He noted that the landscape is not just a picture we look at, but a mirror that reflects our inner world. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. That's exactly what the art historian is about. Petrica Duletić based and further conceptualized this year's, 58th edition of the Herceg Novi Winter Art Salon, of which she is a selector.
The prestigious event, which represents a kind of cross-section of current research in regional art, is the prelude to the 56th Mimosa Festival. This year's Herceg Novi Winter Art Salon, with the theme "Landscape Experience", will open today at 19 p.m. at the "Josip Bepo Benković" Gallery.
"Landscape is not just a space that we observe - it is a space that we feel, shape and interpret. Artists use various strategies to comment on and analyze reality - from explicit criticism to subtle metaphors. With this Salon, we open the question: 'What is the experience of landscape like today?'... My goal was to present the artists' responses through interdisciplinary approaches, through which they reflect and question contemporary social circumstances," said selector Duletić in an interview with "Vijesti".
In a text for the Salon catalog, she reminded us that the connection between art and nature is deep and lasting.
“Nature is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists of all times, and their works allow us to appreciate the beauty around us and understand our connection to it. Landscape, once understood as a simple depiction of the natural environment, is undergoing a profound transformation in contemporary fine art. Instead of recording reality, landscape becomes a space for exploring complex questions about our relationship to nature, society, and ourselves. Contemporary artists often use landscape as a metaphor for describing social processes, conflicts, or conditions. Art becomes a means for people to engage and act. It connects art and life, breaks down the boundaries between art and real life, making art relevant to the contemporary world,” Duletić emphasized.
She also says that artists often use landscape to explore personal memories and emotions related to specific places or times, and that landscape can be an expression of national, personal, or cultural identity.
The audience in Herceg Novi will be presented by 44 visual artists, most of whom are from Montenegro, as follows: Aldemar Ibrahimović, Anka Burić, Branislav Bane Sekulić, Dragan Karadžić, Duško Miljanić, Filip Janković, Gordana Kuč, Ivan Đurišić, Ivan Pejović, Ivan Šuković, Ivanka Vana Prelević, Jovo Petričević, Katarina Švabić, Krsto Andrijašević, Lena Nikčević, Nada Kazić, Nikolina Zuber, Milivoje Miško Babović, Milovan Miki Radulović, Olivija Ivanović-Strugar, Peko Nikčević, Roman Đuranović, Srđan Vukčević, Sreten Milatović, Svetlana Dragojevic, Suzana Pajović, Tomo Pavicevic, Vaso Nikčević, Vesna Bošković i Vesko Gagovic.
From Serbia, the following will present their works: Marija Masa Jovanovic, Marijeta Sidovski, Miso Filipovac, Uros Miric, Zeljka Momirov i Natasa Skoric, from Bosnia and Herzegovina Nina Acković, Lejla Porobić i Sadko Hadzihasanovic, while coming from Croatia Ivana Jovanović Trostmann. There it is Boris Borce Bogoevski from North Macedonia, a Dani Žbontar, Nataša Sedej i Paola Korošec from Slovenia.
Jury composed of: painter Dragana Mladenovic, curator of the gallery "Josip Bepo Benković" Jasmina Žitnik and curator at the Public Institution "Museums and Galleries of Podgorica" Milos Marjanovic, will decide on three prizes, the first two of which are cash prizes of 1.400 and 1.000 euros, while the third-place winner will receive the right to a solo exhibition at the "Josip Bepo Benković" Gallery next year.
When it comes to technologies, the following are represented: painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, object, installation, graphics, artistic photography and video work.
"Although the poetics, manuscripts and interpretations are heterogeneous, it can still be said that the works question contemporary times through a different experience of the landscape," Duletić points out, adding that contemporary artists use different media to provoke reflection on our inner self and its relationship with the outside world, and he talks about everything in more detail for "Vijesti".
The theme of the 58th Herceg Novi Winter Salon is “The Experience of Landscape.” What inspired and guided you in your selection, and how does this theme reflect the contemporary moment in art and society, but also the tradition and significance of the Salon?
When I was invited to be the selector of the Herceg Novi Winter Salon, I had in mind that it would be best to determine a theme that would define the direction of the exhibition and enable coherence of the display. The theme “Landscape Experience” was inspiring for me because of the possibility of presenting different aspects of the landscape, as well as personal and collective experiences of space in contemporary fine art. Landscape is not just a visual scene, but an experience that includes emotions, memories and associations. This theme reflects the contemporary moment in art and society on many levels, because the landscape is no longer just a representation of nature, but a layered phenomenon that connects ecology, technology, identity and perception of space. The salon could have the subtitle “Transformation of Landscape: Nature, Technology and Society”. This fine art salon is a kind of cross-section of current research in art and an important part of the cultural life of Herceg Novi.
The salon will bring together 44 artists from different countries, generations, and poetics. Are there any specific differences in their approach and experience when it comes to “Landscape Experience” and how did you conceptualize the exhibition?
