The Ways to Post History

Braco Dimitrijević (1948-) lives and works in Paris, France. He was born in Sarajevo in the former Yugoslavia. He graduated from the Zagreb Academy in 1971, continuing at St Martin's School of Art in London. Selected solo exhibitions include the Xin-Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art, Beijing, 2006; Galeria Il Ponte Contamporanea, Rome and Galeria Pino Casagrande, Rome, 2006-2007; The State Russian Museum, St Petersburg and Musée d'Orsay, Paris, 2005; Ikon Gallery Birmingham/UK, 2001; Museo Nacional de Colombia, Bogota and Porin Taidemuseo, Finland, 2000; Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle - Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes, Paris, 1998; Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf, 1997; the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1994; the Museum Moderner Kunst-Stifung Ludwig, Vienna, 1994; Tate Gallery, London, 1985; Museum Ludwig, Cologne, 1984; Kunsthalle Bern, 1984; Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, 1979; and Sperone Gallery, New York and Turin, 1975-6.

Selected group exhibitions include Confllict, Slought, Philadelphia, 2006; Open Systems: Rethinking Art c.1970, Tate Modern, London, 2005; Force de l'Art, Grand Palais, Paris, 2005; Big Bang, 2005, Manifeste, 1997, and Magiciens de la Terre, 1989, Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; In der Schluchten des Balkan, Kunsthalle Fridericianum Kassel, 2003; Valencia Biennial, 2001; D'après l'antique, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2000; L'Autre moitie de l'Europe, Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris, 2000; Zeitwenden, Kustmuseum, Bonn, Germany, 1999–2000; Les Champs de la Sculpture 2000, Champs Elysees, Paris, 1999; Global Conceptualism, Queens Museum, NY, 1999; Havana Biennale, Cuba, 1997; The 23rd International Biennial of São Paulo, 1996; SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1995; Kwangju Biennial, Korea, 1995; Rhetorical Image, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, 1990; Life-Size, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1990; Venice Biennale, Italy, 1976, 1982, 1990, 1993; Documenta V, VI, IX, Kassel, Germany, 1972, 1977, 1992; Sydney Biennale, Australia, 1978, 1986; Aspects of British Art Today, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 1982; and the Biennale de Paris, 1971.

"[In my 1976 book Tractatus Post Historicus], I made reference to a discourse that first appeared in my work in 1969, when I made the following statement: 'There are no mistakes in history, the whole of history is a mistake.' This marked a revolt against history which I have always considered as being a false science and which I would call the only impressionistic science. The true power of history does not lie in the physical facts. It manifests itself through the psychological effects brought about by the event. What we call History is nothing more than one subjectivity which is imposed on the whole world as objective opinion. This is the reasoning behind my critique of history and my formulation of the notion of Post History which, for me, means the time of a multitude of co-existing truths rather than any one ultimate truth."

-- Braco Dimitrijević, Interview with Jean-Hubert Martin (2005)

Book Launch

Slought, and the Arsaevi Museum of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo, are pleased to announce "There are no mistakes in history. The whole of history is a mistake," a celebration of the launch of the book Braco Dimitrijevic: Tractatus Post Historicus (1976) on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at 4pm, at Palazzo Ca' Pesaro, Canal Grande, Santa Croce 2070, Venice. This event has been organized in conjunction with Braco Dimitrijevic's exhibition "Future Post History" at Palazzo Ca' Pesaro, a collateral event at La Biennale di Venezia, 53rd International Art Exhibition. Catherine Millet, Nicolas Bourriaud, Jean-Hubert Martin, Lorand Hegyi, Zelimir Koscevic, Aaron Levy, and Braco Dimitrijevic will each deliver brief remarks.