BAST

The cover version of Problem, the well known Sex Pistols song, has been used by the Department for Audio and Visual Communication of Problemarket.com - the Problem Stock Exchange as soundtrack for the 2003 edition of ProNews - Reports from the Problem Stock Exchange.

The video Problem results from the selection of the 2003 top news from the Problem Stock Exchange.

The most radical change in ProNews 2003 is the introduction of the professional TV journalist Maja Vugrinec announcing the news in deaf and dump language.

Problem is therefore the world first video clip for deaf and dump. Subtitles are available in English, Slovene and Italian language.

Problem has been premiered at the AHA Center , Stockholm, Sweden, in October 2003.

As I had the opportunity to write last year in a letter to the Italian Prime Minister, Cav. Silvio Berlusconi, "problems are humanity at its best." The ability to cause, spread and maintain problems is one of the characteristics peculiar to Homo sapiens.
I wrote Cav. Berlusconi as Director of the PROmediaSet Centre for Media Studies, founded in 2002 by Problemarket in order to promote research on media problems, and congratulated him on his ability to keep the problems linked to the conflict of interests alive; I also invited him to collaborate with Problemarket.
This company was established in Slovenia in 2000 by Janez Janša and Igor Štromajer, it represents one of the best examples of social responsibility in contemporary art. Janša and Štromajer, who are, in fact, professional artists, did not hesitate to risk their promising careers in order to dedicate themselves to a thoroughly new activity, becoming entrepreneurs in a sector which is still little known by mainstream economy.
In less than three years, as documented in the video ProNews one can say the challenge was won. The company's rapid growth has surpassed the already fantastic scores reached by eastern economies, new activities and foreign branches have been started all over eastern and western Europe and an effective consolidation of PRO, the official currency of the Problemarket problem stock exchange, are all good symptoms showing that this initiative is meeting with success – notwithstanding some initial detractors, who were too superficial in judging and, perhaps, obscurely selfish.
It is not by chance that this video, an example of far-sightedness and professionalism in the media, is accompanied by the music of the BAST Collective, a band having its roots in Slovenian underground music of the 80s, but grown to a new maturity today. Because, as Johnny Rotten used to say at the end of the ‘70s: "The problem is you."

Antonio Caronia
Director of the PROmediaSet Centre for Media Studies, Milan

Premiered at:

AHA Center , Stockholm, Sweden, October 2003.

Problem/ProNews was also presentad at:

2006
REWIND... REWIND... Three Decades of Video-art in Puerto Rico, curated by Elvis Fuentes as part of the NATIONAL ART EXHIBIT 2005-2006, Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, April 21st, 2006, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collaborate, participate, perform! in the frame of the Piemonte Share Festival, Mar. 8th-12th 2006, Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti, Turin, Italy
KiBela Gallery, MMC Kibla, Jan. 27th 2006, Maribor, Slovenia

2005
"On Air: video in onda dall'Italia", curated by Andrea Bruciati and Antonella Crippa, Dec. 15thc- Jan. 6th 2005, C/O careof, Milan, Italy
"On Air: video in onda dall' Italia", 18the-21st of August, 2005, curated by Andrea Bruciati and Antonella Crippa, Festival Incontemporanea, Ovada, Alessandria, Italy
The Beach, May 27th, organized by Domenico Quaranta in collaboration with Piemonte Share Festival, Turin, Italy
"On Air: video in onda dall' Italia", March 5th-20th 2005, curated by Andrea Bruciati and Antonella Crippa, Pescheria della Rocca, Lugo di Romagna, Ravenna, Italy
MIELANEXT, March 24th, 2005, presentation of video works by Janez Janša, Teatro Miela, Trieste, Italy
"On Air: video in onda dall' Italia, March 5th-20th 2005, curated by Andrea Bruciati and Antonella Crippa, Pescheria della Rocca, Lugo di Romagna, Ravenna, Italy
"TACTIC-STRATEGY-NEGATION-POWER" in the frame of "Science & Fiction" organized by the Consulate General of Slovenia, St. Cyril's Church Hall, St Marks Place, New York City, NY, USA
Maryland Institute College of Art, curated by Michael Rakowitz, February 8th, 2005, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
"On Air: video in onda dallItalia", Dec. 27th 2004 / Jan 9th 2005, curated by Andrea Bruciati and Antonella Crippa, Fortino di Sant'Andrea, Bari, Italy

2004
Glassbox gallery, December 13th, Paris, France
"Phantom Expression in frames of Cultural Teritories", November 27th 2004 - January 16th 2005, Galerie für Zeitgenözissische Kunst, Leipzig, Germany
MMC Mostovna, November 19th, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
"Omaggio a Joseph Beuys", October 6th, Museo comunale d'arte moderna Ascona, Ascona (Locarno, Ticino), Switzerland
"MACRO-Videoteca", MACRO - Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma, September 21st-25th, Rome, Italy
"Art.ficial Emotion - Technological Divergences", 1st - September 18th,,curated by Airlindo Machado and Gilbertto Prado, the Itaucultural Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Gallery Kazamat, Osijek, Croatia
Cultural Center Dom Omladine, Belgrade, Serbia and Crnagora
Gallery META, Bucarest, Romania
Gallery AoRTa, Chisinau, Moldova
Gallery Vector, Iasi Romania
Art Academy, Bucarest, Romania
"On Air: video in onda dall' Italia", March 19th-28th, curated by Andrea Bruciati and Antonella Crippa, Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea, Monfalcone, Italy

2003
"Arte en Progresión", Centro Cultural San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
"SCANNER", La Gaité Lyrique, Paris, France
Royal Accademy, Stockholm, Sweeden

CREDITS

Authors: Janez Janša and Igor Stromajer
Computer graphics: Janez Ferlan

Producers: Janez Janša and Igor Stromajer
Ljubljana, October 2003

Music: BAST