World within worlds

The Museum of Applied Art Belgrade
Year: 2023

The exhibition entitled "World within worlds" showcases the outcome of connecting scientific research and technological innovations within the realm of art. This inaugural exhibition in a series is a part of the research portfolio of the Center for Public Policy Research (Re:People). It was created through a partnership between Re:People and the Institute for Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGI) at the University of Belgrade, with a simple yet crucial goal: to promote sustainable economic development in Serbia.

Inspired by this challenge, the curator of the exhibition, Ivan Šuković, invited artists Emilija Radojičić, Sonja Lundin, Jovana Čavorović, Dragana Lukić, and Emir Šehanović to explore new interpretations in various artistic media with their works. Through their works, they aim to create critical and conceptual tension by juxtaposing elements rooted in scientific foundations.

The exhibition elucidates nature as the absolute origin of reality, relying on scientific methods and precise experiments. All artworks incorporate bio-pigments derived from microorganisms found in diverse natural habitats in Serbia. Bio-pigments, as natural substitutes for artificial pigments, offer various economic and technological advantages. Consequently, the conceptual framework of this project delves into the impact of natural heritage on our way of thinking. The artistic presentation is based on research led by Dr. Jasmina Nikodinović-Runić, a biochemist from IMGGI. This scientific project was established on the principle of isolating live bacteria, specifically streptomycetes, from various locations in Serbia. Their subsequent life cycle in laboratory conditions is transformed into pigments that can be applied to materials.

Despite this strong scientific foundation, the exhibition "Some Other Places" doesn't solely offer a detached scientific perspective. It also provides an emotional and personal connection that arises from its origin filtered through experimentation. Heritage and topographical remnants of life are the focal points of artistic research.

This exhibition is the result of the continuous research efforts of the Center for Public Policy Research (Re:People) aimed at identifying the leading innovative economic and scientific sectors in Serbia. As part of this ongoing process, the scientific project led by Dr. Jasmina Nikodinović-Runić has demonstrated the transformative potential of bio-pigments in various sectors of the economy. Re:People plans to organize annual exhibitions that explore this seemingly unexpected connection between art and science.

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In my installation, "Testament," I explore the dynamics between temporality, society, and ecology. The choice of glass as the primary material was deliberate, as its transparency facilitates an interaction with the surrounding environment, and it’s inspired by lab equipment.

This project has been a thought-provoking journey, centering on the concept of sustainable development within artistic practice. "Testament" delves into the process of pigment formation, transitioning from hourglass with agar with streptomycetes to hourglass with pigment and ultimately hourglass with colored sand.

Through this project, I've gained an understanding of bacteria as a valuable resource.

Neka druga mesta

Muzej primenjene umetnosti Beograd
2023 

Izložba pod nazivom „Neka druga mesta“ prikazuje rezultat povezivanja naučnih istraživanja i tehnoloških inovacija smeštenih u svet umetnosti. Ova izložba, prva u nizu, deo je istraživačkog portfolija Centra za istraživanje javnih politika (Re:People). Nastala je u partnerstvu između Re:People i Instituta za molekularnu genetiku i genetičko inženjerstvo (IMGGI), Univerziteta u Beogradu, sa jednostavnim ali važnim ciljem – da podstakne održivi ekonomski razvoj Srbije.

Predvođen tim izazovom, kustos izložbe  Ivan Šuković pozvao je umetnice Emiliju Radojičić, Sonju Lundin, Jovanu Čavorović, Draganu Lukić i umetnika Emira Šehanovića da svojim radovima pokrenu nova čitanja u različitim umetničkim medijima, gde jukstapozicija elemenata nastoji da stvori kritičko i konceptualno trenje između dela i praksi koje imaju naučno utemeljenje.

Izložba objašnjava prirodu kao apsolutno poreklo stvarnosti zasnovano na naučnim metodama i preciznim eksperimentima.  Svi umetnički radovi su protkani bio-pigmentima, mikroorganizmima koji su preuzeti sa različitih prirodnih staništa u Srbiji. Bio-pigmenti kao prirodna  zamena za veštačke pigmente imaju razne ekonomske i tehnološke prednosti te samim tim, konceptualna uokvirenost ovog projekta dotiče pitanje efekta prirodnog nasleđa kao načina razmišljanja.  Umetnički prikaz je utemljen u istraživanju koje predvodi biohemičarka dr. Jasmina Nikodinović-Runić sa IMGGI. Ovaj naučni projekat je uspostavljen po principu preuzimanja žive bakterije – streptomicete sa različitih lokaliteta u Srbiji. Njihov kasniji životni ciklus u laboratorijskim uslovima se revalorizuje kao proces produktivne transformacije u pigmente koji postaju aplikativni na materijalima.

Bez obzira na ovu jaku naučnu osnovu, izložba „Neka druga mesta“ ne donosi nužno distanciranu, naučnu perspektivu, već i emocionalnu i ličnu vezu koja proizilazi iz njenog porekla filtriranog kroz eksperiment, dok su nasleđe i topografski ostaci života fokus umetničkog istraživanja.

Ova izložba rezultat je kontinuiranog istraživačkog rada Centra za istraživanje javnih politika (Re:People), na otkrivanju vodećih inovativnih ekonomskih i naučnih sektora u Srbiji.  U tom procesu naučni projekat dr. Jasmine Nikodinović-Runić je  pokazao snažnu transformativnu moć koje bio-pigmenti mogu imati u primenu u raznim sektorima u ekonomiji. Re:People će jednom godišnje organizovati izložbe koje preispituju ovu naizgled neočekivanu vezu između umetnosti i nauke.

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U svojoj instalaciji „Testament“ istražujem odnos temporalnost-društvo-ekologija. Izbor stakla kao primarnog materijala bio je nameran, jer njegova transparentnost omogućava interakciju sa okruženjem, a inspirisan je laboratorijskom opremom.

Ovaj projekat izaziva razmišljanje usredsređeno na koncept održivog razvoja unutar umetničke prakse. „Testament“ se bavi procesom formiranja pigmenta, prelazeći sa sata sa agarom sa streptomicetima na sat sa pigmentom i na kraju sat sa obojenim peskom.

Kroz ovaj projekat, stekla sam razumevanje bakterije kao resursa.