ARTIST STATEMENT

We focus on commenting products and habits of members of the consumer society. We use products, the bearers of an illusion of happiness and well-being, to emphasize the transformation of the mental landscape under the influence of the logic of profit. The value of our creation lies in the fact that we have articulated a copy of the global tendencies by means of experiences taken from the local context, using a wide spectre of contextually specific symbols. Our artistic practice is an experiment in the dynamics of marketing and its mechanics of correlation. 

In recent series of works we focused on the idea of tourism industry producing non-places, as defined by Marc Auge, separated from the socio-cultural context. 

BIOGRAPHY

Damir Zizic and Kristian Kozul form this artistic tandem. The combination of Damir Zizic's expertise in the field of photography and new media with Kristian Kozul's knowledge of sculpture enables this tandem to create works that function as a concise "mise en scène" and offer the viewer an almost film-like presentation of a specific concept.

Zizic/Kozul began their work on artistic exploration and projects in 2013. The duo’s independent exhibitions include the Karas Gallery (Croatian Association of Artists), Lauba House, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, Mali Salon (Musem of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka) and Gallery Koprivnica in Koprivnica. They have participated in various group exhibitions, including the 53rd Poreč Annale and the T-HT@MSU.HR Award in Zagreb. They have won the T-HT@MSU.HR award for the purchase of contemporary art, owing to which their works have become incorporated in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb. Their works are also represented in private collections, while their works belonging to the Filip Trade Collection are publicly exhibited in the Lauba House in Zagreb. They are preparing projects for Rohkunstbau in Potsdam and for digital media platform DIS Magazine.

Kristian Kozul (Munich, 1975) graduated from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany. His works have been exhibited in various group exhibitions, the more recent being the International Program (PSY1, New York, USA, 2005), Criss-Cross (Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, 2007), Boys Craft, (Haifa Museum, Haifa, Israel, 2008), Summer Camp, (Exile, Berlin, Germany, 2010), Bandits, Pirates & Outlaws, (Lost Coast Culture Machine, Fort Bragg, USA, 2010), B-B-B-BAD, (Anna Kustera Gallery, New York, USA, 2011). His latest works have also been exhibited in solo shows in institutions such as Lauba House, Museum of Contemporary Art (Zagreb, Croatia), Art Salon (Celje, Slovenia), Kibla Gallery (Maribor, Slovenia), Minoriten Galerien (Graz, Austria), TZR Gallery (Duesseldorf, Germany), Anhava Gallery (Helsinki, Finland), Goff+Rosenthal and Pablo’s Birthday (New York, USA). He started collaborating with Damir Žižić in 2013. They exhibited in solo exhibitions in Gallery Karas and in Lauba House in Zagreb, Croatia (2014). They won the third T-HT@MSU.HR award, Museum of Contemporary Art (Zagreb, Croatia, 2014). Kristian Kožul is a member of the Croatian Association of Artists. He lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.

DAMIR ZIZIC (Split, 1983) graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the University of Zagreb and from the Art Academy in Zagreb, Croatia, where he studied New Media Studies. While at university, he participated in numerous group exhibitions including the Museum of Street Art (Branimirova Street, Zagreb, Croatia, 2012), The Youth Salon (Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb, Croatia, 2012), D Day (Gredelj factory, Zagreb, Croatia, 2013). He is a long-term collaborator and photographer for a number of art institutions and groups, namely the Culture of Change (Student Centre in Zagreb), Urban Festival, Montažstroj and Lauba House. He began collaborating with Kristian Kožul in 2013. They exhibited in solo exhibitions in Gallery Karas and in Lauba House in Zagreb, Croatia (2014). They won the third T-HT@MSU.HR award, Museum of Contemporary Art (Zagreb, Croatia, 2014). Damir Žižić is a member of the Croatian Designers Association. He lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.