RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
She most often produces her works at home, then bakes them in an art stu- dio kiln. She has spent many years working with ceramics and often says in jest she is “in a toxic relationship” with ceramics, because situations with clay are always unpredictable. She nonetheless believes that her street art brings the city to life. “I like graffiti’s atmosphere, though it’s sometimes tough to see histor- ical buildings covered with graffiti tags. The “Kupe” project, or wall vas- es, emerged after I saw an unusual 15 th century goblet with yellow ribs at the National Museum in Belgrade. I was drawing yellow spines everywhere during that creative period, so I expe- rienced that goblet as a “salute” from Belgrade. I made a small copy of that goblet, followed by several versions of my own. I mounted the first vase in Cetinjska Street in January. I real- ly like that corner of the city because it’s filled with street art and pleasant bars. I try to select the right places for my objects, in such a way that I don’t disturb the city’s architecture. My vas- es can be found in Dorćol’s Kneginje Ljubice Street, in Zeleni Venac and in Braće Krsmanović Street. The fact that people react very warmly to her vases is precious to her. “I noticed the flowers placed in my vases, even when almost no one knew about them, which was very dear to me. Many people now post comments for me on Instagram, and I’m sincerely grateful for such a warm response.” I most often choose technical walls or parts of fences that don’t form part of the city’s architectural heritage, in or- der to avoid spoiling the look of the city.” She mounts her vases with the permission of owners’ and strives to respect the urban space. She glues her ceramic works using a special univer- sal glue that can be used for both exte- riors and interiors, while choosing the colour of vase to mount doesn’t pose a problem for her. “I simply use my favourite, proven glazes and special paints for ceram- ics. The designs are inspired by medie- val aesthetics and my personal tastes. I gained experience decorating pub- lic spaces in Russia and participated in street art festivals... My desire is to
Nikada pre dolaska u
Beograd nisam bila u Srbiji, ali sam je odmah zavolela I had never been to Serbia before coming to Belgrade, but I fell in love with it immediately
develop new projects in the future. I would be interested in, for example, designing an artistic souvenir for mu- seums or implementing a large mural.” She’d never previously been to Ser- bia prior to her arrival in Belgrade, but she immediately fell in love with the city. She often tours museum exhibi- tions and visits small private galleries with friends and children. “I’ve taken note of several Serbian art- ists: the wonderful Nadežda Petrović, with her feeling for colour; Milena Pav- lović Barili, who had a special expression and I like her references to antiquity and the medieval period, but also their mod- ern interpretation. Marina Abramović is a major figure of world art...” Irina has a few favourite spots in Bel- grade, such as Kalemegdan Fortress overlooking the river. She also likes the Museum of Contemporary Art on the Ušće confluence and enjoys walk- ing around Dorćol and Vračar, observ- ing the city and its details.
“And the swans near the 25 th May swimming pool also bring me joy. I al- so like New Belgrade, which has ar- chitecture that reminds me of my childhood, while the sky is so expan- sive. However, I like the Dorćol street where I live in particular. Every time I leave the house, I enjoy the architec- ture, the textures of the façades and the sun’s reflections from the windows of neighbouring buildings. It’s really nice for me here.” She lives in Belgrade with her family. The children go to Serbian school and nursery, speak Serbian wonderfully and have made good friends. “We are surrounded by good and agreeable people who are always ready to help, and that means a lot to me. I really like the atmosphere of Bel- grade, as the city has a soul. It feels like a living person: warm, hospitable and charismatic. Even during difficult times, the people here have bright and positive energy.”
Belgrade » Beograd | 71
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