Predrag Djaković to Represent Serbia at 61st Venice Biennale with Archival Panels and Jazz Étude

Predrag Djaković will represent the Republic of Serbia at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026, in the Giardini della Biennale. His installation features some 40 large-scale archival panels containing over 17,000 original photographs and artifacts from more than 80 countries, spanning the early 20th century to the present. The work includes original newspapers, suitcases, ship trunks, and luggage once carried by migrants. At the center is a video of Djaković performing his piano composition "Nocturne in A Minor," a jazz étude created for the Biennale. The piece responds to curator Koyo Kouoh's theme "In Minor Keys," which emphasizes quiet tones and the social role of art. Djaković's project reflects on 20th-century history, migration, and loss, drawing on his Serbian heritage—his nation lost 2,345,000 people in six liberation-defensive conflicts. He cites influences from Serbian artists Sava Šumanović, Petar Lubarda, Milena Pavlović-Barili, and writer Miloš Crnjanski. Djaković has driven over 30,000 kilometers across Central Europe sourcing artifacts from antique shops and flea markets in cities including Belgrade, Prague, Rome, London, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Warsaw, Bratislava, and Brno. The interview was conducted by ArtReview and published as part of a series leading up to the Biennale, sponsored by Versace.