NSK GUARDS (Slovenia, 1998-2008)

Since 1997 the Slovenian art group Irwin has been photographing real soldiers before the flag of the imaginary NSK state. Soldiers from Albania were first, followed by others from Croatia, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic. Today the counter stands at twelve different armies. NSK stands for Neue Slowenische Kunst (New Slovenian Art), an alliance that began to attract followers in Eastern Europe in the 1980s. In addition to Irwin the music group Laibach, the theatre group Sester Scipion Nasice and the designers’ collective New Collectivism were part of NSK. The German name was deliberately chosen (as was Laibach, the name the Nazis gave to Ljubljana) in order to emphasise the traditional influence of Germany on Slovenian art, culture and history. This influence was precisely what the communist regime in Yugoslavia denied. Like the Balkan states during the civil war in Yugoslavia, NSK is a virtual state, but one with its own passports, a flag, insignia, consultants, and an embassy. The NSK symbol is derived from the swastika and the black cross of the Russian artist Malevich.