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N.P.1977

N.P.1977
/9
    • N.P.1977
  • 1977
  • video, color, no sound
  • 24min, 25sec
Neša Paripović’s film "N.P. 1977" is among those artworks from the 1970s conceptual art scene in Belgrade that have most recently been researched and re-evaluated. In this film, the artist follows—i.e., literally walks—a straight line through the city of Belgrade, cutting through its nature and architecture; this requires that he overcome all kinds of obstacles, such as walls and ramparts, in order to follow his chosen trajectory. Paripović’s work thus stands in line with that of Gordon Matta-Clark, who realized projects such as his exploration of the New York City subway system in 1976. Matta-Clark chose various sites in order to explore the complexity of the underground tunnels of a specific urban area. Moreover, he became known in the 1970s for cutting through facades, buildings, and roofs with chainsaws and other heavy motor-driven devices. Paripović, however, needed no means other than his own body to cut through Belgrade’s outdoor spaces and roofs without touching any underground venues. It is the act of geometrically mapping a certain terrain—an act that, in Paripović’s case, serves to demarcate the cityscape as a locus for concise mental and physical explorations. W.S.