Hold My Hand

Artist Iza Štrumbelj Oblak struggles to keep up with her master’s studies. She asks artists Lea Topolovec and Yana Deliyska to help her graduate.

Blurring the lines between the project’s narrative and real life, they engage in a family roleplay. Lea as mom and Yana as dad become guiding figues for their off-track child, Izi.

The project unfolds universal themes of failure and self-discovery while questioning society’s expectations towards higher education, a process which for art-school graduates will more likely lead to precarity at its completion. Turning challenges into opportunities for growth, exploration, and collaboration, the project seeks to find a balance while overcoming them. 

The roleplay performance was shot on Yana’s dad’s VHS family camera.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exhibited at Slakthuset, 2024

Video Stills