Current Project : Space Recycling

The Main topic – Production of Space has a general character. Through a concept of space production, Henri Lefebvre explained this problem in modern society with great knowledge and understanding. Researching it, I saw a connection with my studies and with ongoing group project that I work on, which I would like to explain it in short. It is a nutshell of the project for this fellowship program.

The project kicked off in August this year, in Belgrade, Serbia. Concept was to give new function and usage purpose to a derelict space that was left to ruin in an urban area of the city. With our initiative, we got the official permission from building tenants to transform this abandoned city passage into an Exhibition place and a Gallery, where young artist could exhibit their work and possibly sell it. We did so, in incorporating our own ideas on the walls through mediums of installation, relief, mosaic, sculpture, painting . This activist project is completely voluntary, with the emphasis on using recycled and natural materials like: stone, ceramic tiles, scrap metal etc. Aside artistic and aesthetical intervention, in parallel we worked on renovation of the exhibition windows, lights, removing old graffiti and adapting the space for future use. In this initiative, we interfered with this micro-urban environment, changing the way people behave and live, producing new space for cultural refinement. As it was before unofficially made a public toilet by homeless, now it is a place for people to be inspired and interact, showing other possibilities for a public urban space. Work is nearly finished.

Beginning – original look

Current look of the exhibition space:

My instalation, present and before:

In this work, and in general, my initial thought is to be authentic and free in artistic expression with materials and spaces that are around us. For this kind of freedom, an art piece needs commitment. And the persistence in achieving this vision is of main importance for me. Also, synergy with colleagues from different professions resulted in diversity that gave a new life for this forgotten place.

In creative process, collaboration of artists and scientists from all disciplines is necessary for understanding the bigger picture. It is a solution for better understanding the problems in society today. Excessive efficiency and functionality of today’s companies is based on strong principles of business and economy, but the extreme of it deters the focus from other values and possibilities. For me as an artist, main role is to make a bridge between these seemingly different worlds. The balance of society is distorted by the ambition and prosperity of economic growth, making centers of power in main position, and not the life of the people. It is essential for an artist to interact with his surroundings and fellow explorers. Active relation to society opens the possibilities for creating new spaces. Also, for this discourse between Art and Science, it is needed to recreate old and unused objects and spaces – to recycle – to begin a new circle.

This is the topic that I would like to study and explore at the Academy Schloss Solitude. The concept of fellowship seems to be the good way for answering this question, with possibilities of interaction with all the participants and exchanging ideas. The usage of visual means, drawing, sculpture, photography, installation, film would be the elements which I would use to find this answer.