*Everywhere, Everywhen*
Evgen Copi-Gorišek

Everywhere, Everywhen

According to the sociologist George Ritzer, the world as we know it is undergoing an increasing McDonaldization. This process of society adopting the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant (efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control) extends to every aspect of life, including art and culture. But while it is usually seen as a process driven by mega corporations, steamrolling and erasing differences in favor of sameness, it also absorbs the said differences, turning them into a repeatable format. Be it through kebabs or pizza slices, plastic souvenirs or trinkets, or generic, single-punchline art that loses its origin, it confuses exoticism with consumers’ comfort. And it is precisely this confusion about the ‘standardized difference’ that Evgen Čopi-Gorišek (b. 1994, Koper/Capodistria, Slovenia) disrupts by layering the global and timeless against the deeply specific and timely.
 

Through this process, the wealthier, industrialized nations drive cultural and economic trends, shaping what’s valued globally. But the flip side is that the local traditions, histories, and issues of economically less developed regions often get absorbed into these trends. So instead of local identity being erased by the global pressures of large chains, we can see McDonaldized micro-unit business formats being presented as “local” or “authentic.” In that sense, while it is a tool for mass uniformity, it is also an opportunity for greater diversity and innovation. And these changes don’t stop at the economy; such dynamics seep into every aspect of life. Childhood often becomes saturated with global influences, and one has to navigate between what’s ubiquitous and what’s personal, looking for meaning in both.

And as an artist and a young father who’s lived in different corners of Europe in the past 10 years, Čopi-Gorišek is increasingly aware of this phenomenon. Having experienced various environments while surrounded by a similar backdrop, he explores the idea of ever-evolving authenticity in his latest body of work. So, by blending the global and local in unexpected ways, he is working against his art becoming part of a universal language through “cultural homogenization.” And what better place to present these than the iconic city whose history is marked by migration, merchants, artists, and ideas flowing in and out since its golden age!? Placing his contemporary sitters within the grand scenery of Venetian Renaissance paintings (Night on Earth, 2025), he adds another layer to a visual hodgepodge that cannot be easily mass-produced. Rejecting the flattening of specificity, his new body of work reclaims agency through counter-narratives or hybrid forms. Consequently, styles, places, and time periods bleed into one another, creating a visual language that is simultaneously everywhere and everywhen (Madonna and Child and French Fries with Mayo, both 2026). With that, he reflects that contemporary life experience is less about authenticity versus globalization and more about balancing openness with resilience. Recognizing that the story isn’t about the food/tradition/culture being imposed, but about the global system and logic that forces the migration of both people and symbols, he celebrates openness as a way to keep cultural traditions alive, evolving, and relevant (Four Musketeers and Boomerang, both 2026). Through visuals that serve as treasure troves of layered identities, Čopi-Gorišek allows diverse ideas, art forms, and perspectives to function as the heartbeat of reinvention.

text: Saša Bogojev