Petar Petrov
dal 1/11/2011 al 2/12/2011
Segnalato da
1/11/2011
Petar Petrov
Kunsthalle Wien Project Space, Wien
For the Kunsthalle Wien's project space, Petrov conceived a virtual "space in space" whose boundaries are only marked by light walls. He developed Made to Measure together with the designer Tino Valentinitsch and the musician Soap&Skin.
Made to Measure, the latest project by the Bulgarian fashion designer Petar Petrov (b. in 1977), was developed by him in
cooperation with the industrial designer Tino Valentinitsch and the musician Soap&Skin For the transparent block of
Kunsthalle Wien’s project space, Petrov has conceived a virtual space whose boundaries are marked by light walls.
Petar Petrov is a typical exponent of the blurring of genres between utilitarian application and function-free art. Nevertheless
he states: “One should make clothes that people can wear.” Inspired by everyday life, he constantly searches for new
possibilities to combine high and low. For him, streetwear and classic tailoring are no opposites. With his fashion designs, he
succeeds in accomplishing a crossover uniting various styles and influences from East and West. His creations are as
complex as they are easy and convenient to wear. They are simultaneously contemporary, vital, energetic, elegant, and
casual. “My designs are part of myself, a personal approach is important to me, for my fashion has nothing to do with
industrially produced merchandise. I associatively integrate my impressions, experiences, and encounters into my fashion
design, and therefore each piece is part of my concept – is part of myself, so to speak.” The exhibition reflects Petrov’s
crossover fashion by highlighting the designer’s previous and new collaborations with artists active in other fields, ranging
from applied art to music.
Petrov’s play with the boundaries of space calls to mind Gottfried Semper’s “theory of dressing.” Architecture, when seen as
a garment, has a protective function and swathes the space of human culture. Semper saw the origins of architecture in
textiles, in hand-made weavings and braidings, and in the lightweight architecture of nomads. The virtual walls of Petrov’s
space seem to be a metaphor for this concept.
Petar Petrov: The Bulgarian fashion designer, born in 1977, studied, among others, under Viktor&Rolf and Raf Simons at
the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. His teachers, who were known for their innovative designs and frequently
transgressed the boundaries of a traditional understanding of fashion, had a lasting impact on Petrov’s work. Within the
framework of his collaborations with visual artists, Petrov’s fashion collections have been exhibited in a number of museums
and art institutions. With his designs, he received numerous prizes and awards and also managed to establish himself in the
international fashion world. For example, Petar Petrov was appointed “Best Designer” at the 2009 Vienna Fashion Awards.
Anja Plaschg alias Soap&Skin born in 1990, studied in Daniel Richter’s master class at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts
between her sixteenth and eighteenth years. She published her first album, entitled Lovetune for Vacuum, in March 2009.
Music critics and the media considered her a promising talent in Austrian pop music at a very early point in time. In 2010,
Soap&Skin received the European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) donated by the European Commission; in 2009 she had
won an Amadeus Austrian Music Award in the category “Alternative/Rock.” Soap&Skin performed twice as a guest singer
with Velvet Underground legend John Cale, and for Patti Smith she opened a concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Tino Valentinitsch born in Vienna in 1972, studied industrial design in Essen. His interest in fashion took him to Adidas,
where he designed sneakers for Yohji Yamamoto and Y-3. He created shoes, bags, and accessories for Helmut Lang in New
York, as well as several perfume flasks for Versace. For Tino Valentinitsch, the boundaries between fashion and industrial
design are vague; what matters to him is to amalgamate a purely utilitarian value with an artistic vision. Valentinitsch
commutes between New York and Vienna. He works for internationally renowned branding agencies, but also for such
traditional Viennese companies as J. & L. Lobmeyr and the Wiener Silber Manufactur.
Image: Petar Petrov, Foto/photo: Jork Weismann, 2009
Press contact:
Claudia Bauer (Head), Katharina Murschetz (Assistant: Press) phone: +43-1-521 89-1221; phone: +43-1-521 89-1222, fax: +43-1-521 89-1217, e-mail: presse@kunsthallewien.at
Opening: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Kunsthalle Wien Project Space
Karlsplatz, Treitlstrasse 2, Wien
Hours: Tue – Sat 1:00 a.m. to midnight, Sun and Mon 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Free admission