omaz-vladimiru-velickovicu by ARTE galerija Beograd

VELIČKOVIĆ

OMAŽ VLADIMIRU VELIČKOVIĆU HOMAGE TO VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ

Beograd / Belgrade 2020

VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ – 365 dana posle –

ada je pre godinu dana do nas stigla vest da je preminuo veliki čovek i umetnik, nadali smo se da je u pitanju neka greška. Nismo predvideli da Vladimir Veličković može da ode, jer kako reče umetnica Biljana Willimon - mislila sam da će on da postoji zauvek.

ARTE galerija organizuje izložbu u čast Vladimira Veličkovića sa željom da održi živim sećanje na njega. Postavku čine dela nastala tokom šezdesetih i sedamdesetih godina dvadesetog veka, čime se pruža prilika za sagledavanje krucijalnog segmenta opusa neumornog stvaraoca. Naša galerija je imala neobičnu sreću da usko sarađuje sa čovekom koji je ostavio trag na srpskoj, francuskoj i globalnoj umetničkoj sceni, o čemu svedoče reči istaknute istoričarke umetnosti Irine Subotić - bio je shvaćen i prihvaćen kao “autentična i snažna ličnost, nosilac širokih humanističkih poruka – tako potrebnih savremenom čoveku.”1 Omaž je termin latinskog porekla i označava odnos srednjovekovnog vazala prema gospodaru - njegovu zakletvu da će mu verno služiti. Vladimir Veličković je bio vazal umetnosti i verno služio slikarskom pozivu do samog kraja. Sada, mi preuzimamo obavezu da verno služimo sećanju na lik i delo Vladimira Veličkovića. Saradnja Vladimira Veličkovića i ARTE galerije otpočela je 2007. godine, a prvi zvanični zajednički poduhvat realizovan je godinu kasnije, izložbom crteža i bronzanih skulptura - što je bio prvi put da se autor beogradskoj publici predstavio i skulpturom. Izložba u ARTE galeriji je bila prva izložba Vladimira Veličkovića u Beogradu, nakon šest godina pauze i izlaganja slika velikog formata u galeriji SANU. Susreti i druženja sa Veličkovićem bili su posebno zadovoljstvo i neprocenjivo iskustvo. Svaki segment razgovora imao je jasnu formu, bogat sadržaj i težio traganju za suštinom. Nebrojeno je posebnosti koje su krasile velikog umetnika, ali ono što je ostalo izuzetno upečatljivo ogledalo se u dečačkom entuzijazmu, otvorenosti i srdačnosti koji su svaki razgovor činili prijateljskim, a atmosferu ugodnom. Tradicionalna mesta susreta sa Veličkovićem bila su Beograd, Pariz, Hvar, ređe Venecija, Aranđelovac i Cirih. Bio je svuda gde je trebalo, uvek tačan, spreman, svež, optimističan, pun razumevanja za sve nedaće pojedinaca i društva kojem je pripadao, sa jasno iskazanom željom i naporom da se neprilike prevaziđu i da se krene dalje. Ono što sa ponosom ističemo, a sada i delimo sa publikom su reprezentativne slike i crteži iz prestižnih beograskih kolekcija, brižljivo birani od strane kolekcionara koji su tokom proteklih decenija formirali ukus publike i tržišta. Ako bismo morali da izdvojimo neke od radova, to bi, svakako, bio autoportret Pas br. 23 - varijacije na temu autoportreta, iz 1972, zatim triptih Tri faze skoka iz 1975, uz crteže, za taj medij, monumentalnog formata, koji su izvedeni tušem. Kako je sam Veličković govorio, nikada nije podilazio ukusima galerija i galerista, može se reći da je ARTE galerija odabrala njega, autentičnog i nezavisnog u izrazu. 1 http://www.seecult.org/vest/oprostaj-od-velickovica-velikog-umetnika-i-coveka

Teme i motivi koji se mogu sagledati ovom prilikom, vrlo jasno prikazuju ključne faze Veličkovićevog stvaralaštva i odraz su tipičnosti koje se za njega vezuju. Ono što je izuzetno simptomatično za Veličkovićev rad odnosi se na veliki format koji sam autor karakteriše kao svoju “boljku”. Prizori obezglavljenih tela - za koje Danilo Kiš tvrdi Ne, to nije obezglavljen čovek! Tom Veličkovićevom Trkaču-Skakaču glava nije potrebna, glava se podrazumeva, glava samo koordinira mišljenje tela, mišljenje mišića, mišljenje kostiju i koščanih zglobova, mišljenje nožnih i ručnih prstiju...2 - koji su ilustracija onog što čovek čoveku čini, moraju biti u razmeri sa tim istim čovekom / gledaocem - njegovo ogledalo i predmet identifikacije. Veličkovićeva (umetnička) misija i misao, koja je jasno vidljiva u svakom centimetru kvadratnom platna, odnosi se na čovekovu sudbinu. Umešnost savladavanja velikih formata, Veličković iskazuje pronalaženjem optimalnih rešenja, koja su vešti spoj i jasna distinkcija opozicionih parova enterijer - intimizam i eksterijer - apokaliptični pejzaž. Aktivno deluje i postavlja pitanja - šta je čovekovo rađanje, šta je njegov život i šta je njegova smrt, sa sveprisutnim apostrofiranjem nasilja i agresivnosti koja “čuči” u svakom čoveku kao jedna od njegovih suštinskih osobina. Taj teg, prikačen za nogu svakog pojedinca, predstavlja stalno opterećenje i usud koji nas ne zaobilazi. Likovni jezik kojim se Veličković služi, jako je upečatljiv i prepoznatljiv, sa konstantnim brojem elemenata, sa bazičnim motivima - ljudskom figurom i prostorom u kojem (ne)funkcionišu. Proročanska i predviđajuća Veličkovićeva dalekovidost, postala je permanentna sukcesija obojena tamnom gamom i tragičnim konsekvencama sunovrata civilizacije, pa se njegovi radovi mogu okarakterisati oksimoronom - zastrašujuće i fascinantno. Refleksije na odrastanje u okupiranom Beogradu i telo kao nepresušno polje istraživanja, kanališu se u otkrića koja se pred nama otvaraju na platnima Vladimira Veličkovića u vidu opustelih pejzaža, mračnih vizija rata, jama ljudskog stradanja, agresije koju je ljudsko biće u stanju da ispolji.

Veličkovićevo slikarstvo je jedinstveno i autentično u svojoj koherentnosti, dosledno u motivskom pogledu i čvrsto u tipografiji. Kroz veličanstveno i strašno, prikazuje i dokumentuje haotične ljudske sudbine i tragičnost sadašnjeg trenutka. Da bi se izborio za poziciju i status koji sada ima, Veličković je morao sopstvenom snagom i inventivnošću da prevaziđe ograničenja i vešto izbegne upadanje u zamku opštih mesta kako u narativu, tako i u samoj ikonografiji. Uspeva da svojom energičnošću i naglašenom ekspresivnošću izgradi likovno-jezički model sastavljen od antropomorfizama i snažnih kulisa, bilo u vidu pejzaža ili ambijenta u koje smešta aktere sopstevih promatranja i predskazanja. 2 https://iskra.co/kultura/danilo-kis-zasto-velickovicevi-trkaci-nemaju-glavu/

Veličkovićeva permanentna odlika je sklonost ka linearizmu i snažnoj liniji, koji mu otvaraju mogućnost naglašenog otklona od kolorita i upotrebu crne, bele i sive. Silovit gest, izvanredne crtačke sposobnosti, agresivnost i patnja naturalističke prizornosti - referiraju na odstupanje od konvencionalnog, potrebu za istinom i neprihvatanje prikazivanja pripitomljenog. Sama činjenica da morbidne i makabrične scene prolaze kroz njegove ruke i imaginaciju, praktično kroz čitavo njegovo biće, sugerišu na Veličkovićevo ovladavanje njima u svrhu samoodbrane.3 Prepoznatljive teme i motivi koji su gradivni elementi Veličkovićevih kompozicija - pacovi, psi, skeleti, obezglavljena tela, pusti pejzaži, nepristupačni reljefi - sveprisutni su u izvornom ili transformisanom obliku što se može sagledati na izloženim delima. Kolekcionarska praksa odlika je građenja ličnog mikrosveta koje ima za cilj prikupljanje ingenioznih, u konkretnom slučaju, umetničkih ostvarenja. Dela Vladimira Veličkovića odraz su unutrašnjih patnji, ali i neizmerne životne radosti koju šalje kroz jezgrovite poruke nade i vere da čovečanstvo može biti bolje. Sjedinjeni, energetski impulsi Veličkovića čoveka i Veličkovića slikara, reflektuju snažnu volju i ostanak na pobedničkom kursu. Čvrst dokaz ovih trvdnji ogleda se u osnivanju Fondacije Vladimir Veličković koja nagrađuje najbolje crteže mladih autora i pomaže im da se afirmišu na likovnoj sceni. Visoki etički i estetski kriterijumi koje Veličković postavlja i doseže, svakako su, dovoljan motiv za neizmerno divljenje koje prema umetniku iskazujemo. Selena Andrić

3 Tonko Maroević, Vladimir Veličković, Katalog izložbe u Palači Milesi, Split, srpanj - kolovoz 2012, str. 7

VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ

– slikar egzistencijalnih stanja i situacija –

vaka smrt iznenadi – jer se nikada ne očekuje. A i kada dođe, nikada se s njom ne možemo pomiriti... Vladu je stigla u Splitu, nakon hvarskog, porodičnog, reklo bi se idiličnog odmora. Vest je među prijateljima odjeknula kao najstrašniji prasak koji je ostavio pustoš – nevericu da je moguć takav trijumf nesrećne sudbine. Bio je arhitekta koji je znao da će se posvetiti slikarstvu. Samo slikarstvu. I, razume se, crtežu, grafici, kolažu, opremi knjige, plakatu, ilustraciji, ponekad scenografiji... Uradio je nekoliko spomenika, poslednjih godina pretakao svoje crteže u gromadne metalne skulpture. Crtanje i slikanje je bilo opsesivno ugrađeno u dah i ritam njegovog života: za njega nije bilo alternative, nije bilo druge utehe. Ulagao je ogromnu energiju u realizaciju svojih velikih platana, a ta energija je zračila i upozoravala na čovekovu ugroženost, kao terapijski medij prikaza katastrofe, na banalnost tragične svakidašnjice, na sveprisutno nasilje i prikrivene manipulacije, na pritajeni strah od nevidljivog neprijatelja... Ti ontološki prizori su se ponavljali, iz decenije u deceniju, ali nikada nisu bili ukalupljeni. Iz njih je stalno iskakao drugi i drugačiji pogled i to je bila velika zaloga kretanja s duhom vremena, znak raspoznavanja govora i žudnje epohe kroz diskurs i katarzu realnosti i realizma koji to nikada nisu bili. Pa ipak – bili su uvek okrenuti egzistencijalnim pitanjima života i smrti, dodirivali su osećanje ugroženosti, izvesnost umiranja, najzad i samu smrt kao velikog katalizatora. A razloge za te kataklizmičke prizore svet je uvek prepoznavao, kako unutar pragmatičnog okruženja, tako i u svakom pojedincu... Zato je slikarstvo Vladimira Veličkovića moglo da se identifikuje sa različitim pojavama i naše, eks-jugoslovenske umetničke scene, i evropske, pa i svetske: počev od pripadnosti „andregraund” estetici Mediale, bliske i njegovim pariskim drugarima Dadi Đuriću i Urošu Toškoviću, do nove figuracije i nove predmetnosti, od angažovane figuracije do mitologija svakidašnjice. Slikarstvo Vladimira Veličkovića bi se moglo uvrstiti i u metafizičko jer prikazana stvarnost prikriva stanja i situacije čija značenja treba tek otkrivati, dok proces njegovog rada podrazumeva često zasnivanje na neposredno inspirisanim dramatičnim događajima. Zato mu služe informacije, fotografije, svedočenja ili komentari iz medija, što često pomaže u čitanju određenih konkretnih scena. Pesnici i filozofi, koji su o njegovom delu pisali, zalažu se za termin egzistencijalistička figuracija. U svakom tom kontekstu dominiraju njegova scenična stvarnost i artikulacija prostora, kao zaloga njegovog arhitektonskog obrazovanja. Ali – bez ulepšavanja, bez ustupaka, bez proračuna. Ekspresivnost i snaga Vladinog poteza, sigurnost komponovanja i traganje za uzorima velikana prošlosti, pre svih Direra, Šongauera i Grinevalda, doveli su njegova dela do ekstatične ikoničnosti u čijim detaljima enformelne strukture prepoznajemo blagi obol vremenu vladajuće apstrakcije sedme decenije. Kasnije će, tokom devedesetih godina, na svojim velikim platnima s prikazima ispražnjene, spržene zemlje, više pažnje posvećivati islikavanjima i hromatici dominantne, sudbinske crne i crvene, s pažljivim nanošenjima kolorističkih detalja. Ti ciklusi

