Marko Pogačnik Reflects on OHO Group's Conceptual Art and Spiritual Commune Origins
In a 2013 conversation with ARTMargins Online, Marko Pogačnik reflected on the OHO Group, a conceptual art collective from Slovenia that was active from the late 1960s. The group included Pogačnik, Milenko Matanović, David Nez, and Andraž Šalamun, and their artistic endeavors encompassed land art, installations, and performances that emphasized spirituality and ecology. Notable exhibitions took place at the Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb, Galerija Tribine Mladih in Novi Sad, and Moderna galerija in Ljubljana. In 1971, the collective relocated to a rural commune in Šempas, Slovenia, and after their dissolution in 1979, Pogačnik focused on geomancy and earth healing. Their projects included 'Plaster Casts of Bottles' (1965–68) and 'Programmed Environment' (1969), with their work preserved in museums across Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana.
Key facts
- The OHO Group formed in summer 1969 with members Marko Pogačnik, Milenko Matanović, David Nez, and Andraž Šalamun.
- In 1971, the group founded the Šempas Family commune in Šempas, Slovenia, integrating art and everyday life.
- Key exhibitions included shows at Moderna galerija in Ljubljana, Galerija Tribine Mladih in Novi Sad, and the Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb.
- The group explored themes like spirituality, ecology, and land art, with works such as 'Summer Projects' in 1969.
- Pogačnik developed a geomancy method in the mid-1980s using stone pillars with carved cosmograms for earth healing.
- The group's collaboration was non-competitive, often involving on-site creation with found materials.
- They tested telepathic communication in projects like 'Intercontinental Group Project America – Europe' in 1970.
- Documentation of the group's work is held in museums in Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana.
Entities
Artists
- Marko Pogačnik
- Milenko Matanović
- David Nez
- Andraž Šalamun
- Tomaž Šalamun
- Naško Križnar
- Beti Žerovc
- Igor Zabel
- Walter de Maria
- Taja Vidmar-Brejc
- Kynaston McShine
- Biljana Tomić
- Ješa Denegri
- Dunja Blažević
- Empedocles
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- OHO Group
- OHO Movement
- Šempas Family
- Moderna galerija
- Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb
- Mestna Galerija Ljubljana
- Galerija Tribine Mladih
- Atelje 212
- Galerija Doma Omladine
- Galerija Študentskog Centra
- MoMA
- Aktionsraum
- Venice Biennale
- Skopje Museum
- Students’ Cultural Center Gallery
- Forte Belvedere
- VITAAA
- LifeNet
- Findhorn
Locations
- Ljubljana
- Slovenia
- Šempas
- Zagreb
- Croatia
- Novi Sad
- Serbia
- Kranj
- Zarica Valley
- Sava River
- Soča River
- Breg
- New York
- United States
- Munich
- Germany
- Belgrade
- Sarajevo
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Srakane
- Adriatic Sea
- Florence
- Italy
- Scotland