In commemoration of Victory Day over fascism, The Belgrade Art Workshop BURA, in cooperation with The Centre for Cultural Decontamination (CCD), is staging an exhibition titled “Freedom is beautiful when one anticipates it”, from May 9th to May 15th
The artworks in different mediums, from drawings via paintings, to sculptures, installations and ready-made objects, were created during the art colony “Found in translation” in August, 2015 in the village of Bujacic, near Valjevo, with the support of the Serbian Ministry for Culture and Information. Fourteen artists from Belgrade, Valjevo and Athens reexamined the notion of The Hero in a contemporary context.
The artists initial point of departure were the last words of Stjepan Steva Filipović, whose sculpture (the work of Vojin Bakic) was erected in Valjevo. Filipovic’s photograph at his place of execution, with his raised arms – is exhibited at the United Nations building in New York as a unique example of resistance against fascism.
This unique historical moment was transposed into an artistic framework by Senkа Trivunаc, Pavlos Kozalidis, Jovana Mitrovic, Jelenа Bojаnic, Aleksаndrijа Ajdukovic, Kornet – Pavle Cosic, Stefan Kostadinovic, Nikola Cakic, Viktor Kis, Miodrag Pesic, Zeljko Vitorovic, Gorаn Stojcetovic, Vladimir Jaksic and Dragana Nikoletic. The exhibition will be open until May 15th.
Do not fear death
Upon arrival to his execution spot, Filipović held an antifascist speech, and called on the assembled crowd to take up arms: „Comrades, Serbs, Hitler’s hordes have penetrated into your villages and towns… They are robbing you, executing you in large numbers, destroying you biologically and annihilating spiritually… If you just stand and watch, the enemy will hang you one by one like this. Do not fear death. It is nothing. You will see that in a few moments as I die. Death is nor frightening if you know what you are dying for. Stand up! All of you, and fight against the fascist reactionary beast! Down with Hitler and his reactionary gang!
