June 14, 2021
On Friday, June 4, the closed performance TREN U TAK by painter Svetlana Ninković took place at the “Balkan” cinema. For the performance, the artist used 100 of her paintings, all of the same format, to immerse the audience in the experience of the present moment.
Svetlana Ninković shared her thoughts on the idea behind the performance: “When I was little, I loved playing with dominoes and creating that domino effect. While I was working on two free-standing paintings for a client, everything just connected. These are my big dominoes.” Her motivation also stemmed from reflecting on social media photos, specifically moments that are not fully realized while they are happening: “Let’s try to become aware of every moment. Every single moment. No matter what it’s like, just to be present in it. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, tomorrow doesn’t exist for me. What’s important is that I’m here, aware.” Regarding the relationship between her performance and painting, she added: “I haven’t had an exhibition in three years because I wanted to elevate everything to a higher level. I want it to be different, to surprise myself and the audience. It’s important for me to give them something more, something completely unexpected.”
Ksenija Samardžija, curator and director of the Saša Marčeta Foundation, wrote about Svetlana Ninković’s work: “Out of restlessness striving for order emerges Svetlana’s latest series of works. Linked by the idea of the moment, which evolves from the need to understand and become aware of the moment we are in—right now, here—Ninković manages to incorporate the narrative into the very process of presentation. By creating a plot—a dynamic relationship between the observer and the work—she confidently steps out from the role of painter and introduces us into a precisely conceived and planned act.”
Svetlana Ninković was born in 1982 in Belgrade and graduated in 2006 from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Department of Graphics. She is a member of the Likovni Krug association. She has held 20 solo exhibitions and participated in around 30 group exhibitions both in Serbia and abroad. Ninković has also taken part in numerous art colonies and gatherings.
The performance lasted 22 seconds and will not be repeated. It happened in the moment. All the paintings that were part of the performance are the artist’s original works, created using a mixed technique of acrylic and oil on canvas, sized 90×70 cm.
