Laibach is a cross-media collective formation, founded in 1980 in the industrial mining town Trbovlje. The name Laibach (Austro-German for the capital city Ljubljana) as well as the group’s militant self-stylisation, propagandist manifestos and statements have raised numerous debates on their artistic and political positioning.
Due to official political ban on Laibach in Slovenia/Yugoslavia in 1983 the group initiated the founding of a wider collective of NSK (Neue Slowenische Kunst) in 1984 and its graphic department Novi Kolektivizem (New Collectivism), extending Laibach tactics and aesthetic into a wider and diverse media practice. This led to the establishment of a strong platform for cultural activity within the climate of liberalisation and pluralisation in 80ies Yugoslavia. NSK existed as a collective movement till 1992, when it modified itself into a virtual State in Time.
Laibach became internationally renowned in the music scene, especially with their violating re-interpretations of hits by Queen and the Beatles, but also by their unique concerts in occupied Sarajevo (1995) or their recent one in North Korean capital of Pyongyang (2015) and remaining a point of reference in terms of artistic cultural criticism.
During recent years the group underwent an international re-evaluation of their artistic practice in the course of an emergence of post-structuralist views on worldwide conceptual art production and has thus performed a special extended and sold out show on April 14th 2012 in London’s Tate Modern – Turbine Hall. Extensive Laibach Kunst retrospective exhibitions were shown in Łódź (Muzeum Sztuki), Ljubljana (MGLC), Trbovlje (Delavski Dom), Maribor (UGM) and Zagreb (HDLU) in the period between 2009 – 2012. Laibach has also been subject of the large retrospective exhibition on NSK, presented by Moderna Gallery Ljubljana in 2015, in Van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven in 2016, in Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, 2016 and in Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, 2017.
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SELECTED CHRONOLOGY / EXHIBITIONS
1980
LAIBACH founded in Trbovlje.
ALTERNATIVA SLOVENSKI KULTURI (ALTERNATIVE TO THE SLOVENE CULTURE) – Delavski dom (Workers’ Home) Cultural Centre, Trbovlje, Slovenia, Yugoslavia; first public manifestation of Laibach with collective exhibition and a concert; the event was banned before opening.
1981
LAIBACH KUNST – Galerija Srečna nova umetnost (Happy New Art Gallery), SKC (Student Cultural Centre), Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia; first exhibition of Laibach paintings, graphic works, articles and presentation of Laibach’s music from the tapes.
1982
ŽRTVE LETALSKE NESREČE (VICTIMS OF A PLANE CRASH) – Disco FV 112 / 15, Ljubljana; installation and first public concert by Laibach. The group introduces the record player as an instrument and vinyl records as a sound sample source.
AUSSTELLUNG! LAIBACH KUNST – ŠKUC (Student Cultural Centre), Ljubljana; exhibition of paintings and graphic art, concert of a Laibach sub-group 300.000 VERSCHIEDENE KRAWALLE.
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – SKC (Student Cultural Centre), Belgrade; exhibition and concert. Laibach uses military smoke bombs as special effects within the show.
TOUCH OF EVIL – Laibach performance (exhibition, concert) at the festival YU-rock Alternativa Festival, RANS Moša Pijade (Mosha Pijade Hall), Zagreb; due to alleged controversy of the show military officials investigate and question members of the group before and during the concert.
1983
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – REŽIMSKA TRANSAVANTGARDA (REGIME TRANS-AVANT-GARDE) – Galerija PM – Prošireni mediji (Expanded Media Gallery), Zagreb; Laibach exhibition banned and closed after four days due to ‘inappropriate motives exhibited’.
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – MONUMENTALNA RETROAVANTGARDA (MONUMENTAL RETRO-AVANT-GARDE) – ŠKUC (Student Cultural Centre), Ljubljana; exhibition of art works and presentation of Laibach’s first video film Documents of Oppression.
XY – NEREŠENO (XY – UNSOLVED) – TV Tednik (TV Weekly), RTV Ljubljana; controversial TV interview with Laibach.
Laibach forbidden by MK SZDL Ljubljana (City Committee of the Socialistic union of working people of Ljubljana). The ban was later officially announced in Uradni list Republike Slovenije (The Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia).
1984
THE DEBATE OVER MAN (“A Polemic Monologue as Artistic Method: Position, Problems, Perspectives”) – presentation of Laibach manifests at the video festival held at Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, France.
WAS IST KUNST? – SKC, Belgrade; Laibach performance/exhibition
On a meeting between the members of the three groups Laibach, Irwin, and Gledališče sester Scipion Nasice “NEUE SLOWENISCHE KUNST” was established in Ljubljana. The establishment of NSK was connected with the official Laibach ban and it was part of the strategy to expand Laibach aesthetics and philosophy into other media.
Laibach takes part in the New Year’s exhibition of paintings and graphic works in ŠKUC Gallery, Ljubljana.
1985
NOVE TENDENCE V UMETNOSTI ’80 (NEW TENDENCIES IN THE ART OF THE 80s), ŠKUC, Ljubljana; Laibach takes part in a group exhibition.
