Artist

Dragoljub Todosijević Raša (1945)

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Biography


It is quite certain that in his earliest shape Rasa Todosijevic was a part of the new, educated but infinitely alienated Belgrade youth born after the Second World War that came of age far outside the newly established socialist middle class. In these conditions these young people were neither able to want to inherit the artistic ideals of the prewar days, nor to look graciously upon the narrow-mindedness and conformism of the leading representatives of the so-called high or academic socialist culture. It was obvious that this artistic milieu ? in the widest sense of the word and in spite of its constant inclination towards the tradition of cosmopolitan culture -- welcomed all the standards that had solidified in the course of the first ten years of socialist realism.

After finishing primary school and after a brief period spent in the military aviation school in Mostar, Rasa Todosijevic returned to Belgrade in 1963, where he attended a course in drawing and sculpture with the intention of using these lessons in academic drawing as preparation for the Art Academy entrance exam. He enrolled in the Art Academy in 1964. However, faced with hostile professors of modest talent and education and an atmosphere that fostered little sympathy for innovation and especially little sympathy for free spirits, Rasa Todosijevic realized that what appear to be traditional and respected institutions are in fact places where both the true foothold of the instruments of ?cultural? repression and the foundation of the comfortable self-isolation of artists in socialist countries are hidden.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Todosijevic appeared as a person who, in inhospitable conditions, undertook isolated work that was a decisive break from the fruitless but highly valued eclecticism of the golden period of the socialist era. This eclecticism rested on the use of the lasting reception of the modernism of the Paris school, also on pseudo-romantic and largely anachronistic attempts, against all logic, to adapt to new times ?national artistic elements? that were collected from a frozen local historical background, mainly because of a certain construed fantasy about the possibility of a continuity in Serbian art that would date back to late Byzantine times. Contrary to this, contrary to the certainly unexpected constraints of repression and conformity, and contrary to the constraints of local limitations and timidly expressed desires for emancipation, or, it might be said, in general and appropriate immersion in the ?circumstances? of the times, Todosijevic was one of the few, uncompromising founders of the new / post-formal art movement in Belgrade. The main principles of such art were directed towards defining a new view of artistic individualism and towards widening the range of media and the possible actions inside these new artistic practices.

The beginning of the 1970s, or possibly that entire decade, can be described as his gran rifiuto.

Together with a few close friends gathered around the gallery of the Students Cultural Center, he began to do ?actions?, ?tableaux vivantes?, performances; he began to use his own body as artistic material, to hold lectures on new art, and even to produce works from non-lasting materials. This was a time when his photographs, video films, texts, photocopies, Polaroid, posters, installations, and handmade publications became a legitimate means of expression against the dominant traditions of those times which were exclusively oriented towards the paintings, drawing, sculpture and traditional graphic techniques. At the same time he established connections with similar-minded artists from Novi Sad, Zagreb and Ljubljana, as well as with a young generation of European artists whom he met on his frequent travels in Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Austria, the United States and so on.

We shouldn?t evade the frequently mentioned fact that although he was a very young artist he had the opportunity to represent Yugoslavia at important international exhibits and famous biennales. This might lead the European viewers of those times, accustomed to taking things from their representative side, to thoughts that this was a clear indication of the liberalization of state conditions in Yugoslavia. The contrary is the truth. New or avant-garde art in Yugoslavia, especially its representatives in Belgrade, were and remained completely marginalized, and ?the government took advantage of the avant-garde so that it could defend its progressive colors on foreign territory side-by-side with other free nations.? (Andrew Gibbon Williams).

At the same time as Todosijevic?s frequent appearances on the international art scene, especially with his series of performances titled ?Was ist Kunst??, and notably later with his installations ?Gott liebt die Serben?, which would coincide with the fall of the Berlin wall, his domestic position became more and more marginal, and this in fact led to his relatively effective cultural isolation, and in connection with this his economic isolation.

With the strengthening of nationalistic tendencies ? which on a wide scale and almost always with untenable arguments stubbornly but unsuccessfully sheltered dogmatism, provincialism, totalitarianisms, entitlements, and, ultimately, their Stalinist nature ? avant-garde art, without a base in relevant cultural circles, and even though it was stigmatized as homeless communism, and even in continued difficult economic and political circumstances, declared the beginning of a new world order. In this even battle for cultural self-isolation, or the preservation of old hierarchies of values, the avant-garde came into an unforeseen conflict between this provincial craziness and their European colleagues who had been taken prisoner in the limbo between an evaporating commercial modernism and the already forgotten Paris school from the second half of the twentieth century.

Translation: Noah W. Sobe

Group exhibitions:

2008
Maribor, ARTEAST 2000+ A selection of works from Ljubljana Moderna galerija’s international and national collections Art, Gallery Maribor, Strossmajerjeva 6, Slovenia (19 December 2008 – 22 February 2009)
Artists: Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys, Braco Dimitrijević, Jenny Holzer, Cristina Iglesias, Irwin, Sanja Iveković, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Katarzyna Kozyra, Laibach, Kazimir Malevich, Walter de Maria, OHO, Alenka Pirman, Mladen Stilinović, Nebojša Šerić - Šoba, Raša Todosijević


Zagreb, Altars of Advantages, Gallery Klovićevi Dvori, Croatia

Sid, 14 Memorials Sava Sumanovica, Pictures gallery of Sava Sumanovic Sid, Serbia

London, Farmers Market, Handel Street Projcts Gallery, Great Britain

Novi Sad, Museum in the shadow and The Museum of Rasa Todosijevic, Museum of contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia. Curated by Slavko Timotijević.

Beograd, 49 October Salon, curated by Bojana Pejić, Serbia.

Karlsruhe, “Why here is always somewhere else” Badischer Kunstverein-a Germany. The art collection of Erste Bank Group 03.10.2008 do 30.11.2008.

Berlin, QUARTETT - VIER BIENNALEN IM SPIEGEL GRAFISCHER BLÄTTER, curated by Rene Block, TANAS, Germany.

Jasi, Periferic 8 – Art as Gift Biennial for Contemporary Art, 3 – 18 October 2008. Romania

Salzburg, Sound of Art, Museum der Moderne, Austria.

Praha, REPRESENTING THE NATION, International Triennial of Contemporary Art, Czech Republic (REPREZENTACE NÁRODA Kompenzační portréty, by Jesper Alvaer + Isabela Grosseová 

Beograd, Ready Made - Re-Made, ULUS gallery, kustos: Slavko Timotijevic Belgrade, Serbia

Gornji Milanovac, Biennale of Miniature, Serbia

Novi Sad, Exhibition in occasion of art award Sava Sumanovic, Serbia.

Novi Banovci, Museum Macura, Serbia.

Warsaw, As soon as I opens my eyes I see a film: The experiments in Yugoslav Art in the 60's and 70's, Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Curator: Ana Janevski.
„Kiedy rano otwieram oczy, widzę film” Eksperyment w sztuce Jugosławii lat 60. i 70.


Beograd, Telenor collection of the Serbian Modern Art: Cvijeta Zuzoric Art Pavilion. Serbia

Beograd, acquisitions for the Museum of the city of Beograd, Nolit Magazine

2007

Beograd, Atelje Veljkivoć, CZKD, together with G. Grozdanić, Serbia

Zrenjanin, Kolonija Ečka, watercolors. Serbia

Beograd, BELEF, Belgrade summer festival. Serbia.

Kumamoto, Attitude 2007, The House of Human Beings, Authentically Blessed Jubilance, Contemporary Art Museum, Japan.

Beograd, „Private space - Public space”, Culture Centre Magazine Nolit. Serbia.

Novi Sad, “Conceptual Art 1968 – 2007”, Curate by Dr. Misko Suvakovic and Dragomir Ugren, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Serbia.

Frankfurt, Tranzit, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Deutschland

2006 - 2007
Beograd: „Kontakt...“. aus der Sammlung dre Erste Bank-Gruppe, Museum of Contemporary Art, Serbia
Frankfurt: Tranzit: „Auditorium, Stage, Backstage – An Exposure in 32 Acts “Frankfurter Kunstverein, Germany

2006.
Philadelphia, Basekamp: East Art Map: IRWIN / NSK, USA

Podgorica: FIAT, Festival of international alternative theatre, Do nothing, curate by Petar Ćuković, Montenegro

Beograd Belgrade International Theatre Festival, BITEF, 1968/1973: Raša Todosijević Historical documents and actuality. Serbia
 
Ljubljana, Essence of Life – Essence of Art, Paper works, Modern Gallery, Slovenia

Beograd, Art, Life & Confusion, 47th October Salon, Curate by Rene Block and Barbara Heinrich, Serbia
 
Antwerp, 1st floor galley, (solo exhibition), Belgium

Novi Sad, Star and its shadow, Museum of Visual Arts, Serbia

San Francisco: the Society of Independent Artists (Tom Marioni Studio) Reading. USA

Novi Sad, Theatre festival: Sterijino Pozorje, one man shows Serbia.

Beograd, One man show: Akademia: Centre for graphics and visual research. Serbia.
 
Novi Sad, “Distinctiveness on the edge: Vanguard Art of Ex-Yugoslavia 1914-1989“, Museum of Contemporary Art, Serbia.

Wien, „Kontakt...“ aus der Sammlung dre Erste Bank-Gruppe, Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wiean, Austria.

St. Petersburg, State Russian Museum, Essence of Life- Essence of Art - Paper works, the artists of Eastern and Western Europe. Russia.
Verona, Archive Francesco Conz. Italy


2005.

Moscow, Tretyakov Gallery: Essence of Life- Essence of Art - Paper works, the artists of Eastern and Western Europe, Russia

Cetinje, Solo exhibition: National museum of Montenegro, Dado Studio, Montenegro.

Novi Sad, Masterpieces of contemporary Art in Serbia since 1968: November 2005, Museum of contemporary Art, Novi Sad. Serbia.

Budapest, Essence of Life - Paperwork, the artists of Eastern and Western Europe, Ludwig Museum Budapest - Museum of Contemporary Art. Hungary.

Istanbul, “Love it or leave it”, Goethe Institute Istanbul: In occasion of Istanbul biennale, Collection of graphic curetted by Rene Block. Turkey.

Ankara, “Love it or leave it”. Goethe Institute Ankara: In occasion of Istanbul biennale, Collection of graphic curetted by Rene Block. Turkey.

Izmir, “Love it or leave it”, Goethe Institute Izmir: In occasion of Istanbul biennale, Collection of graphic curetted by Rene Block. Turkey.

Beograd, On Normality, Art in Serbia 1989 – 2001: Museum of Contemporary Art. Serbia

Hagen, EAST ART MUSEUM
A Concept for an Exhibition of the EAST ART MAP - A (Re). Construction of the history of contemporary art in eastern Europe. Curators: Michael Fehr and Irwin (Miran Mohar, Andrej Savski, Borut Vogelnik)

Beograd “…in the time of invisibility…” Art Manifestations, BITEF 1968 – 1973”, Museum of Applied Art. Serbia

Varaždin, Collection Marinko Sudac. Hrvatska.


2004.

Beograd: Who make profit on Art: “MIKROPOL”: The Students Cultural Centre Gallery.

Lodz: The First Lodz Biennale. Poland

Seville: Gott liebt die Serben, Bienal Internacional de Arte Contenporaneo de Sevilla, Spain.