su nastali u znak sećanja na državu koja se raspala u krvi, a za koju se zalagao da se očuva u njenoj celovitosti i raznolikosti. Veličković je svoj ogroman opus izlagao redovno – širom sveta, često i kod nas. Njegova biografija beleži stotine, možda i hiljade javnih nastupa, isto toliko tekstova o njemu i desetine opsežnih monografija, među kojima se izdvaja jedinstven poduhvat Galerije RIMA iz Kragujevca i Beograda da se u šest tomova velikog formata objave svi njegovi crteži, sa studijskim tekstovima uglednih svetskih i naših autora. Nisu ga zaobišle ni mnoge nagrade, kao ni druga velika priznanja u koje svakako spadaju Legija časti i članstvo u Srpskoj akademiji nauka i umetnosti, Makedonskoj akademiji nauka i umetnosti i Francuskoj akademiji. Bio je prvi umetnik našeg porekla koji je doživeo tu čast. Imao je ogromnu želju da doprinese povezivanju kultura Srbije i Francuske, da kao profesor pariske, nacionalne Akademije lepih umetnosti pomogne mladim umetnicima iz raznih sredina, pa i naše, da steknu ne samo znanje, već i lakoću ophođenja u svetu likovnosti, da naše mlade stvaraoce stimuliše nagradama iz fondacije koju je osnovao, da obogati biblioteku Fakulteta likovnih umetnosti stručnim knjigama do kojih se ovde ne dolazi lako... Bio je osoba duboko ugrađenih građanskih normi, začuđen društvom koje je pokleklo pod naletima novih, neartikulisanih kriterijuma i zahteva. I bio je ubeđen da svojom energijom, svojom dobrom voljom i pozicijom u svetu može da pomakne s mesta nataložene i zaparložene probleme. Otišao je napojen tim pozitivnim i optmističkim željama, ostavljajući to kao jedini nedokrajčen posao... Irina Subotić POLITIKA - Kultura-Umetnost-Nauka, Beograd, 31.avgust 2019, str. 2.

VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ – Majstor jakih vizuelnih metafora –

ostoje ličnost koje su veoma prisutne u našem životu svojim delom, ogromnom energijom i lakim korakom, mladićkom dobrom voljom i spremni da saslušaju, razumeju, podrže, da učestvuju svojim angažmanom i realnom prisutnošću u umetničkim i društvenim događajima. Zato i ne pomišljamo da se može telo takvog bića i zaustaviti, a to se upravo desilo sa Vladimirom Veličkovićem. Zatečenost i neverica. Brzo prisećanje kad smo se sreli, šta smo razgovarali, kako je to izgledalo, šta smo se dogovorili… Da, sreli smo se letos, u Galeriji SANU, na izložbi Grafičkog kolektiva, donela sam mali deo lamperije i dogovorila sa Vladom da spremi rad za izložbu Telo galerije-Identitet mesta, koja referiše na naš aktuelni problem. Da, negovao je prijateljstva, a jedno od postojanih je bilo vezano i za Grafički kolektiv. U svojoj akademskoj recenziji povodom 70 godina rada Grafičkog kolektiva, ovog aprila piše: …ja koji sam rastao uz Grafički kolektiv i prvi put u njemu izlagao 1951. godine, taj dugi put od sedamdeset godina pratio sam i u njemu više puta učestvovao…Programsko bogatstvo, smelost i radoznalost, za ono što se radilo i kod nas a i u svetu, Grafički kolektiv, ta mikro institucija od par kvadrata, je realizovala sa velikim uspehom…” Tinejdžerski uzrast (prvi put izlagao 1951. na izložbi Mladi umetnici Srbije), rana mladost i studentski dani (na arhitekturi) protekli su u znaku začaranosti magijom likovne umetnosti. Tako je u procesu samo/edukacije i slikarskom formiranju Veličković prošao put od posvećenog i prilježnog zanesenjaka koji studira radove starih majstora, preko kratkog kontakta sa Medijalom, do školovanja u Majstorskoj radionici Krste Hegedušića u Zagrebu, putu ka svojevrsnoj kreativnoj inicijaciji kada je utemeljio svoju slikarsku recepciju i samopouzdanje. U građenju umetničke tematike ovaj slikar je prolazio različite faze obeležene vidljivim afinitetom za tradiciju, stare majstore i uzore iz istorije umetnosti – od Direra i El Greka, Karavađa i Goje, preko Mejbridža do Šongauera, Grinevalda i drugih. Očito, u profilisanju Veličkovićevog stvalačakog karaktera dogodila srećna simbioza germanske metodičnosti u koju je inteligentno inkorporirana balkanska duhovnost, južnjačka ekspresivnost i mediteranska kontemplativnost. Isto tako, učvrstio je ikonični korpus narativne vizuelizacije dramskih replika i kreativne fikcije straha, nade i sumnje. U svom umetničkom radu oslanjao se i na dokument, predložak u crtežu, kolažu, slici, grafici, pitajući se Da li autentična dokumenta umetnosti i kontinuiteta u vremenu imaju snagu argumenata? Mišljenje da crtež predstavlja najintimniji deo stvaralačke ličnosti potvrđen je i u slučaju Vladimira Veličkovića. Svakako, crteži i kolaži predstavljaju idejni i vizuelni rečnik umetnikovog slikarskog bića. Jezičko kodiranje upadljivih, snažnih i ekspresivnih kadrova u kojima se razvija shema oštrog crtačkog rukopisa, uz elemente dokumentarnog karaktera kao što je fotografija, znak, slovo, produbljuju kompleksnu ikonografiju njegovog dela, njegovo značenje i smisao. Kritičar je za njega rekao da je “slikar sopstvenog istorijskog vremena i slikar sopstvenog pogleda na to istorijsko vreme”. Mada je od 1966. godine stalno nastanjen u Parizu gde je na međunarodnoj umetničkoj sceni rasla Veličkovićeva intenzivna umetnička karijera, on sve vreme ostvaruje žive veze sa rodnim Beogradom i jugoslovenskim kulturnim prostorom. Dve žene su imale značajne uloge u tim procesima i tamo i ovde - čuvena Vladina mama Lenka i supruga Maristela. Vlada je razumeo prirodu umetnosti ali i prirodu ljudskih odnosa. Građanske norme i vernost idealima i

idejama zalog su njegovog porodičnog vaspitanja. Mada je po vokaciji od rane mladosti slikar, ipak je diplomirao arhitekturu da bi ovim malim ustupkom poštovao i autoritet svog oca, univerzitetskog profesora. Sreća, kvalitet njegove ličnosti je i sposobnost da nalazi pozitivan stav pa je i iskustva sa studija arhitekture inkorporirao u vlastitu umetničku praksu, rečima, vreme nije izgubljeno. Sredinom 60-ih godina Veličkovićev slikarski jezik približio se evropskoj novoj figuraciji i u tim estetskim okvirima utemeljena je poetika njegovog opusa. Neosporno, u pomenutom spletu okolnosti i ličnom izboru, moguće je razumeti autorov postojani afinitet za figuraciju kao i angažovani stav koji je u kritici cenjen kao čin velike moralne hrabrosti. Sa velike liste priznanja izdvojimo članstvo u Srpskoj akademiji nauka i umetnosti, Politikinu nagradu, članstvo u Francuskoj akademiji. Velike i retrospektivne izložbe kod nas i u svetu, monografije, filmovi, referentne studije i stotine bibliografiskih jedinica deo su ovog ogromnog stvaralačkog opusa. U kontekstu prilika u kojima se ovde živelo, posebno tokom 90-ih godina, Veličković je prihvatao i određeni društveni angažman; kao altruista pokazao je puno dobre volje da pomogne mlade umetnike a, imao je sluha i za druge akcije inicirane u domovini; pomagao je nesebično ne štedići trud ni zavidnu profesionalnu poziciju. Novcem od jedne nagrade obnovio je bibliotečki fond umetničkog fakulteta, a od drugog priznanja ustanovio je nagradu za crtež mladim autorima. Kao kultno mesto beogradske grafike, poligon razmene umetničkih ideja i susreta stvaralaca, Grafički kolektiv je održavao kontakte sa našima u svetu. Veličković je uvek bio otvoren, agilan i imao je zavidnu produkciju pa je saradnja sa njim bila jednostavna. Laureat je nagrade Veliki pečat 1972. što je samo učvrstilo uverenje da je Veličković respektno autorsko ime i u mediju grafike. Fascinantan je njegov profesionalni fokus i elan da brine o svakom detalju prilikom pripreme izložbe, često je sam dizajnirao (ili aktivno učestvovao) svoj katalog, ne ostavljajući prostora za eventualni propust. Povodom proslave 60. rođendana Grafičkog kolektiva 2009. priredio je izložbu grafika i kolaža iz ciklusa Bestijarij, a potom je celu izložbu poklonio Kolekciji Grafičkog kolektiva; ova velika donacija predstavlja gest profesionalnog i altruističkog vrha. Deo Veličkovićevog karaktera su i izbalansirane socijalna i emocionalna inteligencija i sluh za pravdu. Kada je proteklih godina nastao problem oko prostora u kome Grafički kolektiv stanuje od 1949. razgovarao je sa ministrom kulture zalažući se da galerija zadrži svoj prostor, kao deo moralnog prava. Sudbinske, velike teme o čovekovim afektivnim stanjima i krhkim životnim tačkama o rađanju, o seksualnosti, o animalnosti ili o smrti - Veličković je referirao i komunikativnim nazivima radova - Gonjenje, Trkači, Panika, Mučenje, Agresija, Orator-velika glava, Gubilište, Rađanje, Erekcija, Prepreka, Noć, Atentat, Ambis, Pad, Eksperiment – u kojima se zapravo potencira ekspresija društvene realnosti i ideologije. Pre svega svedok ali i učesnik u isto vreme, slikar jakim vizuelnim metaforama proverava patologiju agresije, zločina i mučenja u kojima, bez obzira na vremenski kod, nema razlike između mita o Sizifu, Tezeju, Prometeju, Hristu ili savremenom ratniku, teroristi i/ili građaninu. Vlada Veličković, stvaralačka ličnost snažne imaginacije i razuđenog idejnog i vizuelnog koncepta, inteligencijom i umetničkom transpozicijom danas u večnost načinio je i sopstvenu Nojevu barku. Ljiljana Ćinkul Publikovano: Vreme, Beograd, br. 1496, 5. septembar 2019.

VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ Kako da se oprostimo od besprekornog čoveka. Kako da odustanemo od pomisli da će i dalje biti tu za sve nas, kao oslonac, na hiljadu različitih načina, pre svega kao suprug i roditelj, kao prijatelj, kao profesor i kolega, a nadasve kao veliki umetnik nesagledive i potresne ekspresije. Tuga ovog odsustva trajaće dugo i jedino blagodet potpunosti njegove ljudske i umetničke egzistencije, i jedino snaga i punoća njegovog kolosalnog umetničkog opusa, trajaće još i beskrajno duže. Jer mi smo oni savremenici čiju je epohu, tako iscrpljujuće istinito, sažeo u svojim slikama. Ako je u ljudskom pojmovniku, koji kroz umetnost prenosi iskustvo u budućnost, planetarno razumljivo Dikens rekao nešto, na osnovu čega, svi i danas razumemo tadašnju Englesku, ako Uelbek upravo sažima istinu o Francuskoj, a Tarantino o Americi, o nama je isto tako potpuno i svima razumljivo gotovo sve rekao Veličković: i o Jugoslaviji i o Srbiji. Možete li da sklopite brži i efikasniji sažetak ovoga tla i cele naše epohe od samo dva prizora koje nam je generisao: obezglavljeni čovek koji beskrajno beži od pacovskog sivila koje ga progoni - i potom - crni izgoreli pusti pejzaž, isparcelisan bodljikavim žicama, koji je pristupačan i dobar još samo za crne gavrane. Ovi prizori kao da su iščupani iz mračnog kutka srca svakog od nas. Ali nema tu nikakvog pesimizma ni poraza, već samo surove forenzičarske istine koja se mora kazati koliko god da boli. Izgovarati tu istinu, uvek i ponovo, naprosto je, verujem, Veličković osećao kao svoju stalnu dužnost. Jer inače Vlada je kao čovek bio apsolutni optimista i borac i pobednik. Jer Vlada je bio srećan čovek. Umetnosti je dao sve. I umetnost je njemu dala sve. Imao je zasluženu sreću da je svoj posao obožavao i da ga je maestralno radio. Imao je retku i sasvim zasluženu sreću i zdravlje, da do poslednjeg dana bude posvećen umetnosti, da svaki svoj pariski dan bez izuzetaka odlazi ujutru u atelje i iz njega se uveče posle potpune predaje stvaranju, vraća u spokoj svojoj porodici. I imao je zasluženu sreću da bude jedan od najznačajnijih svetskih slikara svoje generacije, da svetski priznat i voljen ostvari kolosalnu i dugotrajnu karijeru, podižući stalno i nedostižno repere kvaliteta. Teško da ima značajnijih svetskih muzeja i galerija u kojima Veličković nije izlagao ili u kojima nemaju neki njegov rad, teško da ima važnijih svetskih novina i časopisa koje o njegovoj umetnosti nisu pisale. I to je zaista tako. Pored toga voleo i poštovao umetnost drugih ljudi i u njoj uživao. Pratio je, i na svaki način, u svim prilikama, po-

državao na stotine mladih umetnika. Dugogodišnji izuzetni profesor ENSBE najbolje francuske umetničke akademije. -Izuzetni profesor- je opet sasvim malo reći: znate li još nekog profesora kome se na dan penzionisanja skupi na stotine studenata, specijalno došavši iz celog sveta za parti iznenadjenja, na kome svoga profesora podignu na ruke i zajedno mu kliču pozdrav zahvalnosti. Zaslužio je to, dobio je to. Zato hvala Francuskoj, hvala Parizu, koga je Vlada apsolutno obožavao, što su nam ga decenijama čuvali, i starali se o njemu kako mi odavde sigurno ne bismo bili u stanju. Kada sam mu jednom sasvim davno, kada sam i ja bio mladi umetnik, koga je on podržao rekao: pa ne znam kako da Vam zahvalim - odmah je odgovorio: hajde svašta, šta ima da zahvaljuješ, ja sam pomogao tebi - ti ćeš pomoći nekom drugom, tako to ide. Vlada je bio pokretač lanca dobrote. Mesto generisanja empatije i uvažavanja prema drugom. Probajte brzo da se setite nekog za koga bez rezerve možete to isto da kažete, i shvatićete za koliku smo blagodet danas na gubitku. Beograd je Vlada, kakvi god mi bili, voleo bezuslovnom ljubavlju i dolazio stalno, i bez i trunke arogancije bio zainteresovan za sve naše mnogostruke probleme. Spreman da pomogne, često ugrožavajući svoje standarde, našao je vremena i strpljenja da se odaziva na sve pozive. Za našu kulturu on ostaje krucijalna figura, etalon, umetnik po kome se sameruju istinske umetničke vrednosti. Važniji od naše tuge, važniji od ovog skupa, uzdržan u svojoj gospodstvenoj jednostavnosti. Nadajmo se da će ova zemlja umeti da dugotrajno i decentno slavi život i umetnost svoga velikana. Vladimir Veličković. Zahvalni za kolosalnu i tragičnu umetnost koju nam je dao. Vlada Veličković. Zahvalni za životni žar i veru u bezrezervnu dobrotu. Zbogom ali zauvek, zauvek sa nama. Mrđan Bajić Tekst napisan za komemoraciju Vladimiru Veličkoviću održanu 04. septembra 2019. godine u Gradskoj skupštini grada Beograda.

Nature morte au hibou / Mrtva priroda sa sovom / Still Life With an Owl, 1958. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 93x130 cm Vlasništvo porodice Simić / Collection of the Simić family

Podrum / Basement, 1959. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 46x56 cm Kolekcija Miloljuba i Ivana PeriÄ&#x2021;a / Collection of Miloljub and Ivan PeriÄ&#x2021;

Podrum / Basement, 1959. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 51x55 cm VlasniĹĄtvo porodice MilovanoviÄ&#x2021; / Collection of the MilovanoviÄ&#x2021; family

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1958. kombinovana tehnika na papiru kaĹĄiranom na karton / mixed media on paper mounted on cardboard, 60x83 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Ĺ˝ivot i smrt cveta (diptih) / The Life and Death of a Flower (diptych), 1962. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 2x55x40 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

OmaĹž za S. K. / Homage to S. K., 1962. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 40x60 cm i / and 18,5x13 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Čovek sa ubijenom pticom / The Man With the Killed Bird, 1960. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 100x65 cm Kolekcija Miloljuba i Ivana Perića / Collection of Miloljub and Ivan Perić

PejzaĹž sa mrtvim pticama / Landscape With Dead Birds, 1962. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 135x195 cm Zbirka Muzeja savremene umetnosti u Beogradu / Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade

TiĹĄina / Silence, 1963. ulje i tempera na platnu /oil and tempera on canvas, 40x58 cm Zbirka Muzeja savremene umetnosti u Beogradu / Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade

Polje mrtvih ptica / Field of Dead Birds, 1962. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 35x50 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Polje mrtvih ptica / Field of Dead Birds, ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 51x70 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Životinja / Animal, 1962. tuš i tempera na papiru / Indian ink and tempera on paper, 70x100 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

Pas / The Dog, 1963. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 25x37 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Slepi miš / Bat, 1962. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 55,5x40,5 cm Vlasništvo porodice Simić / Collection of the Simić family

Veliko strašilo I / The Great Scarecrow I, 1962. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 240x140 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

Stub / Pillar, 1963. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 235x137 cm Kolekcija MarjanoviÄ&#x2021; / MarjanoviÄ&#x2021; collection

Mrtva priroda nazvana „Klasična” / Still Life Named “Classical”, 1963. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 145x190 cm Zbirka Muzeja savremene umetnosti u Beogradu / Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade

Veliko strašilo II / The Great Scarecrow II, 1963. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 240x140 cm Zbirka Muzeja savremene umetnosti u Beogradu / Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade

Dečije igre / Children’s Games, 1967. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 73x220 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

StraĹžar / The Guard, 1963. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 165x140 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Glava / The Head, 1964. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 85x61 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Nepoznati II / Unknown II, 1964. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 58x43 cm Kolekcija Miloljuba i Ivana PeriÄ&#x2021;a / Collection of Miloljub and Ivan PeriÄ&#x2021;

Veliko straĹĄilo no. 4 / Big Scarecrow no. 4, 1964, ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 240x140 cm VlasniĹĄtvo Lazara Sakana / Collection of Lazar Sakan

Veliki plod / Big Fruit, 1963. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 100x70 cm Vlasništvo porodice Milovanović / Collection of the Milovanović family

Smrt velike ptice / Death of a Big Bird, 1963. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 100x70 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Egzekutor / Executor, 1964. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 215x135 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Velika glava br. 5 / Big Head no. 5, 1966. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 198x146 cm SlovaÄ?ka narodna galerija / Slovak National Gallery

Glava / The Head, 1966. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 145x115 cm Vlasništvo Bosiljke i Dušana Banićević / Collection of Bosiljka and Dušan Banićević

StraĹžar II / The Guard II, 1964. ulje i tempera na platnu / oil and tempera on canvas, 215x135 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1967. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 108x71 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Razbijanje / Breaking, 1967, ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 84,5x67 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

La naissance / Rođenje / Birth, 1968. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 250x170 cm Vlasništvo Zorana Popovića / Collection of Zoran Popović

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1967. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 73x100 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Kralj br. 1 / King no. 1, 1968. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 250x170 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Predstava br. 2 / Figure no. 2, 1969. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 253x173 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1967. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 72x53,5 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Ovo nije krava (pandur) / This is Not a Cow (Cop), 1968. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 76x57 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

Muve / Flies, 1969. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 195x140 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

La culbute / Pad / The Tumble, 1970. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 148x114 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1970. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 55x46 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1971. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 109x74 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

16, 1970. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 106x73 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Chien No 23 - variation sur le thème de l’autoportrait / Pas br. 23 - varijacije na temu autoportreta / Dog No 23 - Variation on the Theme of the Self-Portrait, 1972. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 195x366 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

Upotrebljeni elementi i dokumenti, fig. XV / Elements and Documents Used, fig. XV, 1974. tuĹĄ i kolaĹž na papiru / Indian ink and collage on paper, 75x108 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

RoÄ&#x2018;enje br. 4 / Birth no. 4, 1972. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 195x450 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Predmeti i dokumenti koji se koriste Fig. VI / Objects and Documents Used Fig. VI, 1973. tuĹĄ, ulje i kolaĹž na papiru / Indian ink, oil and collage on paper, 75x108 cm Kolekcija MNAM, Centar Pompidu, Pariz (AM 1985-467) / MNAM Collection, Centre Pompidou, Paris (AM 1985-467)

Predmeti i dokumenti koji se koriste Fig. XV / Objects and Documents Used Fig. XV, 1974. tuš, gvaš i kolaž na papiru / Indian ink, gouache and collage on paper, 75x108 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

Elementi Fig. II / Elements Fig. II, 1974. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 195x365 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Rođenje Fig. P-A / Birth Fig. P-A, 1974. tuš, crveno mastilo, ulje i kolaž na papiru / Indian ink, red ink, oil and collage on paper, 75x108 cm Kolekcija MNAM, Centar Pompidu, Pariz (AM 1985-468) fotografija NB / MNAM Collection, Centre Pompidou, Paris (AM 1985-468) photo NB

Sudar Fig. I / Clash Fig. I, 1974â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1975. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 195x300 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Tri faze skoka / Three Phases of the Jump, 1975. ulje na platnu, triptih / oil on canvas, triptych, 198x438 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