BERLINALE ’85 – West Berlin; participation at the video festival “Infermental”.
DAS IST KUNST – performance in Belgrade, SKC Hall; official Laibach concert posters are banned.
1986
NO FIRE ESCAPE IN HELL – eleven performances with Clark & Co. at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.
1987
LIFT ’87 – presentation of the entire NSK at the London International Festival of Theatre, with Laibach performance at Riverside Studios, London.
1988
LA VIE C’EST MOI – performances at the occasion of Divergences/Divisiones Festival, D.M.A.2., at Entrepots Laine Hall in Bordeaux, France.
N.Y. ’88 – two performances at the occasion of the N.Y. Festival of Art, The Kitchen, New York.
1990
DESET LET LAIBACHA – DESET LET SLOVENSKE SAMOSTOJNOSTI (TEN YEARS OF LAIBACH – TEN YEARS OF SLOVENE INDEPENDENCE) – Trbovlje, Termoelektrarna II
(Thermo-electrical power station II); their first appearance in their hometown since their initial banned project of 1980, exhibition, preformances,…
1992
NSK EMBASSY MOSCOW – collective NSK event in Moscow with the opening of the NSK Embassy and the concluding action “Black Square on Red Square”. Proclamation of the NSK State in Time.
1993
NSK STAAT VOLKSBÜHNE – collective three days NSK event in Volksbühne in Berlin, with proclamation of temporary NSK State territory (Volksbühne) and with NSK State passport issuing.
1995
NSK STATE SARAJEVO – collective NSK event in the National Theatre in occupied Sarajevo. Proclamation of Sarajevo as a temporary NSK State territory, issuing NSK passports.
1998
BODY AND THE EAST, From the 1960 to the Present – Laibach collaboration in group exhibition , Moderna galerija, Ljubljana (Museum of Modern Art).
2001
NSK: RETRO-SPECTION – paintings by Laibach in the framework of the joint NSK exhibition, Halsey Gallery, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA & Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA.
THE ART OF EASTERN EUROPE – Laibach included in ‘A Selection of Works for the International and National Collections of Moderna galerija, Ljubljana’ exhibition, Orangerie Congress, Innsbruck, Austria.
2003
DO ROBA IN NAPREJ (TILL THE EDGE AND BEYOND) – Slovene Art 1975–1985, Moderna Art Gallery, Ljubljana.
EINKAUF – public action in City Park, BTC Ljubljana; Laibach, wearing uniforms of German army officers from World War II, walked along the main “avenue” of the City Park shopping mall in the BTC shopping district in Ljubljana.
2004
RAZŠIRJENI PROSTORI UMETNOSTI (EXPANDED SPACES OF ART) – Slovene Art 1985–1995, Moderna Art Gallery, Ljubljana.
7 SINS – LJUBLJANA – MOSCOW ARTEAST EXHIBITION – collaboration in group exhibition in Moderna Art Gallery, Ljubljana.
2005
THE RETROFUTURISTIC UNIVERSE OF NSK – Neil Rector NSK collection (including Laibach Kunst) exhibited in Frye Art Museum in Seattle, Washington, USA.
TERITORIJI, IDENTITETE, MREŽE (TERRITORIES, IDENTITIES, NETS) – Slovene Art 1995–2005, Moderna Art Gallery, Ljubljana.
INSTRUMENTALNOST DRŽAVNEGA STROJA (INSTRUMENTALITY OF THE STATE MACHINE) – Laibach Kunst’s sound installation was exhibited within a series of sound events, performances, sound installations, workshops and lectures, called “Oscillations – 30 days of sound”, Mala galerija (Small Gallery), Ljubljana.
2006
INSTRUMENTALNOST DRŽAVNEGA STROJA (INSTRUMENTALITY OF THE STATE MACHINE) – Sound installation in KiBela Gallery of KIBLA Multimedia centre in Maribor, Slovenia
RETURN OF THE REPRESSIVE – opening of the LAIBACH KUNST inhibition “Instrumentality of the State Machine” with a live premiere of the “Laibach Concerto for Magnetophone, Gramophone, Radiophone and Megaphone” at Custard Factory Gallery in Birmingham (UK).
2007
KAUFHAUS DES OSTENS – Laibach installation “Monumental Retroavantgarde” exhibited at Kunsthaus Erfurt in Germany as part of the international show Kaufhaus des Ostens – KaDeOs.
2009
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – REKAPITULACJA/RECAPITULATION ’09; – Laibach solo exhibition in Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, Poland.
