Author Description

This catalogue is published on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition Darja Bajagić: It Takes an Island to Feel This Good, commissioned by Vladislav Šćepanović, and curated by Ana Simona Zelenović for the Pavilion of Montenegro at the 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. Through painting and sculpture, the artist examines and reflects upon themes such as the culture of collective memory and our relationship to shared historical heritage, focusing on the complex and multidimensional history of the Montenegrin island of Mamula. Bajagić's project valorizes the island's heritage, utilizing its history and present as content to raise pressing universal questions relevant to contemporary art and greater society. Focusing on laden contemporary and historical issues, the artist courageously delves into and tackles complex issues, positing questions such as whether the precondition for evil is, on the one hand, the neglectful disregard of history or, on the other hand, its commodification.