Bez naziva / Untitled, 1978. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 75x56 cm Kolekcija Marjanović / Marjanović Collection

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Sedam faza skoka / Seven Stages of the Jump, 1975. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 3x300x195 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Poursuite Fig III / Potera Fig III / Pursuit Fig III, 1978. tuš na platnu / Indian ink on canvas, 140x240 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

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Lokacija Fig. I / Location Fig. I, 1975. ulje i kreda na platnu / oil and chalk on canvas, 195x365 cm Landesov muzej - Muzej Sprengel, Hanover / Sprengel Museum, Hanover

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Lokacija Fig. I / Location Fig. I, 1975. ulje i kreda na platnu / oil and chalk on canvas,195x365 cm Landesov muzej - Muzej Sprengel, Hanover / Sprengel Museum, Hanover

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Ä&#x152;ovek / Man, 1976. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 195x300 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Elements, Fig. A / Elements, Fig. A, 1976–1978. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 140x240 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

Pokreti figura XVI / Movements of Figures XVI, 1980. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 100x140 cm Vlasništvo Bosiljke i Dušana Banićević / Collection of Bosiljka and Dušan Banićević

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Potera / Gonjenje / Pursuit / Prosecution, 1979. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 3x198x146 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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M / Fig V, 1980. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 75x55 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Cveće zla / Šarl Bodler / The Flowers of Evil / Charles Baudelaire, 1979. tuš na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 55x64 cm Privatno vlasništvo / Private collection

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Potera I-III / Pursuit I-III, 1977. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 3x198x146 cm Muzej Cantini, Marselj / Cantini Museum, Marseille

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Prostor, Fig. VII / Space, Fig. VII, 1979-1980. akrilik na platnu / acrylic on canvas, 300x195 cm Fond UmetniÄ?ke zbirke Srpske akademije nauka i umetnosti / Fund of the Art Collection of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

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Rapaces fig. 2 / Grabljivice fig. 2 / Rapaces / Predators fig. 2, 1983. tuĹĄ na marufleu / Indian ink on marufle, 136x245 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Ambis Fig. VIII / Abyss Fig. VIII, 1980. ulje na platnu / oil on canvas, 198x145 cm Privatna kolekcija / Private collection

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Cri Fig IX, 1983. akrilik, tuš i tempera na papiru / acrylic, Indian ink and tempera on paper, 120x160 cm Vlasništvo Aleksandra Milojevića / Collection of Aleksandar Milojević

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Cri Fig X, 1983. akrilik, tuĹĄ i tempera na papiru / acrylic, Indian ink and tempera on paper, 120x160 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Mouvements Fig. LXXIII, 1984. tuĹĄ na papiru / Indian ink on paper, 103x66 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Cri Fig. XX, 1985. tuĹĄ i tempera na papiru / Indian ink and tempera on paper, 160x120 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection

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Kuka fig. XI / Crochet fig. XI, 1987. tuĹĄ i tempera na papiru / Indian ink and tempera on paper, 198x124 cm Privatno vlasniĹĄtvo / Private collection 153

VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ – 365 days later –

hen, a year ago, news reached us that a great man and artist died, we hoped that it was some kind of mistake. We did not foresee that Vladimir Veličković may depart, because, as artist Biljana Wilimon said, „I thought that he would last forever“.

ARTE Gallery is organising an exhibition in honour of Vladimir Veličković, with a desire to keep a memory of him alive. Exhibition consists of the works created during the 1960s and 1970s and it provides an opportunity to view the crucial segment of the opus of this tireless creator. Our gallery had unusual fortune to closely cooperate with a man who left his mark on Serbian, French and global art scene, to which words of the esteemed art historian, Irina Subotić, testify – he was understood and accepted as “an authentic and strong personality, a bearer of extensive humanistic messages – so desperately needed by a modern man.”1 Homage is a term of Latin origin and it denotes the relationship between a vassal in the Middle Ages and his master – his pledge that he will faithfully serve him. Vladimir Veličković was a vassal of the arts and he faithfully served painter’s vocation till the very end. Now, we take upon ourselves the duty to faithfully serve the memory of personality and work of Vladimir Veličković. Cooperation between Vladimir Veličković and ARTE Gallery began in 2007, while the first official joint undertaking was launched a year later, with the exhibition of drawings and bronze sculptures, which was the first time that the author presented one of his sculptures to Belgrade audience. Exhibition in ARTE Gallery was the first exhibition of Vladimir Veličković in Belgrade after a six year break and aftet the exhibition of his large format paintings at SASA. Meetings and socialising with Veličković were a special pleasure and priceless experience. Each segment of the conversation had a clear form, rich content and it strived to search for the essence of things. This great artist was graced with countless special traits, but what remained particularly remarkable was his boyish enthusiasm, openness and warm-heartedness which made every conversation seem friendly and atmosphere surrounding him pleasant. Traditional meeting places with Veličković were Belgrade, Paris, Hvar and less often Venice, Aranđelovac and Zürich. He was always where he was supposed to be, always punctual, ready, fresh and optimistic, with great understanding for the plight of individuals and society to which he belonged, with a clearly expressed desire and effort to overcome the obstacles and move on. What we proudly point out, and now also share with the audience, are representative paintings and drawings from prestigious Belgrade collections, carefully selected by collectors who have formed the taste of audience and marketplace over the past decades.

1 http://www.seecult.org/vest/oprostaj-od-velickovica-velikog-umetnika-i-coveka

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If we had to single out some of his works, that would certainly be the self-portrait Dog nr. 23 – Variation on the Self-Portrait Theme from 1972, followed by a triptych Three Phases of a Jump from 1975, along with the drawings in Indian ink of monumental format for such a medium. As Veličković himself said, he never stooped to the tastes of galleries and gallerists, so it might be said that ARTE Gallery chose him, as an artist with authentic and independent expression. Themes and motives that can be viewed on this occasion very clearly show the key phases of Veličković’s artistic creation and are a reflection of all the things typically associated to him. What is extremely symptomatic of Veličković’s work refers to a large format which the author himself characterizes as his „ailment“. The sights of beheaded bodies – for which Danilo Kiš claims – No, that is not a beheaded man! Veličković’s Runner-Jumper does not need a head, the head is implied, it only coordinates the volition of the body, the volition of muscles, the volition of bones and joints, the volition of fingers and toes...2 – which illustrate what man does to a man, must be proportional to the same man/viewer – his mirror and subject of identification. Veličković’s (artistic) mission and thought, which is clearly visible in each square inch of his canvass, refers to a man’s destiny. Veličković demonstrates deftness in overcoming large formats by finding optimal solutions, which are a skilled conjunction and clear distinction of opposite pairs, interior – intimacy and exterior – apocalyptic landscape. He actively asks the questions: what is the birth of a man, what is his life and death, with omnipresent apostrophizing of violence and aggressiveness which “crouches” inside every man as one of his essential traits. That weight, attached to the leg of each individual, represents the constant burden and faith which we cannot avoid. Artistic language which Veličković uses is very distinctive and recognisable, with constant number of elements, with basic motives – human figure and space in which it does (not) function. Veličković’s farsightedness, prophetic and foretelling, became a permanent succession coloured by dark pervasive tones and tragic consequences of the fall of civilisation, so his works may be characterised by an oxymoron – frightening and fascinating. Reflections on growing up in occupied Belgrade and the body as the endless field of exploration are being channeled into the discoveries which open before us on canvasses by Vladimir Veličković as wasted landscapes, dark visions of war, pits of human suffering, aggression which human beings are capable of demonstrating. Veličković’s painting is unique and authentic in its coherence, consistent in its motives and firm in its typography. Through the grand and terrifying, he represents and documents chaotic human destinies and tragedy of the present moment. To fight for the position and status that he now has, Veličković had to overcome limitations with his own strength and inventiveness and skillfully avoid falling into a trap of generalisation both in the narrative and in iconography itself. With his energy and pronounced expressiveness, he manages to build artistic-linguistic model made from anthropomorphism and strong backdrop, be it a landscape or ambiance in which he places the participants of his deliberations and predictions. His permanent trait is affinity to linearism and strong lines, which give him a possibility to move away from colour and enable the use of black, white and gray. Forceful gesture, extraordinary drawing ability, aggressiveness and pain of naturalistic sights – they all refer to the departure from the conventional, the need for truth and refusal to display what has become domesticated. The very fact that morbid and macabre scenes go through his hands and imagination, practically through his whole being, suggests Veličković’s mastering of them as a means of self-defence.3 Recognisable themes and motives which are composite parts of Veličković’s compositions – rats, dogs, skeletons, beheaded bodies, wasted landscapes, inaccessible reliefs – omnipresent in primary or transformed shape, may all be noticed on exhibited works. 2 https://iskra.co/kultura/danilo-kis-zasto-velickovicevi-trkaci-nemaju-glavu/ 3 Tonko Maroević, Vladimir Veličković, Exhibition Catalogue at the Milesi Palace, Split, July – August 2012, p. 7

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Collector’s practice is a trait of building a personal microworld which has the aim of collecting ingenious, and in this specific case, artistic accomplishments. Works of Vladimir Veličković are a reflection of internal suffering, but also of immense joie de vivre which he sends through succinct messages of hope and faith that mankind can be better. Joined together, energy impulses of Veličković as a man and as a painter, show his strong will and the need to stay at the winning course. A strong evidence of these claims is the launch of Vladimir Veličković Foundation which rewards the best drawings by young authors and helps them to become established on art scene. High ethical and aesthetic criteria which Veličković sets and reaches are certainly sufficient motive for immense admiration which we have for this artist. Selena Andrić

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VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ

– Painter of existential states and situations –

very death is a surprise – because it is never expected. And when it comes, we can never come to terms with it... Death caught up with Vlada in Split, after an idyllic family holiday at Hvar. The news resonated among the friends as the most terrifying, devastating echo, a disbelief that such a triumph of ill fate is possible. He was an architect who knew that he would dedicate himself to painting. Only painting. And of course, drawing, collage, book design, poster, illustration, sometimes scenography... He made several monuments, and over the past few years, he turned his drawings into huge metal sculptures. Drawing and painting was obsessively ingrained into the breath and rhythm of his life: for him there was no other alternative, no other solace. He invested huge amount of energy into creating his huge canvasses, and that energy radiated and warned against human endangerment, as a therapeutic medium for presenting catastrophe, against banality of tragic everday life, against omnipresent violence and concealed manipulation, against the hidden fear from the invisible enemy... These ontological sights repeated themselves, from decade to decade, but they were never a part of the mould. Other, different views sparked from them and that was a great legacy to moving along with the times, a sign of recognition of the speech and yearning of one era through the discourse and catharsis of reality and realism which were never that. And yet, they were always turned towards the existential issues of life and death, touched upon the feeling of endangerment, the inevitability of dying, and finally, towards the death itself as a great catalyst. The world has always recognized reasons for these cataclysmic sights, within pragmatic surroundings, as well as within each individual... That is why art of Vladimir Veličković could be identified with different events on domestic art scene of former Yugoslavia, Europe, and global as well: starting from belonging to the underground aesthetics of Mediala, close to his Parisian friends Dado Đurić and Uroš Tošković, up to new figuration and new conceptuality, from engaged figuration to everyday mythology. Vladimir Veličković’s art could be classified as metaphysical as well, because displayed reality conceals states and situations whose meanings are yet to be discovered, while his work process often implies basing things on immediately inspired dramatic events. That is why information, photography, testimonies or comments from the media often help in reading specific, concrete scenes. Poets and philosophers who wrote about his work favour the term existential figuration. Each of these contexts are dominated by his scenic reality and articulation of space, as a legacy of his education in architecture. But without embellishment, concession or calculation. Expressivness and strength of Vlada’s stroke, certainty of composition and search for examples from the greats of the past, primarily Dürer, Schongauer and Grünewald, brought his work to ecstatic iconicity in whose details of informel structure we recognise a slight contribution to the time of the ruling abstraction during the 1970s. Later, during the 1990s, on his great canvasses with sights of wasted, scorched land, he would dedicate more attention to painting and chromatism of the dominant, fateful black and red, with careful application of colourist details.

