My Name is Janez Janša

Documentary screening, artist talk, and a question and answer session with Janez Janša at Veem House for Performance in Amsterdam. This screening is part of 100 Day House #2 – Stay with the trouble.

A name.

Everybody has one.

Individuals, artists and academics from all over the world share their thoughts about the meaning and purpose of one’s name from both private and public perspectives. The problem of homonymy and other reasons for changing one’s name are explored as the film draws references from history, popular culture and individual experiences, leading us to the case of a name change that caused a stir in the small country of Slovenia and beyond.

In 2007 three artists joined the conservative Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) and officially changed their names to that of the leader of that party, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša. While they renamed themselves for personal reasons, the boundaries between their lives and their art began to merge in numerous and unforeseen ways.

Signified as an artistic gesture, this particular name change provoked a wide range of interpretations in art circles both in Slovenia and abroad, as well as among journalists and the general public..

Featuring: Mladen Dolar, UBERMORGEN.COM, Eva and Franco Mattes, Antonio Caronia, Vaginal Davis, Marco Deseriis, Kristin Lucas, and many others. Cameos by Jan Fabre, Vuk Ćosić, Tim Etchells…