CANEMORTO
The Painting Race at Ljubljana's Match Gallery
(March 31–May 10, 2026)
curated by Antonio Grulli e Jani Pirnat
The project's first stage is CANEMORTO's solo exhibition The Painting Race at Ljubljana's Match Gallery (March 31 – May 10, 2026) curated by Jani Pirnat and Antonio Grulli.
The exhibition The Painting Race by the anonymous Italian art trio CANEMORTO at the Match Gallery represents the final part of a series on the plurality of approaches, techniques, and positions in painting as a medium. It is conceived as a playful futuristic presentation of the art world as a system in which artists and their works constantly compete for attention, recognition, and market opportunities.
The group CANEMORTO formed in 2007 within an underground context and adopted strategies of Dadaist provocation and surrealist absurdity, translating them into a hybrid practice that moves between painting, sculpture, video, and performance. They open up the exhibition space as a field of intervention, often targeting points of institutional critique or social discomfort. This position aligns with the programme of the Match Gallery, where challenging is one of the programme lines, as indicated in the gallery's name.
The exhibition refers to the first edition of The Painting Race, which took place in the Alchemilla – Palazzo Vizzani space in Bologna in 2024. There, CANEMORTO confronted the art system of the Arte Fiera with the mythology of speed and prestige embodied by the Ferrari brand and the associated Formula 1 Grand Prix in nearby Imola. This intentional, somewhat blasphemous symbiosis reveals the similarities between the art market and the spectacle economy. A clear allusion to, or parody of, the competitive spirit within the art world is also evident. Therefore, make sure you don't miss The Painting Race for the Ljubljana Grand Prix!
The installation at the Match Gallery consists of four remotely controlled paintings in various styles and motifs (landscape, Post-Expressionism, Magical Realism and Neo-Abstractionism), which equipped with wheels and engines race along a track laid out throughout the space, creating a dynamic, competitive atmosphere and a performative experience. A series of drawings related to the world of motor racing are exhibited on the gallery walls. Visitors are invited to interact with the paintings on wheels and organise improvised races, either alone or in groups. CANEMORTO members serve as pit stop mechanics, supervising the race.
With remote controls in their hands and consumed by their desire to dominate, the racers are focus solely on the track and the position of the racing painting, the style and motif of which determine team affiliation, and are oblivious to the world around them. The fans, on the other hand, follow the progress of the race, feeling a sense of belonging to their team and experiencing mutual competitiveness. The important thing is not only to participate in the game, but to win it, and foul play is allowed.
The project is made possible thanks to the support of the General Directorate for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture, within the framework of the Italian Council program (14th edition, 2025), aimed at the international promotion of Italian contemporary art.
Discover all the information here: https://mgml.si/en/match-gallery/exhibitions/735/canemorto/
