PSR TASK Collection

The publication of “TASK KOLEKCIJA” (TASK Collection), an exploration and archival research transformed into a book edited by Iva Nerina Sibila.

TASK is an interactive magazine-project dedicated to dance. Its primary interests are research, exploration, performance, education, as well as documentaristic and visual/graphic aspects. Martina Granić, a dancer and graphic designer, who designed “placard newspapers” at a graphic design studio in 2011, is a founder of the concept of this project. The main conceptual axis of her project was the categorization of a creative process, communication methodologies/technologiesfor readers/artists and a simultaneousorganization of documentation/archive. 

In its existing format, this project was initiated in 2011 as a result of a collaboration with Sonja Pregrad and as a result of an initiative by the PC TALA/Platforma HR – a Contemporary Dance Festival, and Tamara Curić and Larisa Lipovac Navojec as directors that recognized the potential of this concept as anew activator of the dance scene. The basic idea of creating a broader project arose from the idea of organizing a platform for documenting systematics of (dance) creations, publishing, archiving and analysing these materials, as well as exchanging methodologies, collaborating, and exploring authorship through its fragmentation, transposition and reframing.
So-far, the TASK issues were printed as individual mini-magazines and the focus was placed on the production of dance performances that were built on their templates. 

WHY A PRINTED CATALOGUE?

As a crown to a project that has been bringing together the dance scene for 7 years, and also driven by a desire to collect versatile materials intended for students, theoreticians and archivists, the public and international contacts, we have decided to publish a monograph to make these methods more accessible to all those engaged in artistic processes and explorations of creative work.

Also, in this final phase, in order to draw attention to an almost nonexistent documentation and a failure to promote the need to create a substantial archive of the Croatian dance art, this process of documenting choreographic and other artistic methods spontaneously brought into life a valuable archive of choreographic approachesthat are being revised and that represent a valuable source of inspiration for younger generations of artists. 

This catalogue would include all printed choreographic propositions, along with existing accompanying materials: visuals, interviews and documentation relating to works of individual choreographers. Additionally, it would also include an interview with the founder and organizers of TASK, to reveal a successful strategy of an innovative approach to dance art, and to offer expert analysis of the project by professionals.

Archiving choreographic methods is an important method of preserving data in order to organize a platform that would document the history and development of contemporary dance in the Republic of Croatia. It is natural for this valuable collection to be joined in a single monograph. Furthermore, documenting and mapping works of still active contemporary choreographers and authors in a printed publication is a longer-lasting account in comparison toperformance and as such it contributes to the visibility of their work in Croatia, but also regionally and internationally.

Through the TASK project between 2011 and 2017, PC Tala produced 40 short choreographies and engaged approximately 20 choreographers and reputable authors of different generations, artistic expressions and sensitivities, as well as different geographical backgrounds. Partners from Serbia, Slovenia, Germany and Croatia are included in this project so, consequently, this way Croatian artists are directly promoted internationally. Performances and choreographies have been performed as a part of Platforma HR, a contemporary dance festival, in the period 2011-2017. Authors of the so-far published editions are Milana Broš, Irma Omerzo, Mila Čuljak, Milko Šparamblek, Rajko Pavlić, Matija Ferlin, Nikolina Pristaš, Dalija Aćin Thelander, Mateja Bučar, Barbara Matijević, Pola Pautan, Dušan Murić, Isabelle Schad, Ivan Marušić Klif, Aleksandra Janeva Imfeld, Iva Nerina Sibila.

Two texts relating to the TASK projectin 2013 (excerpts from the monograph 15 years of Platforma HR) are enclosed.

Please find the archive of the so-far performed TASK reactions on the Youtube channel PC Tala -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5VLQA_r9kQ.

Please find all the published TASK projects along with artistic reactions on www.tala.hr.

View the experience report by Iva Nerina Sibilla in the upper right column.

Gallery pics by Hrvoje Jelinčić