The criteria by which I selected artists included those who do not treat landscape only as a visual motif, but explore it as a complex experience. In the contemporary context, these are artists whose works explore landscape in light of contemporary issues, such as climate change, ecological awareness, loss of natural spaces, urbanization. Then, human migration; how landscapes shape collective identity, memory and belonging. I would also like to mention that the works of artists who reveal personal or introspective connections of artists with landscapes, whether through memories, dreams or meditative processes, mental landscape, are also represented. Some artists express themselves with innovative techniques through video art and soundscape. Therefore, my goal was to present a classical and contemporary approach by uniting in the exhibition the works of artists who deal with traditional depictions of landscapes and those who deconstruct or interpret landscapes in abstract, surreal or conceptual forms. I also had in mind the presentation of artists of different generations, in order to explore the development of approaches to the theme of landscape over time.
The exhibition will feature works in a variety of media, from painting to video art. How did you approach the curation and is there any dominant visual or conceptual direction among the works?
Although the poetics, manuscripts and interpretations are heterogeneous, it can still be said that the works question contemporary times through a different experience of the landscape. I am very pleased with the artists' response to the theme. It was a challenge to find common threads that connect different artistic expressions into a meaningful whole. Of course, as a curator, I tried to find a balance between these different artistic expressions in the exhibition. Contemporary fine art allows artists to create in different media and techniques, creating innovative and unconventional landscapes.
The contemporary landscape is dynamic, complex and often provocative. Through art, the landscape becomes a mirror of our times, reflecting our fears, hopes, aspirations and potentials. Landscape often carries a deeper meaning and serves as a powerful vehicle for expressing ideas, emotions and experiences. Throughout history, artists have used the landscape to symbolise various aspects of human life, from personal experiences to universal themes. Also, throughout the history of art, we have witnessed a changing perception of landscape.
How important was the issue of communication between artworks in the selection and conception of the exhibition? Did you notice that some works had a particularly strong dialogue with each other?
Through the theme “Landscape Experience”, I wanted to present how artists experience the landscape in their work. This connection should emphasize the interconnectedness of their artistic expressions, regardless of the different media or artistic expression, to provide a holistic view of the topic. When artists address the same topic, their works can communicate through similarities and differences in approach.
Do and in what way do the selected works refer to contemporary social circumstances, is there a specific engagement among them, and what did you, as the selector, want to convey with "Landscape Experience"?
Contemporary art often reflects current social, political and ecological issues. Landscape is not just a space that we observe - it is a space that we feel, shape and interpret. Artists use various strategies to comment on and analyze reality - from explicit criticism to subtle metaphors. With this Salon we open the question: “What is the experience of landscape today”? My goal was to present the artists' responses through interdisciplinary approaches, through which they reflect and question contemporary social circumstances.
The Herceg Novi Winter Art Salon has been presenting a cross-section of current artistic research for decades. To what extent do you think it shapes and stimulates the art scene in Montenegro and the region? In addition, what position does the event itself occupy and in what direction should it develop?
As one of the most important artistic events in Montenegro, the Herceg Novi Winter Art Salon is a space for the presentation of contemporary artistic trends and dialogue between artists of different generations. Its geographical location in Herceg Novi, a city with a rich artistic tradition, further contributes to its role in the cultural identity of our country. The Salon not only brings together artists from Montenegro, but also includes participants from neighboring countries, thus contributing to cultural exchange and strengthening the art scene at the regional level, as well as encouraging contemporary artistic practices.
Do you have any expectations for the exhibition or the event itself, what it brings?
This Salon, through its theme, also has a sociological component, social engagement, opens up the issue of sustainable development, the possibility of interaction between artists and the audience. The Herceg Novi Winter Art Salon invites a dialogue about the landscape as a space of memory, change and criticism - about a space that we constantly listen to and reshape. From the aesthetic side, “Landscape Experience” opens up the field of visual research in contemporary art.
Art becomes a means for people to engage and act
How do you see the future of landscape as an artistic expression - does it remain a traditional motif or is it transformed into a field of experimental, conceptual and critical practices?
The connection between art and nature is deep and enduring. Nature has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists of all times, and their works allow us to appreciate the beauty around us and understand our connection to it. Landscape, once understood as a simple representation of the natural environment, is undergoing a profound transformation in contemporary fine art. Instead of recording reality, landscape becomes a space for exploring complex questions about our relationship to nature, society, and ourselves. Contemporary artists often use landscape as a metaphor for describing social processes, phenomena, or conditions. Art becomes a means for people to engage and act. It connects art and life, breaks down the boundaries between art and real life, making art relevant to the contemporary world.
Landscape in art is increasingly becoming an experimental and critical field, although the traditional motif remains present. Its future lies in the fusion of the digital and the physical, the local and the global, the conceptual and the aesthetic. Depending on the artistic context, landscape can be a means of contemplation, social criticism or technological experiment.
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