Nataša Ilić on Balkan Art Hype, Kassel Exhibition, and Zagreb's WHW Collective
Nataša Ilić, a freelance curator based in Zagreb, Croatia, reflects on the growing fascination with Balkan art during 2003-2004, spurred by European integration and Western engagement. She observes that the Croatian art landscape has evolved since the 1990s, now featuring dialogue among four generations. Ilić is the organizer of "In the Gorges of the Balkans," which is part of the Balkans Trilogy curated by René Block at Fridericianum in Kassel from July to September 2004. Unlike exhibitions in Vienna and Graz, Block's showcased historical figures and highlighted continuity. The initiative supported local collaborators for subsequent projects, beginning with a conference in Istanbul in December 2003. Ilić also co-directs Galerija Nova and is affiliated with WHW, which has hosted exhibitions in Belgrade and Zagreb. She emphasizes artists like Sanja Iveković and Zoran Popović, whose works confront stereotypes associated with Balkan art. The interview, carried out by Edit András in Fall 2003 and Spring 2004, explores how exhibitions from the Balkans can foster regional dialogue.
Key facts
- Nataša Ilić is a curator and critic based in Zagreb, Croatia, born in 1970.
- She is a member of the curatorial collective WHW (What, How & for Whom) and directs Galerija Nova.
- Ilić co-curates Cetinje Biennial V in Montenegro from July to September 2004 with René Block.
- Three major Balkan art exhibitions occurred in 2003-2004: in Vienna (Harald Szeemann), Graz (Peter Weibel with Eda Cufer and Roger Conover), and Kassel (René Block).
- The Kassel exhibition "In the Gorges of the Balkans" at Fridericianum includes historical artists like Mangelos and emphasizes artistic continuity before the 1990s.
- A follow-up project, "In the Cities of the Balkans," involves local partners across the Balkans organizing events from December 2003 to September 2004.
- WHW organized exhibitions such as "Side-effects" in Belgrade in January 2004 and "I need a radical change" in Zagreb in May 2004.
- Ilić attributes Balkan art hype to European integration interests, Western demand for new regions, and political guilt.
Entities
Artists
- Nataša Ilić
- Edit András
- René Block
- Harald Szeemann
- Peter Weibel
- Eda Cufer
- Roger Conover
- Mangelos
- Marjetica Potrc
- Sanja Iveković
- Zoran Popović
- Vlatko Gilic
- Tomislav Gotovac
- Maja Bajevic
- Tanya Ostojic
- Slavoj Žižek
- Nikola Tesla
- Felix Gmelin
- Igor Grubic
- Sharon Hayes
- Vlatka Horvat
- Kristian Kozul
- Andreja Kuluncic
- Aydan Murtezaoglu
- Serkan Ozkaya
- Ivan Petrovic
- Kirsten Pieroth
- Bulent Sangar
- Marko Tadic
- Gülsün Karamustafa
- Danica Dakic
- Lulzim Zeqiri
- Arman Kulašic
- Milica Tomic
- Adrian Paci
- Marina Abramović
- Ayşe Erkmen
- Adela Peeva
- Slobodan Sijan
- Gregor Podnar
- Nataša Petrešin
- Edi Hila
- Sener Ozmen
- Roza El-Hasan
- Halil Altindere
- Erden Kosova
- Nedko Solakov
- Okwui Enwezor
- Marius Babias
- Branislav Dimitrijević
- Vasif Kortun
- Dunja Blazevic
- Natasa Petresin
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- What, How & for Whom (WHW)
- Galerija Nova
- Cetinje Biennial
- Fridericianum
- Documenta
- Platform Garanti Center for Contemporary Art
- Museum of Contemporary Art (Belgrade)
- Salon of Museum of Contemporary Art (Belgrade)
- Sarajevo Center for Contemporary Art
- Galerija Škuc
- Contemporary Art Institute EXIT
- Multimedia Institute mi2
- Center for Drama Arts (Zagreb)
- Platforma 9,81
- Kulturstiftung des Bundes
- Technical Museum (Zagreb)
- apexart gallery
- Research Institute of Art History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- IFA
- Yugoslav Biennial of Young Artists
- Venice Biennale
- Oberhausen
- Berlin
- Academy of Sciences
Locations
- Zagreb
- Croatia
- Cetinje
- Montenegro
- Vienna
- Austria
- Graz
- Kassel
- Germany
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Belgrade
- Serbia
- Sofia
- Bulgaria
- Skopje
- North Macedonia
- Ljubljana
- Slovenia
- Pristina
- Kosovo
- Sarajevo
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Tirana
- Albania
- Bucharest
- Romania
- Dubrovnik
- New York
- United States
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Pejë
- Vršac
- Dyarbakir
- Egypt
- Lebanon
- Poland
- Central Europe
- Balkans
- Southeastern Europe
- Mediterranean
- Alpe-Adria
- Kurdistan
- Middle East
- Europe
- Ottoman Empire
- Ex-Yugoslavia
- Switzerland