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These cycles were created in the memory of the country which fell apart in blood, but for which he strived to be preserved in its entirety and variability. Veličković regularly exhibited his huge opus across the world and often domestically. His biography records hundreds, maybe even thousands of public performances, as well as texts written about him and dozens of comprehensive monographs, among which a unique undertaking of Gallery RIMA from Kragujevac and Belgrade stands out, with the idea of publishing all of his drawings, in large format, with texts written by esteemed global and domestic authors, in six volumes. He received numerous awards and many other acknowledgements which certainly include Legion of Honour and membership in the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts and French Academy. He was the first artist who originated from our country to receive such honour. He had a huge desire to contribute to linking of the cultures of Serbia and France. As a professor of the Parisian, National Academy of Fine Arts (École Nationale Supérieure des Beax-Arts), he wanted to help young artists from different countries, ours included, to obtain not only knowledge, but also the ease of communication in the art world, to stimulate our young artists with the prizes from the foundation which he founded, to enrich the library of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade with books on art which are difficult to get by here... He was a person with deeply ingrained civil norms, taken aback by the society which succumbed to the wave of new, unarticulated criteria and demands. He was convinced that, with his energy, good will and position in the world, he can set in motion the resolution of longstanding and sedimented problems. He departed infused with these positive and optimistic wishes, leaving that as his only unfinished job... Irina Subotić Politika – Culture-Art-Science, Belgrade, August 31, 2019, p. 2

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VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ

– A master of strong visual metaphors –

here are persons who are very present in our lives with their work, enormous energy, light step and youthful good will, who are ready to listen, understand, support and participate, with their engagement and real presence, in artistic and social events. That is why we do not even think that the body of such a being may come to a stop, which is exactly what happened with Vladimir Veličković. Incredulity and disbelief. A quick reminiscence of the time we met, what we talked about, how it looked like, what we agreed upon... Yes, we met last summer, at SASA Gallery, at the exibition of Graphic Collective, I brought a small piece of wooden panelling and made a deal with Vlada to prepare a piece for the exhibition entitled „Body of the Gallery – Identity of a Place“, which refers to our current problem. Yes, he cultivated his friendships, and one of the longstanding ones was with Graphic Collective. In his academic review on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Graphic Collective, this April, he wrote: „I, who grew up with the Graphic Collective and exhibited there for the first time in 1951, followed this long 70-year path and participated in it many times... The richness of the programme, audacity and curiosity, both for domestic and global events, Graphic Collective, that microinstitution which occupies only a couple of square feet, achieved that with great success...“ His teenage years (he exhibited his works for the first time at the exhibition Young Serbian Artists in 1951), his youth and student days (at the Faculty of Architecture) were marked by enchantment with fine arts. Thus, in the process of self-education and formation as a painter, Veličković went from the committed and earnest enthusiast who studied the works of old masters, through the short contact with Mediala, up to the education in Krsto Hegedušić master workshop in Zagreb – a road to a certain creative initiation when he cemented his reception and artistic confidence. In building his artistic theme, this painter went through different phases marked by visible affinity for tradition, old masters and role models from art history – from Dürer and El Greco, Caravaggio and Goya, from Muybridge to Schongauer, Grünewald and others. Obviously, the profile of Veličković’s creative character was formed by a happy symbiosis of German methodicalness which was incorporated with Balkanic spirituality, southern expressiveness and Mediterranean contemplation. Also, he solidified the iconic corpus of narrative visualisation of dramatic lines and creative fiction of fear, hope and doubt. In his artistic work, he also relied on the documents, template drawings, collages, images, graphics, wondering whether authentic documents of art and continuity in time have the strength of argument. A notion that the drawing is the most intimate part of creative personality is being confirmed in Veličković’s case as well. Of course, drawings and collages represent a notional and visual dictionary of artist’s painting personality. Language coding of prominent, strong and expressive images in which the scheme of sharp drawing expression is being developed, along with documentary elements such as photography, sign, letter, deepen the complex iconography of his work, its meaning and sense. A critic said about him that he is „the painter of his own historical time and the painter with his own view on that historical time“. Although he had permanently resided in Paris since 1966, and his intense artistic career was thriving at international art scene, all the time he had vivid connection with his home city, Belgrade, and cultural space of Yugoslavia. Two women had important roles in these processes both here and there – Vlada’s famous mother Lenka and his wife Maristela.

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Vlada understood the nature of art, but also the nature of human relations. Civil norms and loyalty to ideals and ideas are the legacy of his family upbringing. Although from his early youth, his vocation was painting, he still graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in order to show respect to the authority of his father, the university professor, granting this small concession. Luckily, the quality of his personality and his ability to find a positive side enabled him to incorporate experiences from his architecture studies into his own artistic practice, in other words, that time had not been lost. In the mid-1960s, Veličković’s painting language came closer to the new European figuration and the poetics of his opus was founded within that aesthetic framework. Undoubtedly, thanks to mentioned circumstances and his personal choice, it is possible to understand the author’s steady affinity for figuration, as well as his engaged attitude, which is appreciated by the critics as an act of great moral courage. From his great list of acknowledgements, we can single out membership at SASA (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts), membership at the French Academy of Fine Arts, „Politika“ prize. Big and retrospective exhibtions in the country and abroad, monographs, films, referent studies and hundreds of bibliographical units are all a part of this enourmous creative opus. In the context of circumstances in which we lived here, especially during the 1990s, Veličković accepted certain social engagement; as an altruist he showed much good will to help young artists, and he was also susceptible to other campaigns iniciated in his homeland; he was helping generously, dispensing both his efforts and his considerable professional standing. With prize money for one of his awards, he renewed the library fund of the Faculty of Arts, and with the other he established an award for young authors in drawing. As a cult place for graphics in Belgrade, a field for exchange of artistic ideas and meeting of artists, Graphic Collective maintained contact with our people abroad. Veličković was always open, agile and had considerable production, which made cooperation with him simple. He was the laureate of the Big Stamp prize from 1972, which only solidified the belief that Veličković is a respectable author in the medium of graphics as well. His professional focus and drive to take care of every detail during the preparations for an exhibition was fascinating, he often designed or actively participated in creation of his catalogue, leaving nothing to chance. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Graphic Collective in 2009, he prepared the exhition of graphics and collages from the Bestiary cycle, after which he gifted the entire exhibition to the Collection of the Graphic Collective; this great donation represents a gesture of professional and altruistic spirit. Balanced social and emotional intelligence and a sense for justice were also a part of Veličković’s character. When over the past few years, a problem arose about the space in which the Graphic Collective had resided since 1949, he talked to the Minister of Culture, advocating that the gallery kept its space, on the basis of moral right. Fateful, grand themes about man’s affective states and fragile life moments relating to birth, sexuality, animality or death – Veličković refered to these also in communicative titles of his work – Persecution, Runners, Panic, Torture, Agression, Orator – Large Head, Execution Place, Birth, Erection, Impediment, Night, Assassination, Abyss, Fall, Experiment – which actually accentuate the expression of social reality and ideology. Primarily a witness, but also a participant, a painter uses strong visual metaphors to gauge the pathology of aggression, crime and torture in which, regardless of the time code, there is no difference between the myth of Sisyphus, Theseus, Prometheus, Christ or a contemporary warrior, terrorist and/or citizen. Vlada Veličković, creative personality of strong imagination and greatly developed notional and visual concept, with his intelligence and artistic transposition to eternity, made his own Noa’s Arc today.

Ljiljana Ćinkul *Published: Vreme, Belgrade, nr. 1496, September 5, 2019.

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VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ

How to say goodbye to an impeccable man. How to give up on the thought that he will still be there for all of us, as a shoulder to lean on, in a thousand different ways, first of all as a husband and parent, as a friend, professor and colleague, and above all, as a great artist of immeasurable and moving expression. The sorrow due to this absence will last for a long time and only the benevolence of the completeness of his human and artistic existence, and strength and fullness of his colossal artistic opus, will last indefinitely longer. Because we are those contemporaries whose era he, so exhaustingly and truthfully condensed in his paintings. If the human conception, which brings the experience through art into the future, makes things which Dickens said globally understandable, on the basis of which we all understand England at that time, even today, if Houellebecq is currently compressing the truth about France and Tarantino does the same for America, we find it completely and universally understandable almost everything that Veličković said, both about Yugoslavia and Serbia. Can you make a faster and more efficient abstract of this land and our entire era from the two sights which he generated for us: a headless man who is running away from the ratlike grayness which haunts him, and after that, a black, burnt, desolate landscape, crossed with barbed wire, which is accessible and good only for black ravens. These sights seem like they were pulled from the dark corner of the heart of each of us. But there is neither pessimism nor defeat in them, but only harsh forensic truth which must be uttered no matter how much it hurts. I simply believe that Veličković felt the constant duty to convey this truth, always and again, because otherwise, Vlada was always the absolute optimist, fighter and winner. Because Vlada was a happy man. He gave all to art. And art gave everything to him. He earned the fortune to adore his job and he did it superbly. He had rare and completely deserved fortune and health to be committed to art to his last day, to spend every day in Paris going to his studio in the morning and, after complete surrender to creation, getting back to the peacefulness of his family in the evening. He earned the fortune to be one of the most significant painters of his generation, to be globally recognized and loved and to have a colossal and longstanding career, raising the benchmarks of quality constantly and unachievably. There are hardly any important museums and galleries across the world in which Veličković did not exhibit

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his work or which do not have any of his work; there are hardly any important newspapers or magazines that did not write about his art. And it really is like that. Apart from that, he loved and respected the art of others and enjoyed it. He followed and supported, in every way and on all occasions, hundreds of young artists. Longstanding exquisite professor at ENSBA, the best French Academy of Arts. Exquisite professor – saying that still does not do him justice. Do you know any other professor for whom, on the day of retirement, hundreds of students arrive from all parts of the world to a surprise party, at which they carry their professor into the air and cheer him in gratitude? He deserved that, he got that. That is why we are thankful to France and Paris, which Vlada absolutely adored, for keeping him safe for decades, for taking care of him the way that we here certainly could not have been able to. When, a long time ago, when I was also a young artist whom he supported, I told him: “I don’t know how to thank you,” he immediately replied: “Come on, you don’t have to thank me for anything. I helped you, you will help somebody else, that is the way it goes.” Vlada was a catalyst of the chain of goodness. He radiated empathy and respect for others. Try to think of someone like that off the top of your head, for whom you may unreservedly say the same, and you will realize the amount of benevolence that we lost today. No matter what we are like, Vlada loved Belgrade unconditionally and came here all the time. Without a shred of arrogance, he was interested in all of our multiple problems. He was ready to help, often at the expense of his own standards; he found the time and patience to respond to all pleas. For our culture, he remains a crucial figure, a benchmark, an artist by whom the true artistic values are gauged. He is more important than our sorrow, more important than this gathering, reserved in his gentlemanly simplicity. Let us hope that this country will know how to decently celebrate the life and art of this great artist for a long time to come. Vladimir Veličković. We are grateful for colossal and tragic art that he gave us. Vlada Veličković. We are grateful for his life force and faith in unreserved goodness. Goodbye, but forever, forever with us. Mrdjan Bajić The text was written for the commemoration for Vladimir Veličković, held on September 4, 2019 at Belgrade City Assembly.