2010
GESAMTKUNST LAIBACH, Fundamentals 1980 – 1990 – Laibach solo exhibition at the MGLC (International Centre of Graphic Arts,), Ljubljana
DORM, The Model’s galleries, Sligo, Ireland; participation at the group exhibition
PROMISES OF THE PAST, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; participation at the group exhibition
SCHWARZGOLD, Schloss Beesenstedt near Halle an der Saale, Germany; participation at the group exhibition
EINKAUF, Laibach Kunst Installation, Galerie Seiler, Munich
AUSSTELUNG LAIBACH KUNST – RED DISTRICTS + BLACK CROSS 1980 – 2010, Delavski Dom Trbovlje, solo exhibition
2011
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – PERSPECTIVES 1980 – 2011, UGM Maribor Art Gallery, retrospective solo exhibition
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – ‘CECI N’EST PAS MALEVICH!’ , HDLU Zagreb, retrospective solo exhibition
RAUMSCHIFF JUGOSLAWIEN – Die Aufhebung der Zeit, Neue Gesselschaft fuer Bildende Kunst, Berlin; participation at the group exhibition
AT HOW MANY LUX…? – GLOW Festival, Eindhoven; participation at the group exhibition
2012
BEYOND OCCUPIED IMAGES, Galerija ŠKUC, Ljubljana, participation at the group exhibition
MONUMENTAL RETRO-AVANT-GUARDE, Tate Modern, Turbine Hall, London,; special Laibach performance
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – GLUECK AUF!, Laibach Kunst installation at Velenje Coal Mining Museum, solo show
LAIBACH PERFORMANCE at the National Gallery of Denmark
RED, WHITE & BLUE: POP / Punk / Politics / Space; Chelsea Space Gallery, London; participation at the group exhibition
YUGOSLAVIA: FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END
Museum of Yugoslav History / Museum May 25th, Belgrade
Participation at the group exhibition
2013
MATERIALITY, Kibla Portal, Maribor, Slovenia; participation at the group exhibition
BIENNIAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART, D-0 ARK Underground; Atomic shelter, Konjic, BiH, participation at the group exhibition
BLACK SQUARE – 100 YEARS
Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide BC, Australia
Participation at the group exhibition
IDENTIFYING EUROPE
TWENTE BIENNALE, Roombeek, Enschede, NL
Participation at the group exhibition
WAS IST KUNST?… RESUMING FRAGMENTED HISTORIES
Halle fuer Kunst & Medien, Steirischer Herbst
Participation at the group exhibition
2014
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – THE NEW CULTURAL REVOLUTION
CIA Gallery, Hong Kong, solo show
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – RED DISTRICTS
INDUSTRIAL ART BIENNIAL, Labin, Croatia (Participation at the group exhibition)
BÖSE CLOWNS
HMKV , Dortmunder U – Participation at the group exhibition
2015
GRAMMAR OF FREEDOM, FIVE LESSONS
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow
Participation at the group exhibition
NSK FROM KAPITAL TO CAPITAL – AN EVENT OF THE FINAL DECADE OF YUGOSLAVIA
Moderna galerija, Ljubljana
Participation at the collective exhibition
Laibach special performance at the MSUM Zagreb
2016
NSK FROM KAPITAL TO CAPITAL – AN EVENT OF THE FINAL DECADE OF YUGOSLAVIA
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow
Participation at the collective exhibition
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST – RED DISTRICTS + BLACK CROSS, solo show
Galerie Caesar, Olomouc, CZ
COLD FRONT FROM THE BALKANS
Pera Müzesi (‘Pera Museum’), Istanbul – Participation at the group exhibition
AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH KUNST MASCHINE, solo show
Galerija Sveta Srca, Pula
2017
THE EIGHTIES Multimedia Practices and Venues of Production
Museum of contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM), Ljubljana
Participation at the group exhibition
NSK FROM KAPITAL TO CAPITAL – AN EVENT OF THE FINAL DECADE OF YUGOSLAVIA
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
Participation at the collective exhibition
2018
SITES OF SUSTAINABILITY. PAVILIONS, MANIFESTOS AND CRYPTS; Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM), Ljubljana, Slovenia; Participation at the group exhibition
SELECTION FROM THE COLLECTIONS | Arteast 2000+ and National Collections; Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM), Ljubljana, Slovenia; Participation at the group exhibition
HELLO WORLD. REVISING A COLLECTION; Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin; Participation at the group exhibition
DOUBLE LIVES. VISUAL ARTISTS MAKING MUSIC; MUMOK, Museum of Modern Art, Vienna ; Participation at the group exhibition
THE VALUE OF FREEDOM; Belvedere 21, Vienna, Austria; Participation at the group exhibition
2019
SELECTION FROM THE COLLECTIONS | Arteast 2000+ and National Collections; Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM), Ljubljana, Slovenia; Participation at the group exhibition
EXHIBITION | 20th Century. Continuities and Ruptures; Moderna Art Gallery (MG+), Ljubljana, Slovenia; Participation at the group exhibition
2020
Ausstellung! Laibach Kunst, RE:CONS:TRUCT; P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia; solo show
Laibach: Liberty Leading the People; “S” Gallery, Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana, Slovenia; solo show
2021
Beyond Art Groups – The New Art Apparatus, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
REALIZE! RESIST! REACT!, Performance and Politics in the 1990s in the Post-Yugoslav Context, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM), Ljubljana, Slovenia
Laibach: 4 DECADES, Zasavje Museum Trbovlje, Trbovlje, Slovenia; solo show
2022
Our ships, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana
Art at Work, At the Crossroads Between Utopianism and (In)Dependence, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (+MSUM), Ljubljana, Slovenia
2023
SOG (Design and Graphic Section, 1973–1994), P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
