Marián Laššák: Probes
The name of the exhibition is Probes.
It refers to the main concept of the show
and the main thing that inspired me,
meaning the probes used in archaeological research.
There are structures
like old, oil-based Lincrusta
typical in the 1980s one could come across back then typically in schools,
blocks of flats and eateries. I was looking for different variations
of these Lincrusta coverings.
But there also structures of various change-rooms,
old eateries
and other types of Lincrusta typical for a specific historical period.
I also find important the various structures
of paint roller decorations used throughout the history of interior design.
Once upon a time, self-taught amateurs
used this method to decorate their walls at home.
This doesn’t really happen anymore.
I wanted to make a light object
posing as a small scenographical situation
enacting the feeling
of both abandonment
and the gap between the old and new world.
This was really important for me – to transfer the traces
of the past into a contemporary interior.
But at the same time, I wanted the objects to communicate
and that’s why I have applied the language of design.
I have found the overall appearance to be very important to me.
The objects were meant to look cultured, able to communicate.
I consider it to be an advantage if someone would find them beautiful
and would like to place those objects in their homes.
There is also nostalgia involved.
We used to come across this kind of decoration
when, for example, visiting our grandparents or entering old town flats.
This project has been realized
in collaboration with photographer Marko Urban.
Together, we were taking trips into abandoned parts of Bratislava
and other places looking for these structures.
Therefore, I’d like to stress that it’s the product of our collaboration
because the photograph is here the foundational medium
endowing the project with its artistic quality.
And I think Marko did a great job here
by applying the images to the design.
Combining design with photography resulted in this category of objects.