“The waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. One after another they massed themselves and fell; the spray tossed itself back with the energy of their fall. The waves were steeped deep – blue save for a pattern of diamond- pointed light on their backs which rippled as the back of great horses ripple with muscles as they move. The waves fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping”.

Virginia Woolf, WAVES

Since the very beginning of her presence on the art scene of Yugoslavia and Serbia, Višnja Petrović has been persistently on a quest for visual quietness, questioning her intimate perception on the limits of monochrome and factual emptiness.

Experimenting with different formats and materials has been Višnja’s long lasting interest. In particular, in searching for illusive borders between self-dwindling visual information of the artefacts and their readability in the domain of aesthetics. In her early career she used to be attracted by the seductive charm of hand-made paper and sophisticated nature-inspired surface structure of such material, especially those of large formats.

Višnja Petrović has always been drawn to the minimalistic approach of fading colours. She has a special sensibility for geometrised drawings, with shadowed coloured areas. In spite of some elements of visual hedonism, Višnja in her pursuits has always kept proper balance between visual self-indulging sensibility and the dignity of rigor. 

The ultimate fingerprint of her artistic expression has been, and still is, very much related to her obsession with waves on the surface of water and their fascinating alternating dynamics. The observation on waves, provided in the preamble of this text, made by Virginia Woolf, would provide a glimpse into the reasons for this obsession.

In recent years, in the context of a long lasting interest in waveforms, Višnja made a gentle but decisive move towards a rather intimate perception of mathematical – geometric concepts (geometric catastrophes in two and three-dimensional objects). She also revisited her old interest in small industrially made objects upgraded with transparent structures (small, still, invisible) and photography with drawing interventions (intimate story of lines) as a part of her visual research inspired by the dynamics of waves.

 

NOTES ON CATASTROPHES

This is a research project of Višnja Petrović dealing with a visual interpretation of some mathematical objects, and more generally, an interplay between the art and math languages with many interleaved hidden layers, not always susceptible for immediate reading. 

In the period 2009-2018 Višnja has been exploring how to transform the syntax of mathematical objects called ‘smooth singularities’ into the sematic of an abstract art, within the framework of a project named NOTES ON CATASTROPHES. The theoretical framework of smooth singularities is largely known as “Catastrophe Theory” which explains the title of the subproject. This title also beautifully sublimes her personal testimony / confession on this interdisciplinary and interlanguage communication. Metal drawings, which resulted within the project NOTES ON CATASTROPHES, express a perpetual repetitiveness and variations of a small number of geometric models, offering possible space for meditative insight into the perception of visual movement. A seemingly monotone and restricted visual means are purposely chosen in order to reveal the inner meaning of wavy forms against a rigor of mathematical visual metaphors.

Exploring an interplay between art and math languages came as a result of her perception that these two disciplines share inherent properties: an asceticism of forms and self-indulgence in keeping inner discipline. These properties are also recognisable characteristics of the whole artistic opus of Višnja Petrović, from her early quests for transcendental passages from one nuance of gray/white to another, to the metal drawings represented in this project.    

 

SMALL, STILL, INVISIBLE

In the late eighties and early nineties, Višnja Petrović has been exploring small objects through an interplay between materials and forms (under the two general titles: „Body“ and „Soul“). It was a rather hedonistic experiment and solitary walk through the matter. Surprisingly enough, last year Višnja realised that her interest for the small abandon industrially made objects, upgraded with architectures made of transparent material capturing light, still matters today. In particular it resonates with her everlasting quest for fading lights coming from the inner space of objects, as a metaphor of the very idea of life.

The rationales behind the objects created in 2019, although seemingly looked as a space revisited, is essentially different. The current project SMALL, STILL, INVISIBLE is a result of a mature intimate narratives, not bounded with any rigid ideology or spoiled with unnecessary reference to a formal values or efforts to comprehensively control the artefact in the space.   

 

INTIMATE STORY OF LINES

This project, emerged as a therapeutic way-out in dealing with an unwilling isolation during winter/spring 2020, caused by covid19 pandemia. The main idea behind was to experiment with lines and their interplay with dynamics of waves.

