is co-founder and co-owner (together with Boštjan Pavletič) of the independent publishing house Rostfrei Publishing that, since 2012, produces artists’ books and photobooks. He lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Producers of the exhibition:
Zavod Sektor and DUM Association