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currently on view at “Slow Motion Disasters“ my exhibition at Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien ——————————————————————- “Melania” 2019, Sevenica, Slovenia Digital video 12:11 min ___________________________________________________ “Brad Downey’s new ongoing project ”Melania” is a documentary film consisting of several parts about the construction of a monument of Melania Trump, carved into a tree that is still rooted in her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia. The current First Lady of the USA was born on April 26, 1970 in Novo mesto in the then Yugoslav republic of Slovenia. The sculpture of the president’s wife is made by a local pipe layer and amateur chainsaw sculptor named Maxi. Both Maxi and Melania were born on the same year in the same hospital, but their lives have taken drastically different directions. For the film, Downey and his team spent several months filming interviews with Maxi along with locations around the town. The result is a personal portrait of Maxi and his thoughts about Slovenia, the USA, Europe, immigration and class division. Through these interviews the film attempts to capture the spirit of Slovenia, which seems to be mirrored in Maxi’s interactions with his family, environment and his feelings about art, God, love, and country. By focusing on one working class man’s portrayal of a public and internationally known personality, the film offers insights on local and global problems and policies illuminated by the USA and Europe and beyond.” Text: @dna_ia @kunstraumkreuzberg curated by Stéphane Bauer, Nadia Pilchowski and Sylvia Sadzinski thanks: Aljaž Celarc , Miha and Jaka Erjavec @dna_ia @sylv_inski @stephanebauerb Photo: Eric Tschernow #firstlady #slovenia #sevnica #AljažCelarc #immigration #refugees