Main trajectory of the Artist in Residency program which took place in Novi Sad from the 17th October until 31st October was creating an interdisciplinary exhibition as a product of collaboration of artists in Remix Comics residency (Bojan Dojkić, Dora Benčevič, Larisa Ackov Palić, Tomáš Staněk, Hajar Fargan, Lara Bakker) with members of Roma community in Novi Sad. The idea behind inviting and embracing this community in particular is to expose the duality of the community – Roma people themselves are part of the cultural heritage of these parts, but at the same time by a general population they are still highly marginalized group without proper conditions of living and by being marginalized are excluded from the community. Roma are struggling on an everyday basis to integrate in the normal flows of the society. The Roma national minority has been recognized as one of the most vulnerable and marginalized social groups in Serbia, not only in the findings of UN human rights mechanisms but also in reports on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Exhibition was a chance to form a temporary collective and to expand capacities of the idea of the community with several members of settlements of Veliki Rit (part of the city where Roma people live in the outskirts of the city) and artists from different cities which never before had a chance to collaborate with this vulnerable group.

Among the Roma people who participated was a teacher who helps Roma children to be accepted into the community, along with several individuals with similar social background, yet different personal life experiences and interests which they shared with the artists and the team. There was a chance to meet both Roma and Ashkali members of the community which introduced to us their own history and heritage and the ways they preserve them today. One of the meetings was with a transgender Roma person, who is excluded both from a Roma community and polarized Serbian society, and it, had to take place outside of the Roma neighborhood.

Through these encounters and meetings stories were gathered, and experiences of personal and collective heritage. It was important not to look at a subject from a distance and illustrate the given context but to create an active involvement and a group work both with artist and minorities so we could create an equal space for everyone. All of the collected stories where then used to question narrative frameworks of comics and to re shape capacities of panels and traditional narratological concepts. Each of the artist choose which stories, from mythological to social aspects, that they collected during our meetings with Roma community, and used them to construct the Gestalt whole of comprehension of this visual language found in comics.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

CURATOR – SLOBODAN TOŠIĆ

Slobodan Stošić (1989) lives and works. Winer of the 2012. Dimitrije Bašićević Mangelos award. Deals with contemporary art, given that it can be anything.

Some of recent exhibitions include: “Theater of Shadows”, collection of Hélène Lacharmoise, Galerie Dix9, Paris, FRA, “Art on paper Brussels”, BE,  “Subtropical cultures”, curated by Elene Kapanadze, Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum, GA, “Those who do not want to think should be thrown out! Joseph Beuys and Mangelos-100 years and art today” curators: Ivana Bašičević Antić and Selman Trtovac, u10 gallery, “Life a User’s Manual”, curated by Ami Barak, Timisoara, RO, “Belgrade, SER, “Divigation”, curated by Meyken Barreto, Y Gallery, New York, USA, “The One Who Became the Color on a Flag”, curated by Omar Lopez- Chahoud and Slobodan Stošić, Anya and Andrew Shiwa gallery, New York, USA,  Blasted”, curated by Zara Audiello, Beton7, Athens, GRE, ”Several Circles”, curated by Marco Antonini, EFA Project Space, New York, NY, USA, Imaginary friends”, curated by Chelsea Haines, Interstate project, New York, NY, USA.

BOJAN DOJKIĆ

Bojan Dojkić was born in 1980. in Zrenjanin, Serbia. He currently lives and works in Novi Sad. In 2005, he got his bachelor degree in graphic communications at the Department of applied art and design of Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He organised five solo exhibitions, where one especially noticed was “100 miniatures Exit creatures” at Exit festival in 2011. He also illustrated different textbooks and took part in numerous group exhibitions. In 2016, he won the first award for painting, drawing, graphics and mixed media category in international exhibition “Art in miniature” in Gornji Milanovac. He is a regular member of Šok collective, hosting the programme “Evening act”, and participating in the organisation’s other activities, such as group drawings, workshops and performances.

In technical terms, his drawings follow strict, demanding and clear rules, so he can focus more on the content. First of all, surfaces – they must be perfectly clean and their texture, shape and mutual relationship are carefully and rigidly organised. Next, details – they are minimal but rich, strong and distinct. Lastly, execution is extremely precise and accurate, which all together often misguides a viewer to believe to be looking at digital print. Audience reaction after revealing the truth and following discussion about his manual technique, became the integral component of his drawings, which gives his work a significant role in constant questioning of place and importance of work made by hand in modern times.