In the last six-seven years, in various circumstances, Višnja has been taking a series of photographs in connection with her fascination with water surfaces. The project INTIMATE STORY OF LINES reveals various facets of water surfaces interplaying with drawing interventions based on repetitive routine of free hand line drawing over the photographs.

Overwriting photographs by a dense structure of perpetual lines, is also an attempt to revive the frozen rhythm of waves and create a misty veil, partly annihilating the substance of the ground of the scene. Compulsive repetitiveness and the apparent absence of visual sharpness have always been a recognisable part of the author’s sensibility, with the line as dominant visual and existential pillar. 

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VIŠNJA PETROVIĆ

Born 1960 in Novi Sad (former Yugoslavia), Serbia

Lives and works in Novi Sad, Serbia

 

EDUCATION

1987   MA in Painting from the Belgrade Faculty of Fine Arts

1984   BA in Painting from the Belgrade Faculty of Fine Arts

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019

Small, Still, Invisible,  MALI LIKOVNI SALON, Culture Centre of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

Notes on Catastrophes, Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts Niš, Niš, Serbia

2018

Notes on Catastrophes, Gallery of Cultural Center of Zrenjanin, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Notes on Catastrophes, Gallery Lucida, Beograd, Serbia

2017

Notes on Catastrophes, Gallery of Fine Arts – Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzić, Novi Sad, Serbia

1996

Gallery of Student Cultural Center, Belgrade, Serbia

1995

Contemporary Gallery, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia

1991

Gallery of Belgrade Youth Centre, Belgrade, Serbia

1988

Gallery Cultural Centre of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

1987

Gallery of Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade, Serbia

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2018

4th Biennial of Visual Art, Library – Open Book of the Balkans – Dialog, Archive, Čačak, Serbia

14th International Biennial of Miniature Art, Gallery of Cultural Centre, Gornji Milanovac, Serbia

2014

Exibition of The Faculty of The Academy of Arts, Gallery of Fine Arts – Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzić, Novi Sad, Serbia

Premonition, Blood and Hope – Art in Vojvodina from 1914 to 2014, Kunstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria

2012

Temporary History, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia

2011

Collection of small drawing of Academy of Arts, Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection, Novi Sad, Serbia

2009

Three small dialogues, Cvajner Gallery, Pula, Croatia    

2008

Art in Vojvodina today, Modern Art Gallery “Artists encounters”, Subotica, Serbia

Art in Vojvodina today, Museum of Contemporary Art Voivodina, Novi Sad, Serbia

2002

Sublime Objects – examples of fine art in Yugoslavia at the end of 20th Century, Novi Sad, Serbia                                          

The Tradition of Tautology – plastic norms of non-finite, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia

2001

4th Biennial of Watercolour, National Museum, Zrenjanin, Serbia

2000

2nd Biennale of sketches and projects, Center for visual culture “Golden Eye”, Novi Sad, Serbia

The Iwano Project, Novi Sad Open University Gallery, Novi Sad, Serbia

6th International Biennial of Miniature Art, Cultural Center Gornji Milanovac, Gornji Milanovac, Serbia 

1999

4th Belgrade Biennial of drawings and small plastics, Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Belgrade, Serbia

2nd Biennial of Sketches and Center Projects, Center for Visual Culture “Golden Eye”, Novi Sad, Serbia

1998

Art and Paper, Art Salon of City Cultural Center, Čačak, Serbia

25 Years of Art Academy in Novi Sad, City Gallery- Spens, Novi Sad, Serbia

1997

Visible/Invisible, Yugoslav Contemporary Art, Helexpo (Pavilion 1), Thessaloniki, Greece

Universal-Regional, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Pančevo, Serbia

1996

Painting Substance, Center for Visual Culture “Golden Eye”, Novi Sad, Serbia

Discrete Modernism, Center for Visual Culture “Golden Eye”, Novi Sad, Serbia

Choice 93, Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić, Belgrade, Serbia

1995

Paper-Form, Gallery of Serbian Art Association, Belgrade, Serbia

Energies – Examples of Actual Appearences in Art Scene of Voivodina, Konkordija, Vršac, Serbia

2nd Belgrade Biennale of Drawings and Small Plastics, Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić, Belgrade, Serbia

Examples of Monochromatic Painting in Vojvodina, Gallery of Vojvodina Art Association, Novi Sad, Serbia

