Na pozornici 2013

Editor: Here we have "Na pozornici," or "On Stage," painted in 2013 by Dragan Ilić Di Vogo using acrylic on canvas. What immediately strikes me is the almost dreamlike quality – these ballet dancers amidst a surreal planetary landscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, immediately I see a layered narrative challenging traditional portraiture. The placement of these figures in an extraterrestrial setting pulls us away from familiar contexts and encourages questioning around identity and representation. These dancers, bathed in a gentle, almost ethereal light, are juxtaposed against a stark, otherworldly landscape. Do you think the artist is making a comment about the performance of identity, perhaps particularly feminine identity, on a stage that is not of their own making? Editor: That's a fascinating thought. I hadn’t considered the stage as symbolic of imposed identities. The dancers’ delicate costumes certainly contrast sharply with the rough terrain. Curator: Exactly! The contrast highlights the precariousness of their position, but also maybe their potential for resilience. The celestial bodies looming behind them might be seen as representations of forces beyond their control - societal expectations, perhaps? How might the multiple planets interact to enhance the scene? Editor: They do give it a sense of scale and almost cosmic pressure, furthering the feeling that the dancers are acting out an existential play. Curator: Precisely. And this ‘existential play’, as you put it, reflects larger questions about gender roles, the gaze, and the inherent tensions within performance itself. We are confronted by the gaze, literally by one of the figures staring at the audience, as well as by planets which appear to be gigantic eyeballs staring back at us! It highlights the social forces at work and the power of the performer on one hand to command attention but also the precariousness of the performer given how much attention is on display. What do you think? Editor: This has given me so much to consider about performance, pressure, and the construction of identity within art, thank you. Curator: The intersection of art and social commentary opens up endless possibilities for reinterpreting not only artworks but also how we view the world.