DORA BENČEVIĆ

At the turn of the century, she was born into an artistic family, with whom she travelled the whole world by the age of five. Ever since she can remember, she has been interested in illustration and animation.
In 2019, she graduated from the Koper Art High School, where professor Matej Kocjan, himself an important part of a Stripburger scene, introduced her to comics books. In the same year, she illustrated a lively visual image of the festival Days of Poetry and Wine and got a chance to create her first mini comic book The Essence of an Artist (Stripburger/Forum Ljubljana, 2020), which ultimately anchored her in the comics.
After her first solo exhibition in Dobra Vaga (An Artist per Month: A Serenade)
as part of the festival Tinta, she creates in collaboration with Striparna Stripolis and other interesting names, such as Emkej, Wudisban, Katalena, Isa kombucha, Flow ramps collective, Slovene philanthropy… This year, she was accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana, and since recently, her first comic book, The Girl Who Was Not Afraid of Bears, landed on the shelves of bookstores. It is an adaptation of an old Albanian story, created in collaboration with Lunaček and Špela Frilc.

LARISA ACKOV

Larisa Ackov is born in Pancevo, Serbia, in 1971. She graduated at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade, Department of Ceramics in 1998. Member of ULUPUDS (Serbian Association of Applied Artists) since 2001. Received Magister title in Unique Ceramics, at the Department of Ceramics, at the Faculty of applied arts in Belgrade, 2004. Has a status of Free artist. Beside ceramics, involved in painting, mosaic, and comics drawing.

Had 21 solo exhibitions, these among others:  “The Shore”, the magisters exhibition of unique ceramics, Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade, 2004.; “The Unknown Country”, Gallery of Contemporary Arts, Pancevo, 2005.; “Sights”, City Gallery Kotor, Kotor, Montenegro, 2008.; “The Spirits of the Earth”, Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade, 2010.;     – “Opposite world”, solo exhibition at Triennial of Contemporary Artistic Ceramics, Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade, 2012.; “Mute language”, Contemporary gallery, Subotica, 2021.

Took part at about 120 group exhibitions of ceramic, sculpture, paintings and comics, in Serbia and abroad.

Received awards, these among others: 1^st Prize at The November Hall of Pancevo, Pancevo, 2005.; The Annual Award of ULUPUDS for 2005., and 2010. year.; Grand Prix at Triennial of Contemporary Artistic Ceramics, Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade, 2009.; Grand Prize at Biennial of Ceramics, gallery RTS, Belgrade, 2013.

Realization of ceramic mosaic “The Seed”, CeraMix Creativity Museum, Korea Ceramic Foundation, South Korean Biennial of Ceramics, entrance lobby, 2011.

TOMAŠ STANEK

I finished my bachelor and master’s studies in illustration and comics at FDULS in Pilsen, CZ. I devote myself to comics continually, for 7 years I have been co-publishing Czech underground comic magazine XRXMAG, to which I also regularly contribute. My works were published in multiple anthologies, I have self-published two graphic novels: Metro (2017) and Prázdniny (Summer break) (2021).

Besides drawing and illustration, I am interested in wall painting and muralism in long term, my style oscillates between post-graffiti abstract forms and more narrative and pictorial visual language. As a part of OBRAS AKROBAD tandem, I created multiple large-scale murals in Pilsen, Prague, and other cities. The influence of graffiti in my hand style is recognizable in my studio paintings as well, where it meets elements of civilization, digital interfaces, abstract textures, and natural motives on canvases. Together with Josef Sedlák, we have put together several exhibitions on our own as OBRAS AKROBAD, as well as taking part in group projects and collaborations.

HAJAR FARGAN

Hajar Fargan is an Amsterdam-based writer, theatre maker and actor.

Her work is an intricate web of personal narratives intertwined with political issues such as belonging, inequality and capitalist society.

Coming from a background of Cultural Anthropology, she aims to shed light on the infinite possibilities of perspective as opposed to one truth.

LARA BAKKER

Lara Bakker is a theatre maker, singer-song writer and actress. Lara has performed in several productions of the ZID Theater in the Netherlands and international. Het last performance has been in “Our Odyssey”.  Lara has been working with the Story Cather game in different workshops and she also gives theatre classes to children.  She won also different prices with her composition of the songs and played in several TV series.