Aleksandar Rakezić
I often refer to a fact I read two years ago, that is, that during the 1920s in France, ELLE magazine was the magazine most read by the working class; people who could not afford the new Citroen model would, instead, read about it. I think that my works are about those people and that tendency.
Aleksandar Rakezić was born 1995 in Kraljevo. He completed his Master’s in 2020 at the Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, under the mentorship of Mile Prodanović. He is currently in his first year of his Doctorate studies, majoring in Painting at the Faculty of Fine Art in Belgrade. He was awarded a scholarship from the French Government during his 2019/2020 exchange program at the Beaux-Arts de Paris (School of Fine Arts). Aleksandar’s debut solo-exhibition “I KNOW OF A SADNESS WITH THE SMELL OF PINEAPPLE” was held at the U10 Art Space, February-March 2020.
His most notable group exhibitions, local and international, can be listed as follows: “Privatna vrednost 2” at the Swiss residency in Belgrade (June 2019), two exhibitions at the Beaux-Arts de Paris (January 2020) and “INTER/AKCIJA” at Dom Omladine in Belgrade (October 2018). Next to his exhibitions, Aleksandar is the initiator and author of the exhibitions “5 out of 6”, the first student organized exhibition in Gallery FLU (January 2019), as well as the project “WALKING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT” at the Scandinavian Pavilion in Belgrade (April 2019) and the curatorial project “QUI A LA CLÉ?“ at the Beaux-Arts de Paris (January 2020).
Među brojnim grupnim izložbama u zemlji i inostranstvu se ističu: „Privatna vrednost 2“ u rezidenciji ambasadora Švajcarske (jun 2019), dve izložbe na Visokoj školi lepih umetnosti Parizu (januar 2020) i „INTER/AKCIJA“ u Domu omladine Beograda (oktobar 2018). Pored izlagačke prakse, Aleksandar je inicijator i autor izložbe „5 iz 6“, prve studentske samoinicijativne izložba u Galeriji FLU (januar 2019), zatim projekta „HODANjE PO MESEČINI / WALKING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT “, Skandinavski paviljon (april 2019) i kustoskog projekta „KO IMA KLjUČ? / QUI A LA CLÉ?“, na Visokoj školi lepih umetnosti u Parizu (januar 2020).
Aleksander’s work has been commended by the Veličković Foundation (2019) and NIS Art Foundation (2018). His works can be found in private collections in Germany, Sweden and France. He is currently living and studying in Belgrade.
What is the language in common for the young people today?
The language in common of youth…the first thing that comes to mind is Instagram and other social media.
What does the process of making one of your pieces look like?
Intuition has showed itself as the beginning of each piece. In fact, at first I fall in love with the scene, I might forget about it, and then after some time that scene comes back to my life with an idea that is so important that it has to be transposed into a creative piece. And so it manifests.
Which challenges have you faced while making art as you know it?
Two challenges exist; how to win at the impermanence of time and how to make an art piece worthy of attention.
Do you consider yourself an artist, and what does that word mean to you?
For a long time it’s been said that the artist is a person who can create art, whose work is recognized and upheld by the public and relevant institutions. If that’s the criteria, I am an artist.
What is your escape from reality? Do you even have a need to escape from something?
I’m very nostalgic…
What does the word innovative mean to you?
To be innovative has stopped being synonymous to creating a new technique; I would refer to innovation as a very specific idea that no one else has elaborated on in that specific way.
Do you have a plan for the future? Where can your artistic practice take you?
I have a plan for the future, but it most likely won’t be actualized. Perhaps for the better, because it is through this we are reminded that art imitates life, and not the other way around.
What made the biggest influence on you to become what you are today and do what you do now?
Life.
How would you describe Serbian (Balkan or European-depends on where you live and work) contemporary cultural scene?
I would describe it as an external port for a USB with multiple inputs, but only one output that you might connect to a computer. The input is multifold but the goal is the same.
In which way does your creative process shape you or changes you as a person, if it does at all?
For years I have learned how to be patient through my artistic practice, as well as being prepared to fail, discipline and lot of love towards people.