The Contemporary Art Museum of Luxembourg

To mark the occasion of its forthcoming inclusion in Mudam Collection, the work i am happy to own my implicit biases (malo mrkva, malo batina) (2018-2020) by Nora Turato will be presented in the Foyer on Level -1 of the museum from 19 November 2022 to 4 May 2023, to coincide with the presentation of 25 years of the Mudam Collection.

Nora Turato (b. 1991, Zagreb; lives and works in Amsterdam) is known for her spoken-word performances, artists’ books and text-based videos and paintings (on a variety of supports). Drawing upon her background as a musician and training in graphic design, she stitches together words and phrases from the media and her own private conversations to form epic ‘scripts’ for performances or typographic works in various media. Her work considers the volatility of language, accentuating it aurally via the instrument of her voice, or visually in graphic form.

i am happy to own my implicit biases (malo mrkva, malo batina) (2018–20) is a sound installation that employs a large black metal structure originally created for Manifesta 12 in Palermo, where it was presented in the Oratorio di San Lorenzo church. Reminiscent of a cage, a sports locker, or a confessional, this carceral environment has variously functioned as a stage for hosting Turato’s performances and at other times a bench for visitors to sit and engage in discussions. This iteration of the work is accompanied by a recording of the artist’s voice which is broadcast via a series of speakers mounted on top of the structure. The eponymous performance which forms the soundtrack to this work, takes the form of a fragmented dialogue. The script refers to the doñas de fuera (women from elsewhere), female spirits from Sicilian folklore that were said to be in contact with women accused of witchcraft under the Spanish Inquisition. This historical reference aligns with the artist’s continued reflection on the silencing of women in patriarchal societies, which notably takes shape through the frantic, loud and powerful female persona embodied in her performances.