Yearbook of the Independent Performing Arts Scene in Serbia - TkH

Kolekcija 18 (2008), when he attempted to recall the 90s throughan anonymous patron’s collection of art objects, created in the period1986-87–1996-97, at the outset and during the war in Yugoslavia. Artworks– mostly paintings, drawings and prints – and their modes of representationhelped Milikić reconstruct the history and overwhelming ideologies inSerbia during the 90s. After the presentation the artist opens debate onthe faith of the collection he carries in the trunk of his car. While endeavoringto deal art to the visitors, he is at the same time raising questions onthe history and its appropriation in contemporary Serbia. Similar methodsfeature in the practice of the group Spomenik (Monument) 19 (DamirArsenijević, Svebor Midžić, Darinka Pop-Mitić, Branimir Stojanović, MilicaTomić), concerned with oblivion of the 1990s’ wars in Yugoslavia, andconceptualizing them as the traumatic knot of the contemporary Serbiansociety. This group was formed in 2002 while questioning the attempts ofthe Belgrade City Assembly to build a monument dedicated to the wars informer Yugoslavia during the 90s. This art collective proclaimed conversationa monument, declaring its basic strategy as production of autonomousspace for discussion. In 2008 the group presented the activities of theInternational Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) through a series oflectures delivered by experts on forensics, anthropology, and cultural theoriesof memory, staged as performance-lectures in gallery and museum venuesin Belgrade as part of the 49 th October Salon (49. Oktobarski salon).Interactivity and participation have been important issues addressed byperformance art since its beginnings. For instance, the unique performanceart production of the multimedia artist, poet, playwright, and performerIvan Pravdić provides a spatial and temporal framework for various formsof interaction and participation on the part of the audiences. In his performanceJedan savet jedno pivo (One Advice – One Beer) (2007/08) Pravdićworked with the ideologies of contemporary communication societiesbased on domineering material production, exchange and consumption ofknowledge, information and communication, where intimate human interactionis increasingly missing. 20 He is ironizing this situation, offering advice18 Performance lecture Kolekcija premiered as part of the international projectDictionary of war/ Rečnik rata in Novi Sad (http://dictionaryofwar.org/concepts/Collection), being further elaborated, modified, and performed in Art Klinika inNovi Sad (http://www.ledart.org.yu/artklinika/milikic.htm).19 http://www.oktobarskisalon.org/49/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=7320 Ivan Pravdić’s reflections on the subject were outlined in the essay: IvanPravdić, “Učestvovanje publike u delima savremene umetnosti” (Audience participationin contemporary art works), Polja literature and theory journal, No. 441,2006, available online: http://polja.eunet.yu/polja441/441-7.htm