The human face is the center of the cosmos

Montenegrin painter Goran Ćetković, one of the most prominent authors of his generation, will present himself, his work, and Montenegro, at an exhibition in Zagreb, as part of the "Days of Montenegrin Culture in Croatia" event. The exhibition will be opened tomorrow in the prestigious gallery "Kristofor Stanković", at 19 pm, organized by the National Community of Croatian Montenegrins.

The exhibition "The Tooth of Time" was presented for the first time last year in Podgorica, and since then it has attracted a lot of public attention and interest in new exhibitions is constantly growing. The series includes about 30 large-format works that were created from 2014 to 2018, and were made in the technique of oil and acrylic on canvas.

"'The Tooth of Time' is a universal story about the transience of life. These are portraits torn from the body that swirl in space, and are characterized by the cries of a lost world", said the artist in an earlier interview for "Vijesti", announcing the premiere of his works.

After a year, the exhibition "The Tooth of Time" visited many galleries, received various praises, and each individual work, both new and old, forces and encourages the viewer to wonder and go deep into their (sub)consciousness. Looking at these works by Ćetković, one looks into oneself, into one's memories, into one's mind and soul, as if the canvases were deep mirrors.

In an interview with "Vijesti", on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition in Zagreb, Ćetković admits that "Zub vremena" is the peak of his work so far, reveals his impressions and announces two new installations and future plans...

After almost a year, the series "Zub vremena" has had many presentations, and now it will be seen by the audience in Croatia, as part of the "Days of Montenegrin Culture" event. What are your impressions, how satisfied are you with the life of the exhibition so far and do you have any expectations and what?

The cycle of paintings "The Tooth of Time" was created in the period from 2014 to 2018 and, I can freely say, is the peak of my creativity. It is a continuation of the cycle "Voices of silence" with which I achieved great results when presenting in the country and the region. I received invitations to prestigious art salons from all over, of which I would single out those in Cetinje, Belgrade, Zurich, Herceg Novi and Podgorica. All this was crowned with significant awards... And then the cycle of paintings "The Tooth of Time" was born, with which I presented myself at the end of October last year at the Art Pavilion in Podgorica. The exhibition was great, extremely well-attended and covered by the media, and what I particularly like is the high evaluation by art critics. "The Tooth of Time" was written about by art critics from the country and the region, and I would especially single out our art critics Ljiljana Zeković, Anastazija Miranović and Lucija Đurašković, then Dejan Đorić and Olivera Vukotić from Belgrade, as well as Croatian art critics Iva Kòrbler and Sonja Švec Španjol which is just finishing an essay about my painting.

Based on all that - I am very satisfied with the reactions to "Zub vremena" and I am especially pleased with the invitation to the exhibition in Zagreb as part of such an important manifestation - Days of Montenegrin Culture.

What does the exhibition include, i.e. have you changed it, perhaps supplemented it, or is it an identical set of works with which you presented yourself to the audience in Podgorica last year?

The setting "The Tooth of Time" consists of 30 oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, large format. Compared to the previous exhibition, this exhibition will be refreshed with a lot of new works. What makes me particularly happy is the fact that I will be exhibiting my paintings in one of the most beautiful galleries in Zagreb, the Kristofor Stanković gallery, which is also the gallery of the Zagreb City Assembly.

You said in an earlier interview that "'The Tooth of Time' is a universal story about the transience of life." Such stories are, I would say, eternal and always current. Has your perception of the setting changed, how would you now describe it, present it?

In "The Teeth of Time", as in the previous cycle, the central motif is man. But here we are also talking about something incomparably deeper, about what is hidden in the depths, darkness and uncertainty. The head is sometimes just an occasion, like the most mystical part of the body... I have the impression that I wanted to return the observer to the borderline states of consciousness and subconsciousness. I always head towards the essential, towards the center, towards the head, while examining not only reality and spirituality but also looking for meaning, even through the ages. I try to make my heads expressive to the extreme. I do not find my harmony in harmony and superficial beauty, but in the drama in which my painting is steeped.

You also said that your painting deals with the question of man. In what way, what do you reveal about man to man?

