THE DEATH OF IDEOLOGY

Instrumentality of the State Machine – The Death of Ideology, painted, signed, and stamped by Laibach

This is an enlarged interpretation of the black and white Laibach poster from 1982. 

In the upper part of the picture are portraits of four anonymous mortals, representing the four symbolic, pseudonymous, members of Laibach named Eber, Saliger, Dachauer and Keller. The names are borrowed from the four regime painters of the Third Reich, practitioners of the ideological art of engineering human souls. The four portraits are inspired by the works of the Austrian neo-expressionist painter Arnulf Rainer, and also by George E. Romero's 1968 film, "Night of the Living Dead". a film which depicts contemporary consumer society as an epidemic of ideological cannibalism, in which the dead are never really dead, and return again and again among the living (or more specifically, to roam the department stores of capitalism). 

At the bottom are portraits of three classic figures of Marxism: Marx, Engels and Lenin. In communist countries, the fourth place for a portrait was reserved for a current local leader, such as Stalin, Mao Zedong, Kim Il Sung or J. B. Tito. Since the poster was created shortly after Tito's death in 1980, this space was left empty, a black rectangle symbolically waiting for him to perhaps 'rise' from the dead. 

In the centre of the picture stands the Laibach's symbol - the cross, which also adds up and evens out the differences. 

Created by members of Laibach, signed with four names (Eber, Saliger, Dachauer and Keller), and stamped with the group's emblem as well as their collective signature.

Terms and details:

Upon prior request, it is possible to view artwork live at a Laibach WTC location in Ljubljana, Slovenia. If you are interested in doing so, please write to wtc.support@laibach.org. 

The listed price includes 9,5% value-added tax (VAT). If you are located outside the EU, or are a legal entity that is part of EU reverse charge system, you may take this into account when submitting your offer.

The stated purchase price is valid upon collection at a Laibach WTC location in Ljubljana and does not include the shipping, insurance, customs and excise charges, or import / export fees. After the payment for the artwork will be received, the Laibach WTC team will contact the buyer regarding collection or shipping. 

Upon prior agreement with the buyer, and at the buyer’s expense, Laibach WTC can arrange shipping and possible insurance of the item. The shipping fee will depend on the location of the buyer and the size and weight of the item. When exporting artwork outside the EU, Laibach WTC will also prepare the necessary documentation for export customs clearance, but the buyer will be responsible for the payment the customs and excise and export / import fees.

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