project BAST (1998-2007)

BAST journey started in 1998 as music studio project initiated by Aldo Ivancic and Vuk Krakovic. In 1999, with entrance of the conceptual artist Janez Janša, the project turned into a multi-layer platform for audio-visual experiments, media invasions and forge for artistic guerrilla tactics.

This collaboration resulted in the publication of 3 albums (Bast, the Secret Life of the Next Door Neighbour and Retinal Circus), the realization of some cutting-edge concerts, the production of various video art pieces, the participation to more than 50 contemporary art exhibitions in several countries around the world (Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Puerto Rico and Japan) and in numerous broadcasting on National TV and Cable TV channels such as RTV/SLO1 and 2 in Slovenia, RAI 3 in Italy, HRV 1 in Croatia etc.

Music wised the project BAST is a journey to the urban-pagan trance, that overrides the boundaries of genres in its content and form. It is a melting pot that destroys the artificial borders between cultures and returns to the music as a ritual act. It is not ethno, rock, jazz, techno, hip-hop, avant-garde or pop, but a continuous search for the balance between chaos and order.
This project had many members actively participating in various of its phases and on different extents. Among them Vuk Kraković, Drago Ivanuša, Boštjan Gombač, Tomaž Grom, Marjan Stanić, Slaven Kalebič, Pidjama, Matjaž Manček, Gal Gjurin, Andraž Mazi, Vasko Atanasovski, Dejan Lapanja, Žiga Ragus and Irena Tomažin.

Turning over to "special guests" it is worth to mention the collaboration with Ron Athey, one of the most prominent representative of the contemporary performing art scene, and the one with the gender-queer art-music icon Vaginal Davis during the legendary event Visions of Excess organized by Aksioma and Kapelica Gallery at the Codelli's Castle in Ljubljana, Slovenia (2004).

BAST video production comprises several videos by Janez Janša and 11 small gem of video art by various artists and filmmakers including Zemira Alajbegović, Marina Gržinić & Aina Šmid, Igor Štromajer, Neven Korda, Ema Kugler, Janez Janša, Stanka Brljevic, Mirko Simić, Kolja Saksida, Harry Rag and Ven Jemeršić.
The video Ron's Story (video: Janez Janša, music: bast, lyrics and performance: Ron Athey) is part of the collection of the ACMI - Australian Center for the Moving Image in Melbourne, Australia.

For live visual events BAST collaborated closely with video artist Barbato Kanak who coordinated and managed the whole visual outfit for the project Burn Out (club) involving VJs such as Gwen Taylor, VJ 22, VJ 707 and VJseex.

The majority of the above-mentioned activities were supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the City of Ljubljana/Department of Culture and produced by Aksioma - Institute for Contemporary Art, Ljubljana.

The project BAST ends in April 2007 with the release of the album Retinal Circus. All activities realized in the frame of this project are archived in this site.