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DEFENSE OF UTOPIA
Comic book collection
Publisher:
Citizens’ Association “Anonymous said:”
Cara Nikolaja II 61b, Belgrade
For publisher:
Sandra Marković Milisavljević
Anica Tucakov
Photographer:
Nemanja Jovanović
Translantion:
Larusprevodi, Belgrade
Text:
Anica Tucakov
Comic book artists:
Ivica Stevanović
Zoran Janjetov
Lazar Bodroža
Saša Rakezić alias Aleksandar Zograf
Boris Stanić
Željko Pahek
FOUNDATION FOR AN OPEN SOCIETY - SERBIA
Visual identity and graphic design:
KontraStudio, Niš
Proof reading:
Larusprevodi, Belgrade
Number of copies: 500
Printed by:
Službeni glasnik, Belgrade
Belgrade, 2014.
Ministry of Culture and Information
of the Republic of Serbia
BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE
Anica Tucakov
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SCHEDULE OF DEBATES
Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade / Comics edition - daily newspaper DANAS
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SOLIDARITY FIGHTERS
Ivica Stevanović
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WESTERN BAYKAN
Zoran Janjetov
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MARIJA ON PRKOSI
Lazar Bodroža
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ROSA, ROSAE...
Aleksandar Zograf
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HE WAS
Boris Stanić
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MASTERS OF EMPTINESS
Željko Pahek
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A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE
Anica Tucakov
“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is
not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the
one country at which Humanity is always landing.”
Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man under Socialism,
1891.
Comic art works gathered in this publication
present the result of a project organized by
“Anonymous said:” in cooperation with the Museum
of Applied Arts, Belgrade and daily newspaper
“Danas” from mid-September until the end of
December 2013. The title of the project was
"Defense of Utopia," which was initiated with an
aim to encourage discussions related to the theme
of social justice, as fundamentally devalued
question, which indicates anomalies and vulgarity
of the social system in which we live today.
We are witnesses of a social situation characterized by moral desolation, apathy and fatigue,
laziness with which we uncritically accept assigned
inhuman models of work and degrading ways of
frivolous and fast life, indifference with which we
adopt imposed social issues and lifeless resignation with hardships we endure. However, initiation
of this project was directly influenced by surprising
absence of a human desire to understand and to
act, to strive towards the better quality of life and
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to just society which, as Julio Cortazar says, "we
hold in the color of our eyes, in every love, in
everything that in the corner of our mind is
troubling us, liberating and misleading us."
It seems that we are torn between the feeling of
being lost and vague desire for rebellion, but in the
deepest corner of our consciousness some hope is
still troubling us, and thus this project is trying to
draw attention to social issues that breathe around
some of the central questions of social justice,
utopia and social imagination, because life without
utopia and hope for the opportunity to participate
in the creation of our own lives and future eventually becomes unbearable, at least for most people.
Current processes allow accepted social system to
persist in its injustices and imposed atmosphere
that neoliberal capitalism does not have an
alternative. Of course, although human reality is far
from being perfect, there are still different degrees
of depravity. Therefore this project wanted to point
out that today even utopia is destroyed, that
represents human dimension of each civilization
and culture, as precondition for the revival of
institutions and people. Because people crave for
ideals as much as for bread.
In this void in which we are cornered, we believe
that our task is to remind ourselves about the
timeless and inexhaustible aspirations directed
towards a more rightful social system. Having that
in mind, as organizers of the project, we have
proposed treatment of a number of themes that
encompass questions of a more just society, such
as solidarity, provincial and colonial toying with the
countries of the Western Balkans, historical
alteration concerning the anti-fascist struggle in
the World War II, education as the foundation of
social regeneration, ability of citizens of Serbia to
take part in the creation of their own future and
questions regarding existing forms of social
inequality.
Today paralyzing disorientation on a planetary level
allows persistence of injustice, imposed chains and
distorted values, and systematically destroys
vitality of social and individual driving forces,
including utopia, as a source of renewal of people
and social institutions. Thus, the project was based
on the analysis of dominant social processes that
deny any action directed towards a just society as
economically and socially illegitimate, deviant and
as a threat to the still fragile democracy in the
so-called transitional countries. Because, despite
the over imposing spiritual and ideological crisis,
idea of a just society cannot disappear.
Art represents the conscience of the mankind as
well, and it has corrective and healing role. In this
enfeebled world, without passion and conviction,
deprived of vitality and critical reflection on the
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past, present and future, we need art works that
can still warn us, exalt and motivate.
