Intervju / Interview
The digital age has turned us all into photographers. What was people’s attitude towards photography previ- ously like? “The attitude towards photogra- phy used to be very specific and im- plied a certain commitment. Today, of course, we’re all photographers. Pri- or to the emergence of smartphones, who ever had 6, 8 or 10 thousand photos in their pocket, let alone in a single lifetime? This is normal today, because technology has been com- bined with a certain dose of narcis- sism and a desire to idealise intima- cy or everyday life and present it in a filtered, fake way. I think real art photographers have been hit hard- est by the fact that today everyone can very easily achieve high-quality results without a lot of effort or kno- whow, but that’s a point that we can also expand upon in other spheres, and not just photography.” You’ve always derived the most inspiration from what happened in art during the 20 th century. Surrealism, DADA, pop art, all the way up to the ‘80s... Does ana- logue photography logically fit into that? “Photography has meddled inti- mately in the lives of all of us at every level, artistic, personal or civilisation- al. When it comes to the history of art, it naturally changed a lot of things and became part of that very history, from the start of the 20 th century to this day. Digitalisation, which simpli- fies the medium’s accessibility, proba- bly leads it in different directions, but good photography, like a good picture, is something that simply has its own parameters, regardless of how much technology has shifted.” Technology changes, but the seminal questions re- main the same. As an artist, which questions are you cur- rently trying to answer? “Absolutely, but one shouldn’t fall into the trap of technology and thinking of it as progress in and of itself, and that it solves everything when it comes to art, because that can be very shaky ground and short-
lived. What needs to be done is to answer, in a given time and place, the key questions of that time us- ing adequate tools, because it thus remains simultaneously contempo- rary and enduring. Those questions have remained the same since the very emergence of humankind, and they are: who are we; why are we here and where are we going.” Do you still use an analogue camera? What fascinates or occupies your eye today? “No, I'm not nostalgic in that re- gard. I use what everyone else uses, which is either digital cameras when needed or phone cameras. My eye still functions according to the same principle, and that is to find some- thing that catches my eye, from ba- nalities to peculiar things, so I con-
“I’ve spent my whole life in Par- is, so it would be difficult for me to single out something that wouldn’t be known, because this is after all a city that’s a centre of world tour- ism. What connects me with it per- sonally are the areas where I grew up and where I mostly lived, stud- ied, walked or spent time, name- ly the Marais, the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain etc. I most often head out for a walk and enter gal- leries and museums to see what’s going on. It is this that marks my connection and interest with a city, especially when it comes to Paris, where there is – as we are well aware – a lot of that. I would recommend heading through the city in order to feel its energy, which is some- thing that works for any place on
Drago mi je što Er Srbija danas nastavlja sa dugom tradicijom koja našu zemlju povezuje sa celim svetom I’m glad that Air Serbia is today continuing that long tradition that connects our country with the entire world
tinue with that mental frame, albeit with new technology.” What are the projects cur- rently occupying your time and are you planning to stage an exhibition in Bel- grade or Paris soon? “I’m planning four exhibitions in Belgrade for the spring, which will open on the same day, but at four dif- ferent locations, so visitors will be able to go from one space to anoth- er to see new cycles of pictures and drawings that I’ve been working on in recent years, as well as new spa- tial installations.” What do you love about Par- is and which three less-
the planet, because only when you understand the entirety and diver- sity of a city can you really experi- ence it as you should.” Which city do you most con- sider as being your own; and where does your work most- ly take you? “Paris and Belgrade are my cit- ies because I’m connected to them the most, but I think everyone who’s travelled around the world a bit has some personal mental and physical topography and geography through which they set aside neighbourhoods, streets, corners and spaces in every city that they experience as their own. My work is linked to the space where I work and create. That currently re- lates more to Belgrade, while for a long time it was Paris, and we’ll see what the future brings...”
er-known places (that you find precious and interest- ing) in that city would you recommend?
24 | Umetnost » Art
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