CGD

Karina Golisová and the post-punk project Berlin Manson have much in common, so much that it is hard to really tell them apart. The leitmotif for BM is the paradox of an ending – the end of a dream of prosperity, of Europe, of subcultures. And at the same time, a gnawing suspicion that punk really is dead, despite the fact our present situation has never been closer to the state from which it was originally born (the unbearable political situation vs. a charismatic sacrifice, choosing to rather burn out in flash). Images from Golisová’s original series about the last moments of Last but not least are an impromptu, candid snapshot of this romantic disenchantment. They often feature Adam Dragun, BM’s Gothic soul, and he’s got all the makings – the name, the look, the words – of a raging star about to implode. Golisová’s style is full of contrast and visually confirms their dramatic position in an expressive and documentary shadow world of zines, promotional images and media visuals. These perfectly inch towards an exclusive approach without letting on that they are rather a diary of one love affair (perhaps straight from the 1970s), the brainchild of a FAMU it-girl, or the image of one band’s decadence. Taken together, they perform a miracle: well aware of their own futility, they employ long-forgotten genres and a new-wave and black-and-white underground aesthetic, conjuring a perfect storm which smarts like a knuckle thrust under the ribs of our era – “it’s a shame we were lucky enough to meet.”

Michal Nanoru