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Vladimir Veličković rođen je 11. avgusta 1935. godine u Beogradu, gde je prvi put izlagao svoje radove 1951. godine. U istom gradu diplomirao je na Arhitektonskom fakultetu 1960. godine i dobio ponudu za prvu samostalnu izložbu u Muzeju savremene umetnosti. Nagradu pariskog Bijenala dobio je 1965. godine. Naredne godine prešao je u Pariz gde je živeo i radio do svoje smrti. Veličković je u Parizu prvi put izlagao 1967. godine u Galerie du Dragon. Imenovan je za profesora u Parizu 1983. godine, gde je predavao na Nacionalnoj akademiji likovnih umetnosti (École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts) osamnaest godina. Oformio je Fondaciju Vladimira Veličkovića za crtež (Fonds Vladimir Velickovic pour le dessin), koji nagrađuje mlade srpske umetnike, 2009. godine. Bio je član Srpske akademije nauka i umetnosti, Francuske akademije lepih umetnosti (Academie des Beaux-Arts, Institut de France), kao i Makedonske akademije nauka i umetnosti. Nosilac je počasnog francuskog Ordena umetnosti i književnosti (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres), kao i ordena Legije časti (Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur). Izlagao je širom sveta i bio učesnik značajnih svetskih umetničkih smotri. Njegova dela nalaze se u brojnim javnim i privatnim kolekcijama. Preminuo je 29. avgusta 2019. godine u Splitu.

Vladimir Veličković was born on August 11, 1935, in Belgrade, where he exhibited his works for the very first time in 1951. It was also in Belgrade where he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in 1960 and received the offer for his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. He received the award from the Paris Biennale in 1965. Next year, he moved to Paris, where he lived and worked until his death. He exhibited his work in Paris for the first time in 1967, at Galerie du Dragon. He was appointed professor at the National School of Fine Arts (École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts) in 1983, where he continued to teach throughout the 1980s. He established Vladimir Veličković Fund for Drawing(Fonds Vladimir Velickovic pour le dessin), which awards young Serbian artists, in 2009. He was the member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, French Academy of Fine Arts (Academie des Beaux-Arts, Institut de France), as well as Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He received the honorary French Medal for Arts and Literature (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres), as well as the medal from the Legion of Honour (Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur). He exhibited his works around the world and he participated in important artistic reviews across the globe. His works are part of numerous public and private collections. He died on August 29, 2019, in Split.

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Samostalne izložbe / Solo exhibitions

1963. Beograd - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Belgrade - Museum of Contemporary Art Sao Paulo - Bijenale u Sao Paula / Sao Paulo - The São Paulo Biennial 1964. Ljubljana - Galerija Mata / Ljubljana - Mata Gallery 1965. Brisel - Galerija Defackz / Brussels - Defackz Gallery Atina - Galerija Zygos / Athens - Zygos Gallery 1967. Pariz - Galerija Dragon / Paris - Dragon Gallery 1969. Beograd - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Belgrade - Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb - Galerija suvremene umjetnosti / Zagreb - Gallery of Contemporary Art Rijeka - Muzej moderne umjetnosti / Rijeka - Gallery of Modern Art 1970. Pariz - Muzej moderne umetnosti grada Pariza / Paris - Museum of Modern Art Amsterdam - Galerija Jalmar / Amsterdam - Jalmar Gallery 1971. Milano - Galerija Vinciana / Milano - Vinciana Gallery Rim - Galerija Giulia / Rome - Giulia Gallery Bolonja - Galerija Forni / Bologna - Forni Gallery Bolcano - Galerija Goethe / Bolzano - Goethe Gallery 1972. Milano - Galerija Eidos / Milan - Eidos Gallery Venecija - 35. Venecijanski bijenale / Venice - 35th Venice Biennale Trst - Galerija Cartesius / Trieste - Cartesius Gallery 1973. Pariz - Galerija Dragon / Paris - Dragon Gallery Pariz - Galerija Hervé Odermatt / Paris - Hervé Odermatt Gallery Gent - Galerija Richard Foncke / Ghent - Richard Foncke Gallery 1974. Amsterdam - T - Galerija / Amsterdam - T - Gallery Bolonja - Galerija Forni - Bologna / Forni Gallery Torino - Galerija Documenta / Torino - Documenta Gallery Krakov - Galerija Pryzmat / Kraków - Pryzmat Gallery Dizeldorf - Galerija Futura / Düsseldorf - Futura Gallery 1975. Stokholm - Galerija Futura / Stockholm - Futura Gallery 1976. Sevilja - Galerija Juana de Aizpuru / Sevilla - Juana de Aizpur Gallery Lund - Lund Art Galerija / Lund - Lund Art Gallery Geteborg - Kunsthalle / Gothenburg - Kunsthalle Rijeka - Muzej moderne umjetnosti / Rijeka - Museum of Modern Art Stokholm - Kulturhuset / Stockholm - House of Culture & City Theatre 1977. Pariz - Galerija Hervé Odermatt / Paris - Hervé Odermatt Gallery Sao Paulo - Bijenale u Sao Paulu / Sao Paulo - The São Paulo Biennial 1979. Zagreb - Galerija Zagreb / Zagreb - Zagreb Gallery Brisel - Galerija Miroir d’encre / Brussels - Miroir d’encre Gallery Barselona - Galerija Cientro / Barcelona - Cientro Gallery 1980. Ženeva - Galerija Jan Krugier / Geneva - Jan Krugier Gallery Sarajevo - Collegium Astisticum / Sarajevo - Collegium Astisticum

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Ljubljana - Mala galerija / Ljubljana - Museum of Modern Art 1981 Oslo - Art Center Henie-Onstad / Oslo - Art Center Henie-Onstad Brisel - Galerija Charles Krivin / Brussels - Charles Krivin Gallery 1982. Karakas - Muzej likovnih umetnosti / Caracas - Museum of Fine Arts Eks an Provans - Savremena prisutnost / Aix-en-Provence - Contemporary presence Monte Karlo - Galerija Le Point / Monte Carlo - Le Point Gallery 1983. Pariz - Galerie de France - Paris / Galerie de France 1984. Helsinki - Galerija Kaj Forsblom / Helsinki - Kaj Forsblom Gallery Ženeva - Galerija Pierre Hubert / Geneva - Pierre Hubert Gallery Cruyshautem - Fondation Veranneman / Kruishoutem - Fondacija Veranneman Utreht - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Utrecht - Museum of Contemporary Art 1986. Brisel - Galerija Miroir d’encre / Brussels - Miroir d’encre Gallery Beograd - Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti / Belgrade - Serbian Academy Of Sciences And Arts 1987. Pariz - Galerija Patrice Trigano / Paris - Patrice Triango Gallery Monte Karlo - Le Point Galerija / Monte Carlo - Le Point Gallery London - Galerija Birch and Conrad / London - Birch and Conrad Gallery Bolonja - Galerija Forni / Bologna - Forni Gallery 1988. Zagreb - Umjetnički paviljon / Zagreb - The Art Pavilion Ženeva - Galerija Kara / Geneva - Kara Gallery Tili sur Sul - Premonstratensian Mondaie / Tilly-sur-Seulles - Premonstratensian Mondaie 1989. Atina - Galerija Artio / Athens - Artio Gallery Helsinki - Galerija Kaj Forsblom / Helsinki - Kaj Forsblom Gallery Los Anđeles - Galerija Meyer-Schwarz / Los Angeles - Meyer-Schwarz Gallery Brisel - Galerija Miroir d’encre / Brussels - Miroir d’encre Gallery 1990. Pariz - Galerija Patrice Trigano / Paris - Patrice Trigano Gallery 1991. Aosta - Centar Saint-Benin / Aosta - Saint-Bénin centre Pariz - Akademija likovnih umetnosti / Paris - Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts 1992. Karakas - Galerija Minotaure / Caracas - Minotaure Gallery Pariz - Galerija Enrico Navarra / Paris - Enrico Navarra Gallery Brisel - Galerija Miroir d’encre / Brussels - Miroir d’encre Gallery 1993 Ženeva - Galerija Gui Bartschi / Geneva - Guy Bartschi Gallery 1995. Lil - Galerija Frederic Storm / Lille - Frederic Storm Gallery 1996. Solun - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Thessaloniki - Museum of Contemporary Art 1997. Atina - Nacionalna umetnička galerija / Athens - National Gallery Ženeva - Galerija Gui Bartschi / Geneva - Guy Bartschi Gallery 1999. Hovald - Galerija Lucien Schveitzer / Howald - Lucien Schveitzer Gallery Venecija - Galerie Traghetto / Venice - Traghetto Gallery

Pariz - Coprim fondacija / Paris - Coprim Foundation 2000. Pariz - Galerija Marvan Hoss / Paris - Marvan Hoss Gallery 2001. Atina - Galerija Ekfrasi / Athens - Ekfrasi Gallery 2002. Beograd - Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti / Belgrade - Serbian Academy Of Sciences And Arts Bolonja - Galerija Forni / Bologna - Forni Gallery 2003. London - Marlborough / London - Marlborough Tuluz - Galerija Le Garage / Toulouse - Le Garage Gallery Hovald - Galerija Lucien Schveitzer / Howald - Lucien Schveitzer Gallery Pariz - Galerija Marvan Hoss / Paris - Marvan Hoss Gallery Lisabon - Galerija Antonio Prates / Lisbon - Antonio Prates Gallery Ešel (Arden) - Centar za umetnost i književnost / L’Echelle (Arden) Centre for Literature and Art Šore (Du-Sevr) - Le Temple / Charuay (Deux-Sevres) - Le Temple 2004. Atina - Galerija Ekfrasi / Athens - Gallery Ekfrasi Lion - Confluence(s) galerije / Lyon - Confluence(s) Gallery Moskva - Galerija M’ARS / Moscow - M’ARS Gallery 2005. Montelimar - Efemerni muzej / Montelimar - Ephemeres Museum Žuaj-Mondaj - Mondaj opatija / Juaye-Mondaye - Abbaye de Mondaye Regija Emilija - Zamak Arćeto / Reggio Emilia - Castello di Arceto 2006 Pariz - Galerija Sellem / Paris - Sellem Gallery Ruan Galerija Daniel Duchoze / Rouen - Daniel Duchoze Gallery Marselj - Anna Tschopp / Marseille - Anna Tschopp Angle - Villa Beatrix Enea i Galerija Georges Pompidou / Anglet - Villa Beatrix Enea and Gallery Georges Pompidou Pariz - Galerija Hune Brenner / Paris - Hune Brenner Gallery 2007 Nansi - Galerija Lillebonne / Nancy - Lillebonne Gallery Le Krezo - The Arc Scène Nationale / Le Creusot - Narodno pozorište Lil - Galerija Frédéric Stormel / Lille - Frédéric Stormel Gallery Lion - Galerija Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade / Lyon - Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade Gallery 2008 Lisabon - Galerija Antonio Prates / Lisbon - Antonio Prates Gallery Beč - Galerija Ernst Hilger / Wien - Ernst Hilger Gallery Hovald - Galerija Lucien Schweitzer / Howald - Lucien Schweitzer Gallery Strazbur - Galerija Nicole Buck / Strassburg - Nicole Buck Gallery Pariz - Galerija Samantha Sellem / Paris - Samantha Sellem Gallery 2009 Ruan- Galerija Daniel Duchoze / Rouen - Daniel Duchoze Gallery Sen Arnul an Ivelin - Kuća Elze Triole i Luja Aragona / Saint-Arnoulten-Yvelines - Maison Elsa Triolet Louis Aragon Atina - Galerija Ekfrasi / Athens - Ekfrasi Gallery Beograd - Arte Galerija / Belgrade - Arte Gallery Pariz - Art Paris sajam, Galerija Lucien Schweitzer / Paris - Art Paris Fair, Lucien Schweitzer Gallery 2010 Pariz - Sajam savremenog crteža / Paris - Contemporary Drawing Fair

