Intervju / Intervi ew 24 | Umetnost » Art The digital age has turned us all into photographers. What was people’s attitude towards photography previously like? “The attitude towardsphotography used to be very specific and impliedacertaincommitment.Today,of course, we’re all photographers. Prior totheemergenceof smartphones, who ever had 6, 8 or 10 thousand photos in their pocket, let alone in a single lifetime?This isnormal today, because technology has been combined with a certain dose of narcissism and a desire to idealise intimacy or everyday life and present it in a filtered, fake way. I think real art photographers have been hit hardest by the fact that today everyone can very easily achieve high-quality resultswithout a lot of effort or knowhow, but that’s a point that we can also expand upon in other spheres, and not just photography.” You’ve always derived the most inspiration fromwhat happened in art during the 20th century. Surrealism, DADA, pop art, all the way up to the ‘80s... Does analogue photography logically fit into that? “Photography hasmeddled intimately inthe livesof all of us at every level, artistic, personal or civilisational. When it comes to the history of art, itnaturallychangeda lotof things andbecamepart of that veryhistory, from the start of the 20th century to thisday.Digitalisation,whichsimplifies themedium’saccessibility,probably leads it indifferentdirections, but goodphotography, likeagoodpicture, is something that simplyhas its own parameters, regardless of howmuch technology has shifted.” Technology changes, but the seminal questions remain the same. As an artist, which questions are you currently trying to answer? “Absolutely, but one shouldn’t fall into the trap of technology and thinking of it as progress in and of itself, and that it solves everything when it comes to art, because that canbe very shaky groundand shortlived. What needs to be done is to answer, in a given time and place, the key questions of that time using adequate tools, because it thus remains simultaneously contemporary and enduring. Those questions have remained the same since the very emergence of humankind, and theyare:whoarewe;whyarewehere and where are we going.” Do you still use an analogue camera? What fascinates or occupies your eye today? “No, I'mnot nostalgic in that regard. I use what everyone else uses, which is either digital cameraswhen needed or phone cameras. My eye still functions according to the same principle, and that is to find something that catches my eye, from banalities to peculiar things, so I continue with that mental frame, albeit with new technology.” What are the projects currently occupying your time and are you planning to stage an exhibition in Belgrade or Paris soon? “I’mplanning four exhibitions in Belgrade for the spring, which will openonthe sameday, but at fourdifferent locations, so visitors will be able to go from one space to another to see new cycles of pictures and drawings that I’ve been working on in recent years, as well as new spatial installations.” What do you love about Paris and which three lesser-known places (that you find precious and interesting) in that city would you recommend? “I’ve spentmy whole life in Paris, so it would be difficult for me to single out something that wouldn’t be known, because this is after all a city that’s a centre of world tourism. What connectsme with it personally are the areas where I grew up and where I mostly lived, studied, walked or spent time, namely the Marais, the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain etc. I most often head out for a walk and enter galleries and museums to see what’s going on. It is this that marks my connection and interest with a city, especially when it comes to Paris, where there is – aswe arewell aware – a lot of that. I would recommend heading through the city in order to feel its energy, which is something that works for any place on the planet, because only when you understand the entirety and diversity of a city can you really experience it as you should.” Which city do you most consider as being your own; and where does your work mostly take you? “Paris and Belgrade are my cities because I’m connected to them themost, but I thinkeveryonewho’s travelled around the world a bit has some personal mental and physical topography and geography through whichtheysetasideneighbourhoods, streets, corners and spaces in every citythat theyexperienceastheirown. Mywork is linked to the spacewhere I work and create. That currently relates more to Belgrade, while for a long time it was Paris, and we’ll see what the future brings...” Dragomi je što Er Srbija danas nastavlja sa dugom tradicijomkoja našu zemlju povezuje sa celim svetom I’m glad that Air Serbia is today continuing that long tradition that connects our country with the entire world
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