The five-person Slovenian artists’ collective IRWIN has produced numerous ground-breaking projects, both within and beyond the group, since 1983. IRWIN connects art and ideology and brings together art historical references with symbols taken from religion or totalitarian political systems. IRWIN also co-founded the collective Neue Slowenische Kunst in 1984, along with the musical group Laibach and the Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre, to process the complex relationship of Slovenia with Germany through art. Over time, IRWIN has built up a complex system of cross-references between their works and the works of other artists. After more than forty years of artistic activity, it is one of the most celebrated artists’ collectives active in Europe today. Recent exhibitions and projects include collaborations with institutions and galleries like the Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid; the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow; Moderna galerija, Ljubljana; Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg; Galleria Civica di Modena; House of World Cultures (HKW), Berlin; Tate Modern, London; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Centre for Art and Media (ZKM), Karlsruhe; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Taipei Biennial; and many others.

Although painting is IRWIN's primary medium, the group also works in other media and forms where collaboration and appropriation are key concepts. Their practice is also based on the tradition of historical avant-gardes. Interpreted in the language of IRWIN, art can bring to the fore that which was previously marginalised. The painting Mondrian’s Cup (Blue) from the series Icons, refers to Piet Mondrian's work from 1935. A cubical space has been carved into the painting in order to hold the blue cup. This breaks up the two-dimensionality of the surface and inserts into it a three-dimensional object. The work thus blurs the boundaries between two-dimensional surface and three-dimensional object, and points to its own existence as an object by making place for the cup. Other constrasts are present in this subtle work, as the geometric lines of the painting come into contact with the sensual Baroque style cup, establishing both cooperation and tension between these two elements.