Therefore this project was implemented in the
form of a production and presentation of comic art
works by several authors, published in the weekend
edition of daily newspaper "Danas", followed by
successively developed exhibitions, and discussions organized in the gallery of the Museum of
Applied Arts, in coordination with the rhythm of
published comics.
At the same time the intention of the project was
to relocate comics from the current comfort zone
of events and exhibitions based solely on the
media and to position it in the center of prevailing
social problems, demonstrating the potential of
comics as a modern visual media, which undoubtedly belongs to the main stream of contemporary
visual culture. Because comics in Serbia are
characterized by a respectable tradition and
quality achievements. Thus, the above-mentioned
topics were treated by renowned comic artist:
Zoran Janjetov, Željko Pahek, Aleksandar Zograf,
Ivica Stevanović, Lazar Bodroža and Boris Stanić,
representatives of different generations, with
different artistic sensibilities and strategies of
action.
Ivica Stevanović, opened the project with a work
"Solidarity fighters" and with convincing drawing
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skills pointed out the necessity to awake dazed
society; Zoran Janjetov in the "The Western
Baykan" gave an answer to the ruling stereotypes
related to Western Balkans with irony and humor;
Lazar Bodroža approached the theme of historical
revisionism related to the anti-fascist struggle
through the story of national hero Marija Bursać,
combining famous song by Branko Ćopić "Marija on
Prkosi" and series of visual quotations of leftist
movements and symbols; Saša Rakezić, alias
Aleksandar Zograf in the comic "Rosa Rosae ..."
through the story on Mileta Jakšić made a remark
on harmful effects of petrified school system to
the inventiveness and creativity of individuals;
Boris Stanić in the comic "He was" shared an
intimate narrative description of the fate of people
with no social protection in Serbia, and Željko
Pahek with supreme classical approach, in the
form of science fiction grotesque in the "Masters
of Emptiness” presented governing labor relations
through the prism of modern slaveholding
relations. The result of the project is a collection of
six comics that demonstrating the variety of
different creative aesthetics, visual and narrative
approaches and providing an insight into the
current comic art scene in Serbia.
Having that in mind, in cooperation with Zoran
Nikolić and Miroljub Stanković, from the architectural and design team “KontraStudio” from Niš, an
exhibition was successively designed and imple-
mented, in order to emphasize multifaceted
qualities of comics as a contemporary visual art
media, through distinctive concept of the exhibition which was consecutively being built and
completed, following the expansion and complexity
of treated social themes.
Zlatko Paković, theater director and critic, writer
and columnist of daily newspaper "Danas", mediated six discussions in the ambiance of exhibited
comic art works, which, with a wider range of
participants from different areas of society and
from different perspectives, approached treated
issues, following the rhythm of published comics.
Therefore, special thanks go to the participants of
these discussions, whose professional and ethical
integrity, knowledge, experience and willingness to
participate in the project contributed to a better
understanding of the world and circumstances in
which we live, which enables reliable assessment
of the context and nature of these problems, and
possible answers to the ongoing crisis. We would
like to express our gratitude to Prof. Dragan
Popadić, PhD, social psychologist and Professor at
the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, Slavimir
Stojanović, graphic designer and visual artist,
Katarina Mitrović, art historian, Zoran Đukanović,
essayist and critic, Srđan Milošević, historian,
Milivoje Bešlin, historian, Milan Radanović,
independent researcher, Gordana Knežević Orlić,
director of the publishing house Klett, Vitomir
Jovanović, researcher at the Centre for Education
Policy, Mirjana Tripković psychologist from the
Victimology Society of Serbia, Milenko Srećković
from the Freedom Fight Movement, Filip Balunović,
political analyst and Vladimir Simović from the
Centre for the Politics of Emancipation for their
participation in the debates.
Like the conclusion of one of the panel discussions, we would like to remind that these debates
were intended to explain the processes and nature
of the system structure in which we live and work
and to enlighten the position of victims to which
most of us can identify with, offering possible
answers to this crises with the need to transfer our
position from the passive state of victims to the
state of activists, which as precondition involves
the initial recognition of our own victimhood. That
understanding was essential for this series of
discussions and conversations.
Because a better world is possible.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the Open
Society Foundation, Serbia and Ministry of Culture
and Information of the Republic of Serbia for their
support.
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Ivica Stevanović // SOLIDARITY CRISIS
14/15. September // Weekend edition of a daily newspaper "Danas"
Thursday // 19. September // Debate // Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade
Zoran Janjetov // WHAT IS HIDDEN BEHIND THE NAME WESTERN BALKANS?
