Photo: Tadej Vaukman
13 February – 13 March 2026
P74 Gallery
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Tadej Vaukman’s last exhibition at P74 Gallery was in 2020, shortly after returning from the New York residency, which he attended as an OHO Group Award winner. In one of New York’s bookstores, he discovered David Michael Wojnarowitz’s book, Weight of the Earth. He had not previously known this American artist, but his autobiography, featuring transcriptions of audio recordings, made a profound impression on him. He identified with the atmosphere that permeates the book. Wojnarowitz filmed himself in his own room, in that same city, lonely and ill. This work marks the starting point of Tadej Vaukman’s new project and the moment when he realised he had to take a step forward. He’s always had an affinity for the book as a medium, and his photography has been frequently published in fanzines and artist books.
What followed was a series of self-portrait photographs; its novelty lies in a direct physical intervention into a photograph. The artist applied thick layers of paint mixture and bodily fluids to each photograph, gradually covering the face. It is an experiment with a technique that produces minimal variation among the same motifs. Spontaneity and uncensoredness give us the feeling of immersion in the narrative. A sense of unease prevails, as if we are observing something we should not be.
Tadej Vaukman’s photography directly relates to topics such as passing and death, as images, in the final instance, represent dead matter. We are dealing with the artist’s personal perspective on events that have deeply affected him. Raised by his grandparents, their relationship was characterised by routine, loyalty, compromises, and love. While his earlier series and projects examined the wider context of his life and social surroundings, he is now more focused on himself. Physical intervention in photographic images, gestures, or writings can be linked to his will to expose himself, most clearly expressed through a recurring motif, namely, the self-portrait.
In Vaukman’s own words: »The other day I was listening to Cameron Winter’s song Drinking Age. In one of the verses, he very melancholically sings ‘table by the door’. This connected me even more with my past, much like when I took a passage from Wojnarowicz’s book in NYC and used it to help me. In this new instance, it’s more about reconciling with the past, coming to terms with myself. This is a table by the door.«
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Tadej Vaukman (b. 1984, Dravograd) is an independent artist and photographer. He lives and works in Ljubljana. In recent years, he has exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions. Solo exhibitions include: San Lorenzo, Ravnikar, Ljubljana (2024); Ritual Purification, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana (2020); Larry #2, Pivka House of Culture, Pivka (2017); Spaghetti Boys, P74 Centre and Gallery, Ljubljana (2016); and Larry, GT22, Maribor (2015). Group exhibitions include: VIII. Blind Date Convention, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana (2025); Edvard, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana (2024); Novo, New, Nouveau, Now,, Ravnikar, Ljubljana (2023); Viennacontemporary 2019, NSK: State in Time, Vienna; OHO Group Award Nominees Exhibition 2019, P74 Centre and Gallery, Ljubljana; Precarious Environments: 17 Cases of Contemporary Photography in Slovenia, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, Ljubljana (2019); Grandheroes, Guillaume Daeppen, Gallery for Urban Art, Basel, Switzerland (2018); Triennial of Contemporary Art in Koroška, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Koroška, Slovenj Gradec (2018); and ZINES! Contemporary Zine Production, International Centre for Graphic Arts, Ljubljana (2017). In 2015, he published his debut photobook, Dick Skinners, and in 2018, Grandheroes (both published by Rostfrei Publishing).