installations - OHO group

Wheat and rope, 1969 “The summer of 1969 was a wonderful time for me. I found very inexpensive materials – string, wood, paper – to highlight what I noticed in nature. I placed a stick in the ground on one end of a wheat field, attached a rope

Wheat and rope, 1969

“The summer of 1969 was a wonderful time for me. I found very inexpensive materials – string, wood, paper – to highlight what I noticed in nature. I placed a stick in the ground on one end of a wheat field, attached a rope to it, and then tried to attach it to another stick at the other end. The resulting tension uprooted the stick, so I settled for bending it by hand.”

OHO Group, Milenko Matanovic: Wheat and Rope, 1969 The 1969 artwork Wheat and Rope by Milenko Matanovic, created under the OHO Group, stands as a significant piece within the conceptual and experimental art movements of the late 1960s. In Wheat and Rope, Matanovic employs two elemental materials—wheat and rope—to evoke a dialogue between the organic and the constructed, the fragile and the enduring. The wheat symbolizes natural growth, nourishment, and the cycles of life, while the rope represents human intervention, binding, and strength. The juxtaposition of these materials reflects broader tensions in post-war society, where tradition met rapid modernization. The piece's minimalist aesthetic, characteristic of OHO’s style, emphasizes texture and form over explicit narrative, encouraging personal interpretation. Through this work, Matanovic contributes to the discourse on materiality and meaning, underscoring the power of everyday substances to carry metaphorical weight. This piece remains an important reference point in understanding both the evolution of conceptual art in Eastern Europe and the innovative legacy of the OHO Group.

The Constellation of Candles in the Field Corresponds to the Constellation of the Stars in the Sky, 1970 “I wanted to do something that would capture the mystery of Zarica. I did a series of experiments with candles there. I brought a drawing o

The Constellation of Candles in the Field Corresponds to the Constellation of the Stars in the Sky, 1970

“I wanted to do something that would capture the mystery of Zarica. I did a series of experiments with candles there. I brought a drawing of major star constellations to Zarica and then aligned the candles with the stars above. It was beautiful while it lasted. My candles burned out in about one hour.”

The Earth from the Moon, 1969 “The first images of our planet from space profoundly redefined how I thought of myself. I became a planetary citizen because of it. With this installation, using tar paper and a light bulb, I hoped that the Museum

The Earth from the Moon, 1969

“The first images of our planet from space profoundly redefined how I thought of myself. I became a planetary citizen because of it. With this installation, using tar paper and a light bulb, I hoped that the Museum visitors would have a similar experience.”

Wooden sticks in the forest, 1969 "When we agreed to work in the forest, I instantly wanted to work with wood. I liked the idea of processed wood “visiting” the place where it “grew up.”

Wooden sticks in the forest, 1969

"When we agreed to work in the forest, I instantly wanted to work with wood. I liked the idea of processed wood “visiting” the place where it “grew up.”

Wooden sticks in the forest, 1969

Wooden sticks in the forest, 1969

Wooden sticks, 1969 New shapes in an old space near a Roman wall.

Wooden sticks, 1969

New shapes in an old space near a Roman wall.

Wooden sticks in the forest, 1969 “I liked the idea of bringing dimensional lumber to its ancestral lands. I played with tensions to create temporary installations.”

Wooden sticks in the forest, 1969

“I liked the idea of bringing dimensional lumber to its ancestral lands. I played with tensions to create temporary installations.”

Sun-Valley-Venus, 1970 “I placed mirrors to capture the light from the setting Sun, and then replaced them with candles to lead the gaze to the rising Venus.”

Sun-Valley-Venus, 1970

“I placed mirrors to capture the light from the setting Sun, and then replaced them with candles to lead the gaze to the rising Venus.”

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Sun clock, diagram, 1970 “I knew I wanted to do something at the Museum of Modern Art in Belgrade that linked the indoor space with the natural area surrounding it. It was only after studying the site that I decided on installing a series of mi

Sun clock, diagram, 1970

“I knew I wanted to do something at the Museum of Modern Art in Belgrade that linked the indoor space with the natural area surrounding it. It was only after studying the site that I decided on installing a series of mirrors in the landscape in such a way that they reflected sunlight onto the Museum entrance every hour. The installation only worked for a few days because the mirrors were stolen.”

Total environment, 1968 “For some time I had been thinking about exhibition spaces as a volume and I wanted to do something that showcased the entire space. When I took my first airplane flight to Belgrade I was awestruck by the beauty of cloud

Total environment, 1968

“For some time I had been thinking about exhibition spaces as a volume and I wanted to do something that showcased the entire space. When I took my first airplane flight to Belgrade I was awestruck by the beauty of clouds and that gave me the idea for the smoke bomb that I released in the Student Gallery in Belgrade. (Unbeknownst to me, the gallery space had a ventilation system that carried the smoke into a fancy restaurant where lots os important politicos ate, and the smoke forced the closure of the restaurant. Of course I was accused of political sabotage when In fact I didn’t even know about the restaurant’s existence.)

The Snake, 1969 “ I lived at Wolfova 1 and we had access to the balcony overlooking the Ljubljanica River (the river that runs through the center of Ljubjana). I always liked looking for fish from the balcony, and while doing so I noticed the a

The Snake, 1969

“ I lived at Wolfova 1 and we had access to the balcony overlooking the Ljubljanica River (the river that runs through the center of Ljubjana). I always liked looking for fish from the balcony, and while doing so I noticed the almost invisible currents that moved through the channeled water. I started to think about how to make those currents more visible and came up with a “snake” of wooden pieces connected by a rope. I was delighted to see the snake form replicate the slow, beautiful, meditative and meandering movements of the river..”

Gravity Makes a Path, 1969 “ A sister piece to 'the snake, 1969' that similarly highlighted the rolling landscape around Medvode. I bought a role of paper, some 200 m long, and simply rolled it out. Influenced by gravity, the paper meandered t

Gravity Makes a Path, 1969

“ A sister piece to 'the snake, 1969' that similarly highlighted the rolling landscape around Medvode. I bought a role of paper, some 200 m long, and simply rolled it out. Influenced by gravity, the paper meandered through the meadow in a most beautiful way.”

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