Since my student days, my painting has been dealing with one question, and that is always the question of man, today's man and the survival of his spiritual being in a world where human values ​​are fading and slowly disappearing. For me, the human face is the center of the cosmos. And where there is a face, there is a mask. In my pictures, the mask is torn from the face and what dominates is the objective nakedness of the face. Feelings of alienation, loneliness, pain dominate the exposed faces...

It seems to me (and still is) that the setting reveals all the states and moments that make up one personality, that is, all of us - people, globally. Was your intention to expose it to the viewer, to make him recognize, know, meet or something else?

When painting, I rely on emotion in addition to intuition. Each picture is the product of a certain psychological state, and drama is an inexhaustible source of my inspiration.

After this cycle, did you continue to work on it, to complete it, or did you move away from this series of yours? Why?

I mentioned earlier that "The Tooth of Time" is the pinnacle of my creativity so far. For this reason, I switched to watercolor, with the aim of refreshing my creativity, and that happened by making about 100 watercolors. The dominant theme is no longer the head but the human figure - that is, nudes. All this can be an introduction to something new as well as preparation for something big.

What can an audience that has not yet seen the exhibition expect from the installation? What will he feel, see?

Interest in the exhibition is high with each presentation. Also, I expect a great response from the audience. A large number of colleagues, friends and even art critics announce their arrival at the very opening of the exhibition in Zagreb...

The audience will be able to see characters from whom the mask of postmodern man has been torn off and will see the ancient face of suffering and suffering. It will certainly not leave anyone indifferent.

What are you currently working on, do you have any engagements or are you committed to further expanding the exhibition/setting?

After the exhibition in Zagreb, I will present myself to the art audience in my hometown - Kolašin. I was very happy to respond to the invitation of the director of the Cultural Center. In the Kolašin museum, I will present myself with about 40 medium-format paintings. It is a series of landscapes dominated by areas of the homeland, abandoned hearths and old towns. The pictures were created spontaneously immediately after the cycle "Zub vremena". This series of paintings, I must point out, corresponds very nicely with the cycle "The Tooth of Time". The opening of the exhibition is planned for January 2020.

Besides this exhibition, what are your future plans? I guess "The Tooth of Time" lives on.

Continuity in work is one of the most important things. I have not yet finished the presentation of the series "Zub vremena", and I have two new, different series of works in preparation. First, a series of about 40 landscapes was created, and then a series of about 100 watercolors with the theme of human figures, i.e. nudes. Certainly, in the coming period, I plan to present and promote new works. The audience will see me in a slightly different light... I paint - therefore I exist.

Thanks to Facebook, he also exhibited in Switzerland

I would say that you are also specific in that you publish your works on Facebook, and it seems to me that many artists avoid this. How do you see it? Is this how you maintain, form your audience, keep them up to date and follow you, or do you just want to present your work?

On my Facebook page I post only what is related to my art. Social networks are a place where a large number of people can see what you do. I post almost everything I paint on Facebook. In this way, I maintain my form as well as communication with the audience, colleagues and the professional public. Thanks to Facebook, I received invitations from other countries for some important group exhibitions. I would single out an invitation from Zurich, Switzerland, by a newly opened gallery for a group exhibition. In addition to me, colleagues from Italy, France, Switzerland took part in the exhibition... The same gallery also offered me an indefinite cooperation contract, but I signed only for a certain period. The exhibition was great. And that cooperation has continued today. These are all beautiful things that happen with the help of social networks. However, there are downsides, one of them is that someone can plagiarize your work, and that happens, but it doesn't stop me from doing what I do...

Any representation outside your country is extremely important

How much and in what way does it mean to you that you will present yourself as part of the Day of Montenegrin Culture in Croatia? I would say that you are not only presenting yourself, but also the painting of Montenegro, how do you see it?

For an artist, every presentation outside the borders of his country is of great importance. It is a pleasure and an honor for me to present my art, as well as my country, as part of such an important manifestation as the Days of Montenegrin Culture in Croatia. Let me also say that as part of the same event, I also exhibited in 2008, when, in addition to a solo exhibition in Zagreb, I also had exhibitions in Split and Pula. The exhibitions were extremely well attended and accepted by the art audience in all cities. The main sponsor of the exhibition, both then and now, is the National Community of Montenegrins of Croatia. In addition to them, the exhibition was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro.