At 7 pm on 8th November 2011 the Equrna gallery in Ljubljana will host the opening of the solo exhibition of Viktor Bernik and Žiga Kariž. Following a long lasting cooperation, numerous group and solo projects, the two painters (who recently started to share a studio) decided to exhibit together for the very first time. In their newest exhibition they decided to present two new series of paintings. The exhibition will be accompanied by a text written by dr. Petja Grafenauer which can be found in the brochure designed by Kontrastika studio.

The artists belong to the painting circle that invaded the galleries at the end of the 1990s. Their paintings typically depicted images that were a reaction to the extended status of the visual (amongst all other things). Since then their practices have become individualised, however a connection could still be felt in their occasional co-operations and joint appearances, as well as in their works themselves. Recently Viktor Bernik and Žiga Kariž started to share a studio, which might have influenced this exhibition.
So far the painting opuses of both artists have interchanged with projects that only marginally dealt with paintings; the artists often set off into a world of installations, drawings, events, video or graphic prints. As regards the matter they were mainly linked to painting, but in order to achieve a better effect the painters used numerous other forms. This experience was always reciprocal and visible in every new painting series. Their artistic practice also shows that they have been becoming increasingly the 'painter's' painter over the years. This does not mean that the forms in their paintings became more spontaneous, or that there were more coincidences or gestures. Even though this is also true. But this is a consequence of the conceptual decision to move away from the prepainting concept, which in reality means that the artists decided: »The exhibition will be in Equrna, so let's paint!«