Pariz - Galerija Samantha Sellem / Paris - Samantha Sellem Gallery Brisel - Sajam “Umetnost na papiru” / Brussels - Art On Paper Montelimar - Efemerni muzej / Montélimar - Ephemeres Museum Esen - Centar za savremenu umetnos / Eysines - Centre For Contemporary Art Lion - Galerija Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade / Lyon - Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade Gallery Opatija - Galerija Juraj Sporer / Opatija - Juraj Sporer Gallery Kragujevac - Galerija Rima / Kragujevac - Rima Gallery 2011 Ankara - Galerija Nev / Ankara - Nev Gallery Bordo - Galerija DX / Bordeaux - DX Gallery Marsej - Galerija Anna Tschopp / Marseille - Anna Tschopp Gallery Brisel - Salon umetnosti / Brussels - Salon d‘Art Pariz - Galerija Samantha Sellem (sa Dado) / Paris - Samantha Sellem Gallery (with Dado) Tuluz - Muzej Abatoir / Toulouse - Abattoirs Museum 2012 Havana - Muzej likovnih umetnosti / Havana - Museum of Fine Arts Slovenj Gradec - Moderna galerija / Slovenj Gradec - Modern Gallery Split - Palata Milesi / Split - Millesi Palace 2013 Marselj - Galerija Ana Tschopp / Marseille - Ana Tschopp Gallery Beograd - Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti / Belgrade - Serbian Academy Of Sciences And Arts Beograd - Muzej Zepter / Belgrade - Zepter Museum Kolmar - Prostor savremene umetnosti André Malraux / Colmar - Contemporary Art Space André Malraux Rijeka - Muzej moderne i savremene umetnosti / Rijeka - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Varna - Međunarodni bijenale grafike / Varna - International Print Biennial Varna 2014 Val d’Izer Galerija Jane Griffiths / Val d‘Isère - Jane Griffiths Gallery Strazbur - Galerija Nicole Buck / Strassburg Nicole Buck Gallery Lion - Galerija Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade / Lyon - Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade Gallery Strazbur - Galerija Nicole Buck / Strassburg Nicole Buck Gallery 2015 Montreal - Centar savremene umetnosti 1700 La Poste / Montréal - Contemporary Art Center 1700 La Poste Perpinjan- Galerija Artrial / Perpignan - Artrial Gallery Isodun - Sen Roš Hospis muzej / Issoudun - Hospice Saint Roch Museum Beograd - Grafički kolektiv / Belgrade - Graphic Collective Niš - Galerija Art 55 / Niš - Art 55 Gallery 2017 Beograd - Galerija Rima / Belgrade - Rima Gallery Peking - Envy Fine Art / Beijing - Envy Fine Art 2018 Kragujevac - Galerija Rima / Kragujevac - Rima Gallery Sen Malo - Galerija Cristel / Saint-Malo - Cristel Gallery Cirih - Thalberg Galerija / Zürich - Thalberg Gallery Lion - Galerija Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade / Lyon - Anne-Marie et Roland Pallade Gallery 2019 Landerneau - Fondacija Helene i Edouarda Leklerka za kulturu / Landerneau Fonds Hélène & Édouard Leclerc pour la Culture 2020 Beograd - ARTE Galerija / Belgrade - ARTE Gallery

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Radovi u kolekcijama / Works in collections

Amsterdam - Stedelijk muzej / Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Aosta - Regionalna pinakoteka / Aosta - Regional Art Gallery Of The Aosta Valley Arl - Fondaxija Vinsent van Gog / Arles - Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Atina - Nacionalna pinakoteka / Athens - National Pinakothek Atina - Frissiras muzej / Athens - Frissiras Museum Beograd - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Belgrade - Museum of Contemporary Art Beograd - Narodni muzej / Belgrade - National Museum Beograd - Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti / Belgrade - Serbian Academy Of Sciences And Arts Bohum - Umetnička zbirka / Bochum - Art Collection Bolonja - Civico muzej / Bologna - Museo Civico Bratislava - Narodni muzej / Bratislava - National Museum Breša - Galerija moderne umetnosti / Brescia - Modern Art Gallery Brisel - Kraljevski muzej likovnih umetnosti / Brussels - Royal Museums of Fine Arts Karakas - Muzej likovnih umetnosti / Caracas - Museum of Fine Arts Šatoru - Muzej Bernard / Châteauroux - Bernard Museum Čikago - Institut savremene umetnosti / Chicago - Institue of Contemporary Art Kolmar- Unterlinden muzej / Colmar - Unterlinden Museum Kopenhagen - Danska nacionalna galerije / Copenhagen / Danish National Gallery Kordoba - Muzej likovnih umetnosti / Cordoba - Fine Arts Museum Drezden - Umetnička kolekcija Drezdena / Dresden - Dresden State Art Collections Denkerk - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Dunkerque - Dunkirk Contemporary Art Museum Grac - Nova galerija Grac - Universalmuseum Joanneum / Graz - New Gallery Graz - Universalmuseum Joanneum Hanover - Državni muzej / Hanover - State museum Helsinki - Muzej Ateneum / Helsinki - Museum Atheneum Humlebaek - Louisiana Museum of Modern Art / Humlebaek - Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Lozana - Reginalni muzej likvnih umetnosti / Lausanne - Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts Lil - Institut za savremenu umetnost / Lille - Center for contemporary art Lil - Institut za savremenu sakralnu umetnost /Lille - Center for Contemporary Sacred Art Ljubljana - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Ljubljana - Museum of Modern Art Lođ - Muzej Štucki / Lodz - Museum-Sztucki

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London - Galerija Tejt / London - Tate Gallery Los Anđeles - Fondacija Lanan / Los Angeles - Lannan Foundation Malmo - Umetnička galerija / Malmö - Art Gallery Marselj - Muzej Cantini / Marseille - Cantini Museum Nim - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Nîmes - Modern Art Museum Njujork - Muzej moderne umetnosti / New York - Museum of Modern Art Oslo - Muzej moderne umetnosti Astrup Fearntey / Oslo - Astrup Fearntey Museum of Modern Art Oslo - Fondacija Henie-Onstag / Oslo - Henie-Onstag Foundation Pariz - Nacionalni muzej moderne umetnosti, Centar Pompidu / Paris - Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou Pariz - Muzej moderne umetnosti grada Pariza / Paris - Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris Pariz - Nacionalna biblioteka / Paris - National Library Pariz - Fondacija Pfizer / Paris - Fondation Pfizer Pariz - Akademija lepih umetnostiParis / Paris - Academy of Fine Arts Pariz - Muzej savremene istorije / Paris - Museum of Contemporary History Peron - Istorija velikog rata / Peronne - History of the Great War Rijeka - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Rijeka - Museum of Modern Art Rio de Ženero - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Rio de Janeiro - Museum of Modern Art Roterdam - Muzej Boymans van Beuningen / Rotterdam - Musuem Boymans van Beuningen Sen Pol d Vans - Fondacija Maeght / Saint-Paul-de-Vence - Fondation Maeght Skoplje - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Skoplje - Museum of Modern Art Santijago del Čile - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Santiago del Chile - Museum of Modern Art Strazbur - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Strassburg - Museum of Modern Art Tampere - Fondacija Sara Hilden / Tampere - Sara Hilden Foundation Teheran - Muzej moderne umetnosti / Teheran - Museum of Modern Art Solun - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Thessaloniki - Museum of Contemporary Art Tulon - Muzej likovnih umetnosti / Toulon - Museum of Contemporary Art Trodhajm - Galerija Fast / Trondheim - Fast Gallery Turku - Muzej umetnosti Matti Koivurinen / Turku - Matti Koivurinen Art Museum Turku - Muzej umetnosti / Turku - Art Museum Utreht - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Utrecht - Museum of Contemporary Art Venecija - Muzej moderne umetnosti Ca’Pesaro / Venice - Museum of Modern Art Ca’Pesaro Valensija - Fondacija Martinez Guerricabeitia / Valencia - Fondation Martinez Guerricabeitia Vitri - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Vitry - Museum of Contemporary Art Vašington - Kongresna biblioteka / Wahshington - Library of Congress Jagamata - Muzej Kennristu / Yagamata - Museum Kennristu Zagreb - Muzej savremene umetnosti / Zagreb - Museum of Contemporary Art

Nagrade / Awards

1962 Rijeka - Bijenale mladih, nagrada za slikarstvo / Rijeka, Youth Biennale, painting prize 1963 Beograd - Oktobarski salon, nagrada za slikarstvo / Belgrade - October Salon, painting prize Sombor - Trijenale Jugoslavije, nagrada za crtež / Sombor - Yugoslav Triennial, drawing prize 1964 Beograd - Trijenale Jugoslavije, nagrada za slikarstvo / Belgrade - Yugoslav Triennial, painting prize 1965 San Marino, Bijenale San Marino, nagrada za slikarstvo / San Marino, San Marino Biennale, painting prize Pariz, Bijenale Pariza, nagrada za slikarstvo /Paris, Paris Biennale, painting prize 1966 Ostende - Evropska nagrada, pominjanje za slikarstvo / Ostende, Europe prize, mention for painting Sombor - Trijenale Jugoslavije za crtež, nagrada za crtež / Sombor - Yugoslav Triennial for Drawing, drawing prize 1967 Sombor, Fantastična poetika / Sombor - Fantastic Poetic 1968 Linjano - Internacionalno bijenale savremene umetnosti / Lignano - International Biennial of Contemporary Art, drawing prize Čačak - Memorijal Nadežde Petrović, nagrada za slikarstvo / Čačak - Nadežda Petrović Memorial, painting prize Rijeka - Internacionalna izložba crteža, nagrada za crtež / Rijeka - International Drawing Exhibition, drawing prize 1970 Beč - Internacionalna izložba grafike / Vienne, International Print Exhibition, drawing prize 1971 Ljubjana - Internacionalna izložba grafike / Ljubljana - International Print Exhibition, printing prize Gardone - Momento Tangente Internationale, nagrada za slikarstvo / Gardone - Momento Tangente Internationale, painting prize Sombor - Jugoslovensko slikarstvo 71, nagrada za slikanje / Sombor, Yugoslav Painting 71, printing prize

