Nora Turato: explained away

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is presenting the first comprehensive museum exhibition of the Amsterdam-based artist Nora Turato (born 1991, Zagreb, Croatia). 

Every day, Turato uses her smartphone to explore the text hysteria that is circulating online. Fast-paced nonstop breaking news in adverts, in the press, literature, film, music and the social media. Honing in on specific content, she translates it into her script. She processes meaning, sound and the stylistic devices peculiar to the particular medium, rewriting the appropriated passages to create powerful narratives. On this basis, she authors artist’s books, spatial installations, wall works, videos, audios and spoken-word performances. 

The contents she presents range from wackaging quotes (text on food packaging that speaks directly to the consumer) to scientific studies, film dialogues and excerpts from comments sections. She negotiates social roles and our relationship to consumer goods, political or cultural views. This is not possible without some irony, says Turato, when Zen aphorisms are treated in the same way as the yoghurt-promoting Kardashians in capitalism.

The phonetic, semantic and pictorial qualities of the works fuse together in the exhibition. The focal relationship between image and text is flanked by gestures and embodiments in the performances. The spaces consist of modular elements that change with each performance. The result is an ephemeral tale that extends over the whole duration of the exhibition, incorporating art historical accomplishments of the 20th century and raising questions concerning our handling of language. 

Nora Turato. explained away is the seventh exhibition in a series showcasing outstanding young artists. Works from Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein’s collection are integrated into the presentation. 

The exhibition conceived in collaboration with Nora Turato is a production of Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, curated by Fabian Flückiger.

Supported by Mondriaan Fund.

Performances
Thursday, February 21, 6pm (opening)
Friday, February 22, 2pm
Saturday, February 23, 2pm
Sunday, February 24, 11am

Thursday, March 28, 6pm
Friday, March 29, 2pm
Saturday, March 30, 2pm
Sunday, March 31, 11am

Thursday, May 16, 6pm
Friday, May 17, 2pm
Saturday, May 18, 2pm
Sunday, May 19, 11am

Biography
Nora Turato studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam and at the Werkplaats Typografie in Arnheim. She was a resident at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam. Her performances have been presented at institutions internationally, including Bielefelder Kunstverein; Museum Serralves, Porto; Manifesta, Palermo; Kunsthalle Wien; Kölnischer Kunstverein; KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin; Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève and LambdaLambdaLambda, Pristina.