Galerie SANAA / Skin of Work – Koštana Banović, Matea Bakula

Skin of Work a duo-exibition of Koštana Banović and Matea Bakula presents drawings, film and sculptures. Banović focuses on rituals in daily life and their celebration. Bakula shows us beauty in everyday materials by transforming the skin and showing what is hidden beneath the surface.

Skin of Work, Koštana Banović

Koštana Banović (1960, Sarajevo) explores in her films, performances, drawings, and objects rituals as the core of the human search for meaning. Ritual plays a central role in her oeuvre, as a “sculpture of time” experienced in the present: a conduit from the past and a prescription for the future; a choreography that activates objects, material, and symbolism. Her work centers on significant moments of daily life and their celebration. Her drawings similarly reference the traces of life itself and the desire to chart cyclical experiences. For one drawing, for instance, Banović rhythmically punctures the paper with hundreds of tiny holes.

Koštana Banović presents a selection of her work at SANAA Gallery and simultaneously at Utrecht Lokaal in the Centraal Museum. Banović is the recipient of the 2023 Boellaard Award.

Skin of Work, Matea Bakula

Matea Bakula (1990, Sarajevo) creates unexpected combinations in her work.Torn cardboard with a layer of rubber, foam rubber covered in plaster, she engages with the properties of the material and endeavors to mold them to her will. Pushing the boundaries of the materials creates an interesting tension in the work. Her inspiration draws from both mundane issues and larger systems. It ranges from something small like replacing a roll of toilet paper to observing the behavior of fungi and the transformation of a city. She gives the mundane beauty. Matea Bakula’s work is soft yet powerful.  Matea Bakula has the solo show Release at Lumen Travo galerie until 21 December. She will participate in Coda Paper Art in 2025. Courtesy Lumen Travo.