The art program of the 32nd City Theater, which gave us several events this summer - the exhibition "Icon", controversial Russian artists Arsen Savadov, Dmitri Gutov and the group "Electroboutique", the thematic exhibition "Mediterranean in the works of Montenegrin painters", with the works of such greats as are Milo Milunović, Petar Lubarda, Pero Poček, Filo Filipović..., he also introduced the Montenegrin sculptor Maja Čakalović to the audience.
In the Church of Santa Maria, the exhibition "Secta Tempus", "Trace of Time" began, which consists of about 30 works by the famous artist from three cycles, which were created several years ago.
As Professor Aleksandar Čilikov, consultant of this year's Art Program, pointed out at the opening, after the thematic exhibition he was guided by the idea of organizing an independent exhibition in the beautiful interior of Santa Maria, and that it has connections with the location of Budva, its Old Town and the Mediterranean, and immediately , without any hesitation, decided on the works of the young sculptor from Bar, Maja Čakalović.
"She is not only a sculptor, but an artist of a wide range of interests, we did not have the opportunity to exhibit her paintings here, which certainly do not lag behind her sculptural works in terms of artistic quality. Thinking about the concept of Maja's exhibition, we agreed that it should be composed by selecting three smaller cycles, since she has a habit of working in cycles. One is "Shield", the second is called "Book", the third is "Jewellery". I think that the symbolism is so clear - the shield is not just a warrior's exhibit, because we protect ourselves from something all our lives, not to mention all kinds of protection there are, a book is a symbol of knowledge, literacy, and jewelry is that human, innate need of man. However, in these works and in that concept, which is very complex, there is a strange personal personality, that is, some intimate, personal symbolism, about which the author could probably speak better than me. In some of my perceptions, Maya's works could be interpreted in multiple ways: we are in the church of Santa Maria, in an ancient temple, we have exposed shields, and if we go back to the past of Christian temples, they were a place of protection for both the poor and the rich. We have books, again, if we go back to the past, the Christian temple was the center of literacy and literature, if we mention jewelry, there is nothing more luxurious in the field of art and jewelry, than the treasures of old monasteries. Thus, the concept of this exhibition is connected with the temple as an institution, which for me, as an art historian, is the most elite and representative spiritual space. If we talk about the artistic qualities of Maja Čalaković, she has long been noted by expert critics as one of the rare artists who uses symbols from the past, ancient, medieval, and transposes them into modern art in a very original way, without any false symbolism, empty allegories, or some direct replicas that we had the opportunity to meet in some works of art. What strikes me, besides the idea, besides the motive in its realization, is the technical virtuosity. We can say that some of these works are the work of a virtuoso. My colleague Ljiljana Karadžić, an art critic, well noted that Maja Čakalović's art exhibits and products cannot be treated as works of applied art, they are absolutely intimate, personal works of art and objects," said Čilikov, emphasizing a very interesting gesture. young artist, which is that she has a habit of creating her dress specially for every opening of her solo exhibition, which practically makes her clothes part of the exhibition as well. We all need a psychological defense mechanism against reality
"Secta Tempus" is also the last exhibition of the Art Program of this year's City Theater, and it will be open until August 29, and as the author stated, each of her cycles is significant because of the materials she used (wood, metal, terracotta...).
"The most common motif in my works is the "Shield", treated in the cycle of the same name, which, as an object taken out of its context, creates an allegory and represents the protection of intellectual thought, the idea of wisdom and art. For me, as an artist, that motive can also represent a special internal psychological defense mechanism, a "shield" from reality, which we all need. I also deal with the theme of jewelry, which is part of the "Jewelry-excavation" cycle, and I try to show a mix of different, yet similar states from previous works, and at the exhibition I also show part of the sculptures from the "Books" cycle, which was started this year." , points out Čakalović.
Bonus video:
