January 16th, 2012
On December 22, otherwise known as the Yugoslav People’s Army day, a group of 200 artists and activists from Novi Sad occupied the deserted army barracks, Dr. Archibald Reiss, forming the first squat/community center on the territory of Serbia.
Although Novi Sad has been known as one of the major cultural centers of former Yugoslavia, in this day and age, it has no spaces that could be used by non-governmental agencies, or offer cultural and outreach programs for youth, women and LGBT minorities. The city of Novi Sad claims it has no funds to purchase the building which is supposed to be up for sale by its owner, the Ministry of Defense, with an estimated worth of 6 million Euros. However, the activists were told that they could remain in the building for as long as it stays abandoned and not used by its rightful owners.
Since occupying the building in question, the newly-found Community Centre DC Novi Sad has organized three art exhibits, eight educational and humanitarian workshops, nine round table discussions, twelve music programs, five performances, six film screenings and numerous fitness programs.
Aleksandra Sekulic, who assisted in curating my exhibit for the Novo Doba festival at the Center for Cultural Decontamination and later on curated my show at the Animanima animation festival in Cacak, Serbia, suggested setting up the same exhibit on the 14 of January at the Community Center as well; as a supporter of this initiative I accepted gladly. The staff of the Novo Doba festival, Johanna Marcade and Mileta Mijatovic (Fanzin Ceger), were invited to present the exhibit and do a live, free of charge silk-screening session of my designs as they had previously done in Belgrade.
Occasional visits by the military police went by without any incidences, until last Friday, January 13th, only a day before my exhibit was to open. Shortly after 9am, local time, members of the military police, appearing somewhat rougher in their approach than during previous visits, informed all non-military personnel to vacate the building. The activists saw this as a definite sign that they should peacefully vacate the premises at once, having no choice but to leave their personal belongings and works of art behind, none of which have been returned so far.
The activists have decided not to give up on the idea of forming a legitimate Community Center; on the contrary – they are planning to go on with the planned exhibits, on the street itself, in front of the building – should they manage to get the confiscated artwork back. The mayor of Novi Sad, Igor Pavlicic expressed his remorse that “the events unraveled this way”, but reminded the public that the initiative has not been approved by the municipal authorities and the Ministry of Defense; he also promised some kind of compensation for the Community Centre in the near future – how and when – remains to be seen.
On their Facebook page the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia issued the following statement: The Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia fully support all cultural and social activities as evidenced by numerous exhibitions, concerts and book presentations in which we have participated. We appreciate the idea of a community center and dissemination of culture and tolerance; however, on this occasion, we wish to point out that we do not support the way the Community Centre has attempted to provide the space for such cultural activities.
All photos courtesy of the Community Center DC Novi Sad.
Mineshaft #27
November 29th, 2011
New Mineshaft is out! Support independent publishing and order a copy today. This issue features more new drawings and dream entries by Robert Crumb, an impressive collection of portraits by Jim Blanchard, a comic on the capture of Osama by Pat Moriarity, review of Joyce Farmer’s Special Exits by Mary Fleener, new comics by Aleksandar Zograf and much more. Cover art and a five page comic by yours truly.
Golden Pen of Belgrade
November 29th, 2011I recently received some exciting news, my illustration for the cover of Balkan Comics – Women on the Fringe was awarded a Golden Pen of Belgrade at the 11th International Biennale of Illustration in Belgrade, Serbia. Organized by ULUPUDS (the Association of Professionals in Applied Arts and Design of Serbia), the event is one of the oldest and most prestigious ones in the region, with over 230 local and international participants.
BALKAN COMICS – WOMEN ON THE FRINGE, Mark Batty Publisher, New York, 2012; edited by Irena Jukic Pranjic and Nina Bunjevac
November 2nd, 2011
Authors: Helena Klakocar Vuksic, Magda Dulcic Todorovski, Ivana Filipovic, Ivana Armanini, Anna Ehrlemark, Katie Woznicki, Evelina Daneva Rajninger, Ivana Pipal, Branka Hollingsworth Nara, Mina Zabnikar – Mina Fina, Kaja Avbersek, Ljubica Heidler, Neda Dokic, Dunja Jankovic, Bojana Dimitrovski, Maja Veselinovic, Irena Jukic Pranjic, Nina Bunjevac, Ivana Guljasevic Kuman, Helena Janecic, Sonja Gasperov, Sara Divljak; introduction by Aleksandar Zograf;
Gathering together the work of over twenty contemporary Balkan women, Balkan Comics – Women on the Fringe introduces the English-speaking world to some of the world’s finest, and least known, comics. The original version of this book, Balkan Women in Comics (by Fibra, Croatia, 2010), edited by Irena Jukic Pranjic and Marko Sunjic, became an immediate success the moment it came out. It attracted wide media coverage and critical acclaim in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia, eventually making it to Paul Gravett’s top ten books from the east of Europe.
The English version of this book titled Balkan Comics – Women on the Fringe is scheduled to come out in June 2012 with Mark Batty Publisher in New York. This version is slightly different, some new names have been added, some removed – selecting what went in and what stayed out was a long and painful process; however, the end result is sure to satisfy every taste. I will keep you updated, but for now, the book is available for pre-orders through Random House and Amazon.ca.
Hladna Kao Led/ Cold as Ice, Omnibus, Serbia, 2011;
November 2nd, 2011
I am happy to announce that my first collection of comics translated to Serbo-Croatian is scheduled to come out by the end of this year with Omnibus, a publisher of comics from Belgrade, Serbia. Introduction by Zoran Djukanovic, and a blurb by Paul Gravett that reads:
The most vitally reinvigorating change in modern comics is the unstoppable rise of women, as creators, as readers, and as characters. In her impressive debut collection, Nina Bunjevac stuns as a distinctive, innovative voice, adept at hyperdetailed cartooning and deliciously disturbing as she probes the darkest depths of desire and despair.
I’ll be keeping you posted about the progress!
NOVO DOBA 2011/ Belgrade/ Pancevo
November 2nd, 2011
Check out this amazing documentary about Novo Doba and the comix scene in the Balkans by Luigi Conte of Rizomafilm by clicking here. The documentary features interviews with Katie Woznicki, Aleksandar Zograf, Dunja Jankovic, Wostok and yours truly.
In June 2011 I was invited to exhibit my work at the Center for Cultural Decontamination in Belgrade. The exhibit was to open Novo Doba, a four day festival of independent comics, founded and organized by a team of talented artists and publishers – Johana Marcade of Turbocomix (France/Serbia), Bruno Tolic (Croatia/Serbia), Radovan Popovic (Studiostrip, Serbia) and Mileta Mijatovic (Fanzin Ceger, Serbia).
Among the many participants were Dunja Jankovic (who also designed that lovely poster on the left), Igor Hofbauer, Ivana Armanini, Anna Ehrlemark, Maja Veselinovic, Craoman, Mark Schneider, Aleksandar Opacic, Attila Stark, Wostok, Ilan Manouach, Fanzin Ceger etc. There were numerous workshops, film screenings and concerts organized as well.
Center for Cultural Decontamination is an oasis of free thinking located in the heart of Belgrade. Founded by a group of artists and activists in 1995, it has been actively promoting freedom of expression, freedom of choice and freedom from fear – through public lectures, art exhibits, performances, concerts, and similar venues. My exhibit opened with an introduction by Aleksandar Zograf at the Pavicevic pavilion, following a lecture and the screening of Media Archaeology – youth culture in SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). There was a live silk-screening session performed by Fanzin Ceger’s one and only Mileta Mijatovic.
Next three days were sort of a blur. There were so many festival events organized throughout the city, some even taking place at the same time – book promotions, lectures, workshops, exhibits, live painting – it was simply impossible to attend them all. I remember spending an entire day on this boat on the Sava River where a comic jam took place, organized by Wostok, one of the pioneers of the Serbian underground.
There were several performances after the workshop, one by EPP, one by Kopy Kat Killah, both featuring Katie Woznicki, an American living in Belgrade. The EPP combo was made up of Katie and Vlada, her better half; the two resemble an updated version of Tex and Edna Boil of the legendary SCTV. On the other hand, Katie’s Kopy Kat Killah persona is somewhat different, and this is how she describes it: Kopy Kat Killah is my hip-hop alter ego, a hardcore male rapper trapped in the body of a twenty-something white girl with rich parents. However, this girl’s rich parents have plenty to be proud of, for one of Katie’s many hobbies is giving rap singing lessons to Roma youth through outreach programs.
Definitely worth mentioning is Mark Schneider, a German photographer known for his regular pilgrimages to, and documentation of the WWII monuments that had originally been commissioned by Tito throughout the 60s and 70s. Though created by top sculptors, architects and master craftsmen, most of these pieces were erected in isolated and remote areas, marking locations where some of the crucial WWII battles had taken place. Mark makes a point of going back and revisiting the same monuments over and over again; the resulting before and after shots show an interesting range of attitudes towards history in former Yugoslav republics; some show utter neglect and desecration, some show – surprisingly so – some amount of care, even renovation; naturally, this lead Mark into an ongoing search for public art in all former Yugoslav republics, including pieces that were commissioned after disintegration of Yugoslavia by their newly formed governments. Looking at all these photographs combined, one could easily piece together a clear picture of the history of Balkan states. There were even some strange and funny ones, like a statue of Rocky (yes, as in Balboa) in Macedonia, and Johnny Depp in Mokra Gora.
Novo Doba closed with a presentation of my comics and a talk with Aleksandar Zografat and yours truly at the Elektrika gallery in Pancevo. Getting me over to Europe was a joined effort on behalf of the organizers of Crack and Novo Doba festivals; additional funds have been contributed by CZKD. I want to thank Johanna Marcade, Bruno Tolic, Radovan Popovic, Valerio Bindi, Mileta Mijatovic, Aleksandra Sekulic and Borka Pavicevic for making all this possible. Special thanks to my friend Dejana Erich Harman whose companionship on this trip made a world of difference.
Photo credits: Marko Krojac, Dejana Erich Harman
CRACK 2010/festival of independent comics and culture/Forte Prenestrino, Rome
November 2nd, 2011
Festival organizers: Valerio Bindi, MP5, Chantal Malambri, Giusy Noce and many, many volunteers. For more details about the Crack festival see my previous post here;
The theme of Crack 2010 was Love and Hate. The festival catalogue was handled by Ivana Armanini of Komikaze and Vladimir Palibrk of Balkan Twiligt; it was sectioned into two parts, one titled LOVE, another titled HATE. My comic Alone in the Crowd was included in the HATE section, and an image from the comic was used for the event poster.
About a month or so before leaving for Rome I approached Everett and Gioia of Mineshaft and offered to present and sell issues of their magazine at the festival. I grew to love and respect both the festival staff and the Mineshaft crew – connecting the two only made sense. And so, after all parties accepted the proposal, I was given a nice cell in Forte Prenestrino, close to the main entrance, where I was to set up a small booth and do a mural. Everett sent a few boxes of back issues to Rome in time for the opening and we were in business.
Aleksandar Opacic and the To Let crew helped me paint the walls white. I ended up painting my character Zorka on one wall, the Mineshaft logo on the other. The cell became party central, not because I’m so damn popular, but because I had one of the most comfortable chairs around, a lawn chair I dragged to the forte from Manuela’s yard. On the third evening of the festival my cell was the host of Chantal Malambri and Noa Reshef’s wrestling performance; a bunch of us got dressed up in funny costumes and took on volunteers inside an inflatable kiddy pool. I took Noa down but my strength was no match for the mighty Anna Ehrlemark and the brothers Guedin (yes, I took them both on!).
One of the highlights of the festival was the presentation of Acqua Storta, a graphic novel by Valerio Bindi and MP5. The book is based on a true love story between two men of the Camorra crime family. MP5′s powerful and disturbing black and white images are unlike anything I have ever seen. Not since Burns have I seen such unique and powerful illustrative style.
Mineshaft #25
March 23rd, 2010Mineshaft is an independent literary and comics zine, featuring work of some of the world’s greatest artists, like Kim Deitch, Robert Crumb, Pat Moriarity, Jay Lynch and Art Spiegelman. I am more than honored to be in such company.
To order a copy go to www.mineshaftmagazine.com.
Beautiful cover art and logo by Sophie Crumb, lettering by Robert Crumb (left). Back cover illustration by yours truly (right).
FAY SLIFT AND THE PEARL NECKLACE OF WISDOM
March 22nd, 2010
Photo by Tanja-Tiziana
I am pleased and excited to announce a new project I am working on with a dear friend and performer, the ladybear extraordinaire, the queen of drag, Fay Slift. The project will consist of multiple two page comic spreads, all written by Fay and illustrated by yours truly. Each installment gives Fay, our heroine, a chance to vent on a variety of issues and put on a new outfit; and, for those of you who had not been fortunate to meet our ladybear in person, she is quite a venter. Fay does venting like nobody else – her venting is bitter, venomous, dark, yet funny as hell and ultimately good. With titles like The Pearl Necklace of Wisdom and Love Your Inner Sinner, the stories explore a variety of themes, mostly personal memories disguised as parenting and dating advice.
INNOCENCE UNPROTECTED
March 3rd, 2010Last summer I spent a month in Serbia, mostly just walking around Belgrade and drawing with local artists. The cartoonist Aleksandar Zograf suggested that he and I conduct a workshop for the Grrr Festival in his hometown of Pancevo at Gallery Elektrika. My job was to come up with at least 12 pages in either ideas or pencilled drawings for the group of a dozen or so cartoonists to collectively work on, within a span of about six to seven hours. I had about two weeks to work on it, the ideas kept coming and going but nothing stuck. About a week before the workshop Aleksandar informed me that Dusan Makavejev had offered us the original script to his 1968 movie, Innocence Unprotected, to use for the purpose of the workshop. For those who don’t know, my work is hugely influenced by Makavejev’s early films. This was definetly an honour – I got busy at once!
About a dozen of my favorite Serbian cartoonists participated in the festival workshop. After the workshop we screened Makavejev’s Innocence Unprotected, where Makavejev himself, Zograf and myself gave a talk about the film and the workshop experience. As great as the whole day was, the best part came when I was offerred a ride back to Belgrade by the Maks.
Sitting in the back seat of their car, breathing the same air as Mr. and Mrs.Makavejev, I remember thinking, “this is as good as it gets”!
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