28/29. September // Weekend edition of a daily newspaper "Danas"
Thursday // 3. October // Debate // Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade
Lazar Bodroža // REVISIONISM REGARDING THE ANTI-FASCIST STRUGGLE IN THE
WORLD WAR II // 12/13. October // Weekend edition of a daily newspaper "Danas"
Thursday // 17. October // Debate // Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade
Aleksandar Zograf // EDUCATION - BASIS FOR SOCIAL RECOVERY
26/27. October // Weekend edition of a daily newspaper "Danas"
Thursday // 31. October // Debate // Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade
Boris Stanić // PARTICIPATION OF CITIZENS OF SERBIA IN CREATION OF THEIR OWN
FUTURE // 9/10. November // Weekend edition of a daily newspaper "Danas"
Friday // 22. November // Debate // Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade
Željko Pahek // PATTERNS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY
23/24. November // Weekend edition of a daily newspaper "Danas"
Friday // 29. November // Debate // Museum of Applied Arts, Belgrade
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Solidarity crisis
SOLIDARITY FIGHTERS
Ivica Stevanović
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Ivica Stevanović
Ivica Stevanović graduated in 2000 from the
Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Department of
Graphic Communication. He has earned MA degree
in 2004 with the "Lexicon of Fine Arts Legions"
(Demonology as an Alternative Aesthetics). He is
an Assistant Professor at the Academy of Arts in
Novi Sad, where he teaches “Graphic Design of
Books” and as an elective course “Comic Books”.
Stevanović is illustrator for the publishing houses
“Kreativni centar” ("Creative Center") and “Školska
knjiga” ("School Books"), collaborator of the
publishing house from Novi Sad "Solaris" and of
the Belgrade publisher "Mono & Mañana". He
designs and illustrates book covers for small
independent publishing house "Komiko" as well. In
collaboration with Zoran Penevski as a screenwriter, he has published comics "Kindly corpses"
(SKC NS, in 2004, 2nd and 3rd edition “Komiko”,
2011, 2013), “Lexicon of Fine Arts Legions" (SKC
NS, 2005), "L'Anatomie du ciel" (Les Humanoïdes
Associés, 2006). Graphic novel "L'Anatomie du ciel"
(Anatomy of the Sky) was nominated for the best
comic book in 2006, on the Literary Salon
POLAR&CO, in France.
He is the author of the graphic novel "Katil", in
cooperation with Branislav Miltojević (Everest
Media, 2007), of a collection of short comics
"Hideously-Gruesome Cases or Accidents". He has
participated in the work on the Second Volume of a
book on Serbian mythology called "Exiled Beings”
(Orfelin publishing). Stevanović collaborates with
Jeff Wandermeerom, who is the editor of the
magazine "Weird Tales" and his illustrations were
published in the book "Steampunk Reloaded"
(Tachyon, 2010) and in the anthology "The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities "(Harper
Collins). He is also engaged in projects of children's
books and picture books by American Publishers.
He has received several awards in the field of
design, illustration, cartoons and comics.
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What is hidden behind the name Western Balkans?
WESTERN BAYKAN
Zoran Janjetov
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Zoran Janjetov
Comic books cult figure in Serbia. Born in Subotica
in 1961. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in
Novi Sad. He started to publish comic books since
1978, black humor stories in Moebius style, in
Yugoslav magazines, such as “Glas omladine”
("Voice of Youth"), "Student", “Vidici” ("Sights"),
“Mladost” ("Youth"), "YU strip" and “Cepelin”
("Zeppelin"). He is the author of the famous comic
book "Bernard Panasonic", published since 1981.
until 1986. in the "YU strip" magazine. Public also
remembers charming menagerie of "Professor
Ćumislav’s notes", which Zoran Janjetov published
in “Mali Neven” ("Little Neven") and “Cepelin”
magazines. Since 1986. Janjetov inherits Moebius
on a famous comic book series about John Difool,
in collaboration with Alejandro Jodorowsky, on a
prequel series to Moebius and Jodorowsky's
masterpiece "The Incal" - "Before the Incal" in 6
albums. After that he continued to collaborate with
this celebrated writer on 8 albums of a comic book
series "Technopriests", and afterwards on the
comic books "The Metabarons" and "Ogregod".
He lives and works in Novi Sad. His comics are
published worldwide.
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Revisionism regarding
the anti-fascist struggle in the World War II
MARIJA ON PRKOSI
Lazar Bodroža
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Lazar Bodroža
Visual artist, graphic designer, illustrator, film and
comic artist. He was born in 1983 and graduated
from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade.
