Glava 

Milos Pavlovic made this drawing, Glava, with graphite and marker on paper. The work depicts a fragmented head, rendered in a classical style, which rests on a truncated torso, while an ant crawls along the side of the neck. Contemporary artists who use classical tropes are often reflecting on the history of academic art. From the Renaissance onwards, academies have emphasized the study of classical sculpture in their teaching. In the 20th and 21st centuries, however, many artists have critiqued the academy as an institution, including its pedagogical methods and the social function of art. Here, Pavlovic defaces the pristine perfection of a classical bust, making it fragmented and grotesque, even comical. It is as though the artist is dismantling the canon itself, challenging traditional notions of beauty and artistic skill. Using sources such as critical art histories and institutional records, one can understand how artists engage with and challenge the institutions that shape artistic production.