The first cross-section of the sculptor's work so far Sreten Milatović, was presented at his solo exhibition "Day and Night" which was opened the night before last in the Montenegrin Art Gallery "Miodrag Dado Đurić" in Cetinje.
The exhibition includes works created at the end of the nineties of the last century, several floor installations, sculptures and recent paintings-objects. Director of the National Museum of Montenegro Jakša Ćalasan, expressed satisfaction with the opening of the exhibition, stressing that we have a unique opportunity to witness the thirty-five-year continuity of Milatović's creativity.
"For many of us, this is the first time that we fully get to know that subtle artistic thought that is refined materialized in the stone and other materials he uses. Besides the fact that he was engaged in other jobs, among other things he is known as an excellent pedagogue and respected professor of sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Trebinje, this exhibition leaves the impression of great dedication and continuous pursuit of artistic creativity", said Ćalasan.
Exhibition curator, art historian Mirjana Dabović Pejović, she recalled that 11 years ago, the installation "Night" was premiered in Atelier "Dado". According to her, it symbolically and actually marked a new chapter in Sreten Milatović's creativity. It resulted in several cycles of works that opened the way to new research on this, for Milatović, inspiring topic.
"It is with great pleasure that we present the most representative works from the oeuvre that has been built for almost 35 years. Partly thanks to their strength, refined simplicity, and partly thanks to this exhibition space, each of them was given its full expression and shone in full beauty. This is the first time that unified works from different creative phases are found in one place, which makes it possible to see the changes that this work went through. This is an opportunity to more fully experience the comprehensiveness of the opus, which confirms the view that all of them are stages in one unique sequence. By combining a preference for the essential in the choice of materials, simplicity of form and precision of realization, a unique and refined artistic statement was built. In addition, although they are mostly created in a material that is difficult to process, which by its nature emits coldness, they are imbued with a strong emotional note, which moves the viewer to self-reflection and confirms the impression that, as much as they originate from admiration for the local milieu, these works should be perceived as part of one much of the wider corpus of art", said Dabović Pejović.
She added that the formal elegance and impeccable realization that characterize it elevate Milatović's work to the rank of greats of world sculpture of minimalist expression.
The exhibition, organized by the National Museum of Montenegro, will be available for visits until March 28, 2025.
Sreten Milatović was born in 1966 in Nikšić. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Sculpture, in Sarajevo in 1992, in the class of professors. Alija Kučukalić. He obtained his master's degree in 2007 at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cetinje. From 1993 to 2010, he was a professional associate at the FLU Cetinje. From 2009 to 2015, he worked as an assistant professor, from 2016 as an associate professor, and from 2020 as a full professor at the Department of Sculpture, Spatial Sculpture, Small Plastics and Medals at ALU Trebinje. He is a member of ULUCG, Matica Srpska in Montenegro and the Association of Fine Artists of Nikšić. He lives and works in Nikšić and Trebinje.
JK
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