Zoran Jovicic's Paintings Explore Belgrade's Urban Dissonance at Gallery S.U.L.U.J.

Zoran Jovicic presented a painting exhibition at Gallery S.U.L.U.J. in Belgrade from May 12 to 17, 2003. The gallery occupies the second floor of a historic building that once housed the National Museum of Art collection. Jovicic's work investigates the city as a civilizational phenomenon, shifting focus from old city facades to New Belgrade's communist-era residential blocks. His paintings are divided into two parts: lower sections feature abstract planes and building groups, while upper areas display phantasmagoric shapes. These shapes evoke associations ranging from ominous clouds to curious androids. The artist uses gouache on paper layered over expressionistic pencil drawings made twenty-five years earlier. This technique weaves historical gestures into contemporary phantasms, adding complexity. Jovicic rarely exhibits, and each show reveals new aspects of his sensibility. The gallery, run by the Association of Fine Artists of Yugoslavia, maintains its name despite Serbia and Montenegro's recent formation. Located at Terazije 26 in central Belgrade, it offers surprises unlike predictable local venues. The paintings emit aesthetic despair through the contemplation of urban deserts. They demand an engaged observer due to their dynamic gesture and tension. The interaction between sky and ground planes gives these small works great intensity.