Co-founder of the "Metaklinika" studio, with which
he realized projects such as "Laser Summit of
Cheap Graphics", concept and exhibition design of
the exhibition on Mira Trailović and campaign and
exhibition design for the "Festival of a writer:
Krleža". He is a member of art group “Kosmoplovci”.
Bodroža has published a comic book "The Law"
(Fabrika knjiga). As a movie director, he directed
the interactive movie "Über life". PRINT magazine
ranked Lazar Bodroža in 2011. among the top 20
visual artists in the world under the age of 30.
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Education - Basis for social recovery
ROSA, ROSAE...
Aleksandar Zograf
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Saša Rakezić alias Aleksandar Zograf
Sasha Rakezić alias Alexander Zograf was born in
1963. in Pančevo. He started to publish comics
since 1986, in the journals "NON", "Rhythm",
"Rock", “Mladost” ("Youth") etc. In the early 1990’s
Zograf began actively to publish abroad, especially
in the United States, in magazines such as "The
Comics Journal", "Zero Zero", "Weirdo", "Rare Bit
Fiends," "Buzzard", "Cow", "Tantalizing Stories ".
Fantagraphics Books published several of his titles:
"Life Under Sanctions", "Psychonaut # 1", "Psychonaut # 2". Since 2000. he has published a
series of works, including "The Ocean of Surprises"
(Lom, 2000), "The Moon and the Heart of Fire"
(SKC, 2002), "Jamming with Alexander Zograf"
(Penguin, 2002), "Ishmael", in collaboration with
Vladimir Arsenijević (Rende 2004), "Used World"
(Official Gazette, 2009) and "Revenge of the Red
Witch" (Student Cultural Centre of Novi Sad, 2011).
Zograf has published titles in the UK ("Dream
Watcher", "Bulletins from Serbia"), Italy ("Diario",
"Psiconauta", "Lettere della Serbia", "TV Addicts",
"(C'e) vita nei Balkans?","Appunti Vol
1","Storie","Segnali"), Hungary
("Pszichonauta","Elhasznalt vilag"), Croatia ("Tušta
i tma"), Germany ("Psychonaut"), France ("E-Mails
de Pancevo","Bons Baisers de Australie","Vestiges
du monde"), Austria ("TV Addicts.", "Food Comics"),
Greece ("Hairetismata apo ti Servia"), Spain
("Como Fui de bombardeado por el mundo
libre","Fin de Siglo","Vida en los Balcanes?"),
Portugal ("Mundos em segunda mao") and U.S.
("Psychonaut # 3","Dreamtime/Wartime",
"Regards From Serbia").
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Participation of citizens of Serbia
in creation of their own future
HE WAS
Boris Stanić
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Boris Stanić
Boris Stanić was born in Pančevo in 1984. He
graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts,
Belgrade, Department of Painting (FFA, Belgrade
2004). He draws inspiration for his comics from
the personal memory, perception and consideration of life in Pančevo, where he lives and works.
His first graphic novel, "Radosav: Morning Fog" was
published in 2011, by “Komiko” from Novi Sad, a
story based on the life of his grandfather Radosav.
A year later, in May 2012 “Elektrika” from Pančevo
published a collection of his short comics and
drawings "Bog".
He works as a comic book artist and as a painter.
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Patterns of social inequality
MASTERS OF EMPTINESS
Željko Pahek
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Željko Pahek
Željko Pahek was born in 1954. He moved to
Belgrade in 1978, when he started a career as an
illustrator and comic book author, as a member of
the group "Belgrade Circle 2". He has published his
works in publications throughout Europe and the
U.S., in “Heavy Metal”, but mostly in "YU strip" and
"Stripoteka" magazines. His work marks the genre
of science fiction grotesque. He is the author of
anthology comic books such as "Robeo and
Rulijeta", "Kibor’s rain", "Froghi", "The Tin Drum."
He is best known for his illustrations and covers of
SF books and magazines, and especially as the
author of the popular SF comic book series
"Astro-iđani" published since 1981. until 1983. in
"YU strip" magazine, and then in the form of comic
album editions, as well as for the "Legions of
Waterproofed." He has published in the famous US
comic magazine "Heavy Metal" four comics:
"Rabbit's Foot" "The Iron Wheel", "Time Zuck
Company" and "Buddy: The Coward", published
once again in the form of an comic book album
"Once upon a time in the future" in 1991.
With the world most celebrated comic book artists
like Méziers, Dave McKean, Juillard, Bilal, Tardi,
Manara, Moebius, he was invited to take part in the
international project "Durbruch" in 1989, on the
occasion of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, when he
presented work on six panels “Black Mark”.
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