Djordje Ozbolt — Who Say Jah No Dread

Installation view,
Djordje Ozbolt. Who Say Jah No Dread,
Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Zürich • Art & Culture

Rasta-safari

Travelling the weird and wonderful world of imagination...

Rob Wilkes •

Belgrade-born artist Djordje Ozbolt has been doing some travelling – into the jungle, across the savannah, and down a long path of imagination and discovery that has led him to produce his latest collection Who Say Jah No Dread. This menagerie of sculptured animals, dancing totems and tribal paintings draws on his experiences trotting the globe, sliced and diced and reassembled in a weird and quite wonderful way.

Zoom in a bit on the centrepiece of the exhibition, his balancing animals rendered in Rastafarian colours, and you’ll see a dove perched on the finger of the chimpanzee, and the spirit of freedom and enjoyment flies through this collection. His animated fertility statues are getting down to Leonard Cohen’s Dance Me to the End of Love, or in a painting embracing, gazing at the sunset. More mythical iconography comes into play in his series of paintings splicing animals and people together. Hauser & Wirth, Zurich is hosting the collection until 25th May.

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Djordje Ozbolt
Clouds that pierce the illusion that
tomorrow will be as yesterday,
2013
Acrylic on canvas
225.5 x 234.5 x 4 cm /
88 3/4 x 92 3/8 x 1 5/8 in
Photo: Alex Delfanne

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Installation view,
Djordje Ozbolt. Who Say Jah No Dread,
Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Djordje Ozbolt
The transformer
2013
Acrylic on canvas
180 x 170.5 x 2.5 cm /
70 7/8 x 67 1/8 x 1 in
Photo: Alex Delfanne

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Installation view,
Djordje Ozbolt. Who Say Jah No Dread,
Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Installation view,
Djordje Ozbolt. Who Say Jah No Dread,
Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Installation view,
Djordje Ozbolt. Who Say Jah No Dread,
Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Installation view,
Djordje Ozbolt. Who Say Jah No Dread,
Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Djordje Ozbolt, Who Say Jah No Dread

Djordje Ozbolt
Gentlemen of Ngongo (3)
2012
Acrylic on icon board
80 x 70 x 6 cm /
31 1/2 x 27 1/2 x 2 3/8 in
Photo: Alex Delfanne