1972 Beograd, Veliki pečat Grafičkog kolektiva / Belgrade - The big stamp of the Graphic Collective 1973 Ljubljana, Bijenale grafike / Ljubljana, Printing Biennial Kampilja Maritima - Kampilja nagrada / Campiglia Marittima, Campiglia Award 1974 Rijeka, Internacionalna izložba originalnog crteža, glavna nagrada za crtež / Rijeka International Original Drawing Exhibition, drawing grand prize 1975 Sombor - Jugoslovensko trijenale crteža, glavna nagrada za crtež / Sombor - Yugoslav Drawing Triennial, drawing grand prize 1986 Beograd - Politikina nagrada / Belgrade - Politika Prize 1998 Pariz - Ministarstvo kulture i komunikacija, Komandir ordena umetnosti i književnosti / Paris, Ministry of Culture and Communication, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters 2002 Beograd - Nagrada “Braća Karić” Fondacije Karić u oblasti kulture i umetnosti / Belgrade - Foundation Karić “Braća Karić” Prize in the field of Arts and Culture de fa Fondation Karic de la culture et des Arts Beograd - Kolegium Televizije Politika, Gala slikar nagrada / Belgrade, Collegium of Politika Television, Gala Painter Prize 2006 Diploma počasnog Doktora vizuelnih umetnosti Univerziteta u Kragujevcu / Honorary Doctor of Visual Arts diploma of the University of Kragujevac 2007 Pariz - Ministarstvo kulture i komunikacija, Orden vitez legija časti / Paris - Ministry of Culture and Communication, Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor 2009 Beograd - Zlatni Beočug / Belgrade - Golden Beočug 2010 Novi Sad - Nagrada Sava Šumanović / Novi Sad - Sava Šumanović Prize Skoplje - Fondacija Osten, nagrada za crtež / Skoplje, Osten Fondation - drawing prize Beograd - Nagrada Vuk Karadžić / Belgrade, Vuk Karadžić Prize 2011 Varna - 18. internacionalno bijenale grafike, glavna nagrada / Varna - 18th International Print Biennale, grand prize

171

Monografije / Monographies

Max Clarac-Sérou. Velickovic / dessins 1972-1973, Paris : éditions du Dragon, « Cahier du Dragon n° 1 », 1973, (o.S.). Jean-Louis Ferrier (Urednik monografije / Editor of the monograph), VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Paris, Editions Pierre Belfond, 1976, 224 strane / pages / pages Tekstovi / Texts: Oto Bihalji-Merin, Miodrag В. Protić, Jean- Pierre Faye, Bernard Noel, Gilbert Lescault, Ješa Denegri, Sarane Alexandrian, Jean-Louis Ferrier, Jean-Luc Chalumeau, Claude Brouyeure, Gerard Gassiot-Talabot, Marc Le Bot, Georges Boudaille, Alain Jouffroy. Marc Le Bot, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Essai sur Ie symbolisme artistique, Paris, Editions Galilee, 1979, 264 strane / pages Alain Gutharc, Alin Avila et Vladimir Velickovic, VELICKOVIC, Paris, Editions Autrement/Art, 1983, 112 strana / pages Alin Avila, Claude Bricage (fotografije / photographs), ATELIER/DESSINS DE V. VELICKOVIC, Paris, Editions AREA, 1986, 96 strana / pages Miodrag В. Protić, Zoran Kržišnik, Ješa Denegri, Marc Le Bot, Danilo Kiš. VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Просвета, Beograd/Ljubljana. 1986, 224 strane / pages VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Homme de Muybridge - 24 variations, Paris, Editions AREA. 1987, 28 strana / pages Andre Velter, VELICKOVIС, L'epouvante et lе vent, Montpellier, Editions Fata Morgana, 1987, 92 strane / pages lrina Subotić, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Beograd, Galerija Grafički kolektiv, 1987, 64 strane / pages, dvojezično izdanje srpski - francuski / bilingual edition Serbian / French Theodore Blaise, VELICKOVIC, Mouvements, Paris, Editions AREA, 1988, 32 strane / pages Andre Velter, VELICKOVIС, Arbre sec, Paris, Editions AREA, 1988, 32 strane / pages Slobodan Lazarević, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Strma ravan horizonta, Kragujevac, Studenski kulturni centar,1990. Michel Bohbot, VELICKOVIC, Paris, Editions Enrico Navarra, 1991, 84 strane / pages Marcelin Pleynet, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC Paris, Enrico Navarra, 1991. 120 strana / pages Janus, Enzo Di Martino, Angelo Maria Ripelino, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, La salita e lа caduta, Milan, Editions Fabbri, 1991, 81 strana / pages Vladimir Veličković. VELICKOVIC, Carnets, Le Bateau Lavoir. GrenobІe, 1992. Alin Avila. Vladimir Velickovic 1992 Esquisses, Paris : Yeo pour les éditions Area, 1996, (o.S.). Alain Jouffroy, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Dessins 1957-1979, Editions Acatos, Lausanne/Paris, 1996, 360 strana / pages Alain Jouffroy, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Dessins/Oeuvres sur papier, 1980-1990, Editions Acatos, Lausanne/Paris, 1998, 392 strane / pages, dvojezično izdanje srpski - francuski / bilingual edition Serbian / French Bernard Noël, Jean-François Bonhomme, Vladimir Veličković. Portraits d’œil, Montpellier : Fata Morgana, 1998, (o.S.). Andre Velter, VLADIMIR VELICKOVIC, Carnet de dessins, Paris, 2000, Editions La Main parle, 92 strane / pages Michel Bohbot. Velickovic, Paris : éditions Enrico Navarra, 2000, dvojezično izdanje srpski - francuski / bilingual edition Serbian / French, prevod na engleski / English translation by Ann Cremin Marc Le Bot. Vladimir Veličković : Esej o umetničkom simbolizmu (slike, crteži, 1968 - 1979), Beograd, Cicero, 2002, 291 strana / pages, prevedeno sa francuskog / translated from French by Maristela Veličković Michel Oufray, Splendeur de lа Catastrophe, La peinture de Vladimir Velickovic, Edition Galilee, Paris, 2002. 98 strana / pages Slobodan Lazarević, Simbol i sugestija. Svet simbola i simboli sveta u slikarstvu Vladimira Veličkovića, Beograd, Astimbo, 2003, 228 strana / pages, dvojezično izdanje srpski - engleski/ bilingual edition Serbian / English, prevod na engleski / English translation by Novica Petrović « Symbol and Suggestion. The world of symbols and symbols of the world in the painting of Vladimir Veličković » Michel Onfray, Vladimir Velickovic, Karton, Paris : Thalia, 2006. dvojezično izdanje francuski - engleski/ bilingual edition French / English, Evelyne Artaud, Žarko Vijatović (fotografije / photographs), L’atelier de Vladimir Velickovic, Paris : Thalia, 2010, 110 strana / pages Slobodan Lazarević, Veličković, Stvaralacko komponovanje, Composition créative, Composición creadora, Beograd, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2010, 217 strana / pages, trojezično izdanje srpski, francuski, španski / trilingual edition Serbian, French, Spanish, Prevodilac / Translator: Vladimir Pavlović, Dalibor Soldatić, Jelena Lazarević Alain Mousseigne, Amélie Adamo, Pierre Daix, Michel Onfray, Vladimir Velickovic, les versants du silence, Paris / Toulouse : Lienart / Les Abattoirs, 2011, 183 strane / pages Amélie Adamo, Métamorphoses du sacré. Sur Vladimir Veličković, Paris : Galilée, 2011, 62 strane / pages Alin Avila, Vladimir Velickovic, Trait, Toulouse : Timeless, 2013, 200 strana / pages Alin Avila, Bernard Noël, Velickovic - Peinture 1954-2013, Paris : Galerie Samantha Sellem / Gourcuff-Gradenigo, 2013, 483 strane / pages Dejan Đorić, Veličković – Grünewald, Montréal : Zoran Mladenović (Hg.) Slobodan Lazarević, Spojeni Sudovi, Kragujevac : Galerija SKC, 2014, 161 strana / pages Alain Jouffroy, Veličković, crteži / drawings 1955-1965, Beograd, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2014, 142 strane / pages Alain Jouffroy, Veličković, crteži / drawings 1965-1975, Belgrade, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2014, 211 strana / pages Alain Jouffroy, Veličković, crteži / drawings 1975-1985, Beograd, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2016, 208 strana / pages Alain Jouffroy. Veličković, crteži / drawings 1985-1995, Beograd, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2017, 229 strana / pages Nevena Martinović, Veličković, crteži / drawings 1995-2005, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2018, 239 strana / pages Marc Le Bot, Henri Michaux, André Velter, Michel Butor, Michel Onfray, Daniel Abadie, Bernard Noël, Gérard Mordillat, Veličković, crteži / drawings 2005-2015, Beograd, Kragujevac : Galerija Rima, 2019, 235 strana / pages Michel-Édouard Leclerc, Marie-Pierre Bathany, Jean-Luc Chalumeau, Michel Onfray, Jean-Luc Nancy, Gérard Titus-Carmel, Amélie Adamo, André Velter, Alain Jouffroy, Bernard Noël, VELIČKOVIĆ, Le Grand Style et le Tragique, Fonds Hélène & Édouard Leclerc pour la Culture, Landerneau, 2019.

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Izložba crteža i grafika Vladimira Veličkovića / Exhibition of drawings and prints, ARTE Galerija, Svetogorska, Beograd / ARTE Gallery, Belgrade, 2015.

Izložba „Radovi na papiru" Vladimira Veličkovića / Exhibition "Works on paper", THALBERG Galerija, Cirih / THALBERG Gallery, Zürich, 2018–2019.

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Izložba „Omaž Vladimiru Veličkoviću" / Exhibition "Homage to Vladimir Veličković", ARTE Galerija, Beograd, Andrićev venac (crteži) i Kralja Milana (slike) / ARTE Gallery, Belgrade, Andrićev venac (drawings) and Kralja Milana (paintings), 2020.

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OMAŽ VLADIMIRU VELIČKOVIĆU / HOMAGE TO VLADIMIR VELIČKOVIĆ septembar – oktobar 2020. September - October 2020 Izdavač / Publisher: Arte Media d.o.o. Svetogorska 29, Beograd, Srbija tel. +381 11 32 43 996 info@arte.rs Za izdavača / For the publisher: Milan Mitić

Projekat realizovali / The project was realized by: Milan Mitić, direktor / director Arte Media d. o. o. Selena Andrić, istoričar umetnosti / Art Historian Anđela Maletić, istoričar umetnosti / Art Historian Drago Rakočević, istoričar umetnosti / Art Historian Tijana Gogić, primenjeni umetnik / Applied Artist Ljubica Stefanović, tehnička podrška / Technical Support Bojan Jakovljević, tehnička podrška / Technical Support

Organizacija projekta i izbor radova / Project organization and selection of works: ARTE galerija Tekstovi / Texts: Irina Subotić Ljiljana Ćinkul Mrđan Bajić Selena Andrić

CIP

Prevod / Translation: Milica Kiš Dizajn / Design: Isidora M. Nikolić Fotografije / Photographs: Vladimir Miloradović, Vladimir Popović, dokumentacija porodice Veličković / Veličković family documentation, dokumentacija vlasnika radova / work owners documentation Štampa / Print: Grafostil d.o.o. Tiraž / Circulation: 500

Zahvaljujemo se / Acknowledgments: Porodici Veličković / Veličković Family Bosiljki i Dušanu Banićević / Bosiljka and Dušan Banićević Porodici Marjanović / Marjanović Family Aleksandru Milojeviću / Aleksandar Milojević Porodici Milovanović / Milovanović Family Miloljubu i Ivanu Periću / Miroljub and Ivan Perić Zoranu Popoviću / Zoran Popović Lazaru Sakanu / Lazar Sakan Porodici Simić / Simić Family

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Muzeju savremene umetnosti u Beogradu Narodnom muzeju u Beogradu Fondu Umetničke zbirke Srpske akademije nauka i umetnosti Kolekciji MNAM, Centru Pompidu, Pariz Muzeju Cantini, Marselj Landesovom muzeju - Muzeju Sprengel, Hanover Slovačkoj narodnoj galeriji I ostalim kolekcionarima koji su ustupili radove za izložbu i publikaciju / Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade National Museum, Belgrade Serbian Academy Of Sciences And Arts Fund MNAM Collection, Centre Pompidou, Paris Cantini Museum in Marseille Landesmuseum - Sprengel Museum, Hanover Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava And other collectors who lent their works for the exhibition and publication