Negde izmedju 2021

Curator: This mixed-media piece, created in 2021, is called "Negde izmedju" by Dragan Ilić Di Vogo. I'm particularly drawn to how the artist merges portraiture with surreal and symbolic elements. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is its ethereal quality. It feels dreamlike, suspended somehow. And there's this intriguing mix of hyper-realism in the face against the, let’s say, more interpretive surrounding elements. Curator: Exactly! The artist has achieved a unique depth by combining a traditional oil painting technique with almost collage-like surreal insertions. Look closer. What do you make of these floating objects, these jewel-toned pills, grapes, and planetary orbs? Editor: Immediately I think of a memento mori tradition, albeit updated for our contemporary times. These aren't the standard skulls, but almost… digitized, medicalized Vanitas symbols? Are they floating around her or emanating from her? Curator: I'm inclined to think they’re representative of internal and external forces. Perhaps commenting on contemporary consumption or maybe they’re just symbolic objects related to memory or healing, open to each individual viewer's unique interpretation. She almost feels like a divine feminine figure. Do you see how the grapes crown her head? There are planets below her, as well. She seems to stand in the very middle, 'Negde izmedju,' as the title implies. Editor: Right, her gaze has a serene intensity, holding the pictorial space together, making the fantastical elements feel… plausible. I’m reminded of those Renaissance portraits where specific objects allude to the sitter’s profession or inner life. It asks a deeper symbolic reading. Curator: I agree completely. This portrait is a beautiful meditation on internal worlds external realities and how the symbols that we assign to ourselves might float and travel alongside us in our minds. Editor: A beautiful encapsulation. For me, the strength of this piece lies in its delicate, balanced mystery and the fresh, daring integration of iconography into a thoroughly contemporary image.