Žiga Kariž represents the younger generation of artists, who problematise the field of painting through the use of media image and a free relationship with various technological processes. I would not say that his main interest is in expanding the field of painting, but that he is more interested in the ideology of painting itself. Žiga Kariž deconstructs the social role of painting and the position of the viewer. The thematic of his paintings most often rely on media, especially film, which continues to shape his perception most today. The most radical exhibition of his work took place at the 2003 Venice Biennale, when he hung his paintings in the homes of temporary owners. The paintings had build-in cameras that transmitted images to the gallery in real time. These were paintings from the series titled ‘Terror=decor’, which examines how both media and artistic imagery, especially modern imagery, changes into décor in the service of capitalism.
Zdenka Badovinac
(text from ARCO ’06 catalogue, section Cityscapes: New Territories, 2006)