Small Spring Annale, City Art Salon, Čačak, Serbia

Salon 9, Art Gallery of National Museum, Kragujevac, Serbia

1994

1st Yugoslav Bienial Exibition of Young Artist, Konkordija, Vršac, Serbia

Acctuality in Painting  Scene of Vojvodina from 1973 to 1993, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia

Exibitiion of The Faculty of Academy of Arts, Gallery of Matica Srpska, Novi Sad, Serbia

1993

Horizontal-Vertical Line, Conflicts and Harmony, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia

Private – Public, Gallery VLV, Novi Sad, Serbia

Early Nineties, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia

1st Biennale of Yugoslav Watercolour, Contemporary Gallery, Zrenjanin, Serbia

1st Belgrade Biennial of drawings and small plastics, Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Belgrade, Serbia

View 93, Gallery ULUS, Belgrade, Pančevo, Serbia

34th October Salon, Museum of 25th May, Belgrade, Serbia

1992

Acquisitions, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia

1990

25th Zagreb Salon of Fine Arts, Zagreb, Yugoslavia

10th Trienale of Yugoslav Drawing, Gallery of Fine Arts, Sombor, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia

1989

Spring exibition of Association of Fine Artists of Serbia, Art Pavillion “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

15th Biennial of Young Artists of Yugoslavia, Modern Gallery, Rijeka, Yugoslavia

Yugoslav Documents ’89, Olympic Center Skenderija, Galleries of the city of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 

The Primacy of Picturalism, The End of Decade, Time of Synthesis, 29th Automn exibition, Modern Art Gallery “Artists encounters”, Subotica, Serbia                

1987

Galery of ULUV, Novi Sad

Magistar’s Exibition of The Faculty of Fine Arts Belgrade, Galery of JNA Centre, Vrbas, Yugoslavia   

Youth Palett, Galery of Cultural Centre Vrbas, Vrbas

Exibition of Voivodinian’s Painters, Graz, Austria

6th Exibition, Gallery of Yugoslav Portrait, Tuzla, Yugoslavia         

16th Novi Sad Salon, Galery of Cultural Centre, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia         

1985

Prize-winning Student Exhibition, Gallery of The Faculty of Fine Arts, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1984

Perspectives 12, Yugoslave Art Galery, Belgrade, Serbia

 

AWARDS

2018   Special Recognition awarded by the 14th International Biennial of Miniature for Intermedia, Gornji Milanovac, Serbia

1998   First Prize for Drawing, Novi Sad October Salon, Novi Sad, Serbia

1993   First Prize for Painting, Serbia Biennale of Yugoslav Watercolour, Zrenjanin, Serbia

1990   First Prize for Painting, Novi Sad October Salon, Novi Sad, Serbia

 

STUDY VISITS

France, Italy, UK, Germany, Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, USA

NOTES ON CATASTROPHES, exhibition catalog cover, artist Visnja Petrovic. Published on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition in Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts Niš, Serbia, September 5 - 23, 2019

NOTES ON CATASTROPHES

Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts Niš, 2019

Serbian/English

ISBN: 978-86-7740-141-2

Published on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition in Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts Niš, September 5 – 23, 2019

Beleške o katastrofama, exhibition catalog cover, artist Visnja Petrovic, Gallery of Fine Arts – Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzic, 2017, text by Ladislav Novak.

BELEŠKE O KATASTROFAMA

Gallery of Fine Arts – Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzić, 2017

36 pages, Serbian/English

ISBN: 978-86-85365-80-5

COBISS.SR-ID 317706503

Text by Ladislav Novak

Published on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition in Gallery of Fine Arts – Gift Collection of Rajko Mamuzić, Novi Sad, September 25 – 27, 2017

Small, Still, Invisible, exhibition catalogue, artist Visnja Petrovic, Cultural Center of Novi Sad, “Mali likovni salon” gallery, 2019

SMALL, STILL, INVISIBLE

Cultural Center of Novi Sad, “Mali likovni salon” Gallery, 2019

12 pages, Serbian/English

Exhibition catalog

ISBN: 978-86-7931-735-3

Text by Višnja Petrović

English translation: Ladislav Novak

Photography: Jovan Milinov