Dea Džanković
My art is searching for one’s own language which communicates the process of integrating the individual and a universal truth of existence.
Dea Džanković is an interdisciplinary artist based in Belgrade. She spent the last few years between Belgrade, Istanbul and Berlin. In Istanbul she finished her Master’s for Visual Art, while she worked an internship at the production agency “in between media” in Berlin where she continues to work on projects. Two of her academic articles on feminism in the Arts were published in London. She continues to develop her artistic practice in Belgrade, which includes video installation, photography, performance, directing and writing poetry. She has exhibited solo and in group exhibitions.
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“Menagerie” (April 2021) is an interactive installation that deals with the questioning of identity and placing it in the physical context of a china closet, objects that, in some form or another, exist in every home. Through creating replicates of a sacred-home space, I’m questioning the tension that exists between forcing the creation of an ego and negating parts of one’s identity that are suppressed. The installation is interactive, it gives us the possibility to open, touch and examine all of her boxes, which is a metaphor for the process of self-reflection. The majority of the objects in themselves contain fragments of other objects and things, which is a clear allusion to our fragmented parts of identity which are left ignored, left to be expressed in very uncomfortable and often brutal ways. The piece is an ode to the absolutely important process of integration and the overcoming of constantly repetitive modes of behavior and relations, that in turn become an entity for themselves, as well as family identity that transfers on to the next generation.
What is the language in common for the young people today?
Creation which communicates problems of the contemporary moment that we are facing.
What does the process of making one of your pieces look like?
My creation is led by the idea of ritual, each process of creating one piece represents an independent de-fragmentation for me that leads to the integration of the person and freedom of constraints of imposed constructions of identity.
Which challenges have you faced while making art as you know it?
The challenges in my creation are finding space and organizations that gear towards experimental principles within art and interdisciplinary art.
Do you consider yourself an artist, and what does that word mean to you?
I am, for me that word represents life’s calling.
What is your escape from reality? Do you even have a need to escape from something?
I don’t have the need to escape from reality.
What does the word innovative mean to you?
To be innovative means to constantly be experimenting and playing through life, questioning the rules and various perspectives.
Do you have a plan for the future? Where can your artistic practice take you?
My plans are to enroll into another Master’s program or a Doctorate program where I will be able to focus on New Media and to perfect my artistic expression.
What made the biggest influence on you to become what you are today and do what you do now?
My life story, of course.
How would you describe Serbian (Balkan or European-depends on where you live and work) contemporary cultural scene?
I would describe the youth art scene as diverse, but unfortunately very scattered and without much consciousness or understanding of collaboration.
In which way does your creative process shape you or changes you as a person, if it does at all?
The creative process improves me as a person, it’s thanks to it that I am able to communicate things that I wouldn’t know how to otherwise, and to face them in a safe process that’s full of understanding and support.