Light has inspired artists for centuries, and in Montenegrin painting it has a deep associative connection with the Mediterranean, and this connection is multi-layered: visual, emotional, historical and identity-based, states the art historian in an interview with Vijesti. Petrica Duletić.
Light is the theme and motif that is the backbone of this year's, second edition of the Summer Art Salon of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro (ULUCG). The exhibition of selected artists, entitled "Space Written by Light", will open tomorrow in Podgorica, at the ULUCG Art Pavilion, at 20 p.m.
The expert jury consisted of: art historian Petrica Duletić, curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro Marina Celebic and art historian Milos Marjanovic, They selected 36 artists to present themselves at the Salon, based on a public competition in which 44 of them applied.
"The Salon is organized according to a curated model, which means that artists do not exhibit automatically based on their membership in ULUCG, but rather according to the selection of a professional team on a given topic. This raises the importance and quality of the Salon," said Duletić, who will open the exhibition tomorrow.
The authors who will present their works at this year's, second edition of the "ULUCG Summer Art Salon" are: Anka Buric, Goran Cetkovic, Zdravko Beli Delibasic, Drasko Dragas, Svetlana Dragojevic, Darko Djurovic, Ivan Djurisic, Verica Filipovic Bulatovic, Tijana Gordic, Sara Joli, Maša Jovovic, Ksenija Kaludjerovic Skerovic, Milica Kazic, Biljana Kekovic, Ljiljana Kolundzic, Zoran Kruta, Djuro Lubarda, Ana Lompar, Nikola Markovic, Tanja Markus, Radun Marsenic, Suad Maslicic, Hana Mirkov, Emina Nimanbegu, Lidija Nikcevic, Ratko Odalovic, Tomo Pavicevic, Milena Perovic, Nikola Radonjic, Marija Radusinovic, Adin Rastoder, Savina Raznatovic, Bozo Sekularac, Milija Stojanovic, Djordjije Vujicic i Naod Zoric.
The Salon aims to promote and affirm Montenegrin artists, and establish new exhibition opportunities. Duletić also tells Vijesti that the very holding and realization of the Salon contributes to the (re)positioning of ULUCG, which deserves greater state support and a change in status...
"By holding this Salon, as well as the Traditional Annual Exhibition, ULUCG is positioning itself as a modern institution, deserving state support and a change in NGO status. This would be an important step forward in modernizing the artistic and institutional scene in Montenegro," she emphasizes.
Duletić further talks about the upcoming exhibition, where artists of different generations, poetics and means of expression will present their works, all gathered around one universal theme - light - not only as a physical phenomenon, but also as a supporting artistic element, a category of thought and a poetic sign...
“From a curatorial perspective, I believe that the Salon invites artists to move away from traditional forms and approach the subject through contemporary, often technically demanding media. It also encourages multidisciplinary dialogues between art and science, opening up the possibility for new interpretations. The theme 'Space Written by Light' is very suggestive and rich in possibilities for interpretation in the context of contemporary fine art. It also points to the essential: observation as an experience, light as a form, a space that can also be an inner state,” emphasizes Duletić.
The art historian reminds us that artists do not use light just to show something, but also to "create" something, most often a space of silence or, conversely, a space of intensity, pure visual tension, transience, or spirituality.
“Light in Montenegrin painting has a deep associative connection with the Mediterranean, and this connection is multi-layered: visual, emotional, historical and identity-based. The specific quality of light in the Mediterranean, which is sharp, intense, but also warm, has inspired artists for centuries. It becomes a visual sign of identity - a way to express their rootedness in space, tradition and culture. Mediterranean light is experienced as a heritage - an element that defines how colors are used, how space is built on canvas, and what feelings the artist conveys. Therefore, it is not only an aesthetic element, but a visual language through which the Mediterranean is recognized, as a place of light and shadow, inner and outer, past and present,” explains Duletić.
This very topic, she adds, proves that in a broader sense, light also becomes a cultural code, because it symbolizes spaciousness, openness, dialogue of cultures, as well as spiritual layers in Montenegro.
“In Montenegrin artists, the Mediterranean environment is often transformed into an archetypal space: light is not only a reflection of the sea or stone, but also a carrier of inner states, collective memory and spiritual duration. In this way, light becomes a bridge between the visual and the symbolic,” says Duletić.
Although each of the works communicates the theme in an authentic way, what they all have in common are the depictions of light fields, bursts, beams, play...
"The relationship between the physical phenomenon of light and shadow as a formative element of form and the philosophical reflection on the same relationship in the construction of content are also considered. Despite the diversity in the medium in which they are expressed, light appears in each of them as a fundamental element, sometimes as a source of form, sometimes as a passage into layers of meaning, and often as space in itself," concludes Duletić.
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