EVGEN COPI GORISEK: EXIT

After his successful solo show in New York “IT’S A SWEET STORY” curated by Pablo Villazan, Duve Berlin is presenting a new exhibition by Evgen Copi Gorisek “EXIT” on view from March 13 - April 9, 2021.

Let me take you to a place I know you want to go It's a good life:

That’s right – just imagine: the sun, a lot of fun and the ocean. Or: slightly sunburned and tipsy by the pool, that does work too. Young, beautiful, and fashionable. Maybe wealthy. But most importantly: free. How about we go play tennis next week? Self-care equals routine. Dine-out. Party. Followed by more self-care. Maybe also yoga this time. Is that Gucci? I wish I was as strong as him. Lmao no but honestly. Look at his muscles! Respect. Oh yeah, you can tell she slay, have you seen her profile? Amaaaze, look at how sleek it looks! How it shines. Surface, surface, plasticity. Can you take a picture of me in front of this painting? I need a photo with EVGEN because my Instagram is weak as fuck! Lol what?

Let’s be honest: if there is one thing our Social Media feeds have probably taught us, it’s that we rather dislike trashing our minds with sharp truths and uncozy realism (let’s take Facebook out of this because dude: what happened to it honestly?). Even less so when confronting these two b*tches irl has become more and more inevitable lately. Thank goodness at least our bubble is what we make it! Which is why having a closer look into the paintings by EVGEN ČOPI GORIŠEK is all the more recommendable – presented and (you shall be so lucky) *actually* exhibited at DUVE Berlin from March 5 to April 9. And of course (how could it not) brought to you live from the gallery through your favorite smartass devices! 2021 style.

Love is shining.

Life is thriving in the good life.

If life looks good on the outside, life will be good on the inside too. The worse it gets from the inside, the better it has to appear outwardly. This is just basic human logic. And jep, also a brief description of how Instagram works. Well, walking through EVGEN‘s studio is the joyful equivalent of scrolling through the modern-day feed of a young millennial with expensive taste and a certain sense for leisure. Like the vail of a siren, a whirl of stunning images drags you in and before you know it, you spend an entire evening looking at them. Afterwards, you feel this particular mix of motivational inspiration and a little bit of jealousy. And you double-tap (not on the paintings please) and you give it a like because what you see is the good life and you too, you want to live your best life. No more bad times Only glad times in the good life

In a world where no one moves in the art scene without being on Insta anymore and some older spirits among us are afraid of TikTok taking over (oh no, not another new platform please) it does not come as a surprise that Contemporary Art came to adapt its aesthetics. Post-digital, post-internet, post contemporary? One of the hottest things in painting right now is the substitution of hair with air: the brush digitized to air-brush. Needless to say that EVGEN’s got that going for him too. Which is nice because it serves his interest in surfaces and plasticity. In his works, strongly elaborated figures are often in relief against a radically plain and simple background. It almost seems like the foreground was cut out of an image with the lasso tool and photoshopped into the painting. This contrast causes the eye to focus – unfocus like the objective of a camera trying to sharpen an image. The artist’s work has been described as »faux-naif«, its content being referred to as »contemporary absurdities«.

When the good look in then it feels as good as a good life.

When EVGEN talks about the inspiration he finds for his works on the internet it’s all about fast input and furious output. So fast, so furious, almost blurry. When translating it into his typical portraits and still lives, the identities of the portrayed dazzle with the faces and leave voids behind only to be filled by the spectator. Please feel invited to embody the person in front of you! There is only one condition – no, sorry, wait – there is only one expression: the smile must remain.

»Smile, life is good!« – »But the cool kids also cry.« – »Doesn’t matter, just keep smiling!« – »But there are only loners left alive.« – »Don’t let the tears fool ya – it could have been worse!« is the dialogue that EVGEN‘s paintings and respective titles give us a quiet insight to.

No more rainy days.

The sun will chase the clouds away In the good life.

So, if we have now come to interact through a display wall that filters out bad vibes, one could wonder how much reality there is left to communicate about. Are negative emotions becoming a rudimentary part of our lives that only exist in our offline worlds? Do Social Media increment delusional escapism and denial? In a way, maybe... but EVGEN‘s work is about hope and sending out positive feels into the world. Hope to finally get out of this pandemic, leave winter behind and embrace the good life in all its senses. And let‘s be honest, we do all need this kind of positivity in our lives now more than ever.

You guys, in this spirit: let’s take an exit. An exit through the good life. Into the good life. Life is thriving in the good life. Sweet life awaits us there. Come on, what are you waiting for?

Good life. Good life, Good life, Good life, Good life, In the good, life Good life.

Text by Noelia Gaite Gallardo

Evgen Čopi Gorišek (b. 1994, Koper, Slovenia) is a Berlin-based artist. Recent solo and group exhibitions include *It’s a Sweet Story* Padre Gallery, New York, USA, *Only loners left alive* Plan X Art Gallery, Milan, IT, *Quixotic* Ramp Gallery, London, UK *Untitled Art Fair*, PlanX Gallery, Miami Beach, USA, *My own Universe* PADRE Gallery, New York, USA, *System Failure* Plastic Murs, Valencia, Spain, *Don’t Give a Damns* Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, Netherlands, *Cut,Copy,Paste* PlanX Art Gallery, Milan, IT. Gorišek’s work will be exhibited in upcoming exhibitions at König Galerie, Berlin DE, Plan X Art Gallery, Capri, Italy