Thessalonica, "The First Balkan Biennial: Cosmopolis 1 Microcosmos X Macrocosmos" 2004-12-17 until 2005-02-13. State Museum of Contemporary Art, Greece

Beograd, “The Portraits of the revolutionaries: from the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Beograd and from the other collections”: Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Beograd. Serbia

Beograd, „Continental Breakfast”, The October salon. Serbia

Leipzig: “Parallel Actions”, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst. Germany

Wien, BELGRADE ART INC, House of SECESSION, Hauptraum, Austria

Beograd, BELEF, Belgrade summer art festival. Serbia
Cetinje, Orchid, Old prison: Prelude for 5th Cetinje Biennale, Montenegro.
Beograd, Gallery Concordia 1994 – 2004, Museum of Contemporary Art. Serbia

Beograd, Assemblage, Little Gallery, ULUPUDS. Serbia

San Francisco: Running Intensive class at The San Francisco Art Institute, USA

New York: Artslink award for 2004. USA

San Francisco – Belgrade, Foundation Todosijevic: Project: God exists, Donation of 50 paintings for San Francisco artists and 50 paintings for Belgrade artists. USA-Serbia

Sofia, Museum for Foreign Art, Retrospective show, Bulgaria.

Bologna, Artefiera, THE BALKANS – A CROSSROAD TO THE FUTURE, Italy.

Verona, Archive Francesco Conz, Italy

Beograd, Sammlung Macura, The Cvijeta Zuzorić Gallery. Serbia

Beograd: “The Master piece of Serbian Art”, facade of the building of The Students Cultural Centre. Serbia


2003-2004

New York, Parallel Action, Austrian Cultural Forum, NY.USA.

2003

Beograd, One century of graphic in Serbia: Serbian Academy of Science and Art. Serbia

Celje, Retrospective show, Gallery of Contemporary art. Slovenia.

Kassel, Kunsthalle Fridericianum: In den Schluchten des Balkan (In the gorges of the Balkans). Germany.

Beograd, Beograd, BELEF Belgrade summer art festival. Serbia

Vienna, KLOSTERNEUBURG, Blut & Honig, Zukunft ist am Balkan. (Honey and Blood – Future is on the Balkan)- Sammlung Essl,.Austria.

2002

Beograd, Museum of Contemporary Art: Retrospective show. Serbia

Graz, Steirischer Herbst 2002, Austria

Graz, “Rotor”, Balkan Consulate, Austria

Graz, Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum “In search of Balkania”, Austria.

Beograd, Gallery Remont. Serbia

Beograd, Museum of Contemporary Art: New museums display. Serbia

Vršac, 5th Biennale of youth. Serbia

2001

New York, Exit Art, „Body and the East“: A LOST CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE, USA.

Beograd, POVRATAK MINIJATURE III Galerija Grafičkog Kolektiva, Serbia

Stockholm, IASPIS exhibition- scholarship and residency, Sweden.

Budva, Moderna Galerija, Budva Theatre city. Solo exhibition, Montenegro

Beograd, »CONVERSATION» Museum of Contemporary Art, Serbia

Beograd, “Critic’s choose”, The Gallery of Belgrade Cultural Centre, Serbia


2000

Bratislava, “Welcome – Understanding”, Contemporary Yugoslav Art, Organized by C.ART.A. Slovakia.

2000 – 2001

Berlin: After the Wall, Art and culture in post-communist Europe, Nationalgalerie Im Hamburger Bahnhof: Museum fur Gegenwart, Germany.

Barcelona, Aspects/Positions: 50 years of art and culture in central Europe 1949-1999. Museum of Modern Art Spain.

Budapest, After The Wall, Art and culture in post-communist Europe, Museum of modern Art, Stiftung Ludwig Hungary

Budapest, Aspects/Positions: 50 years of art and culture in central Europe 1949-1999, Museum of Modern Art Stiftung Ludwig, Hungary

Ljubljana, ARTEAST COLLECTION 2000+, The Art of Eastern Europe in Dialog with West, From the 1960s to the Present. Museum of Modern Art Slovenia, Slovenia

1999

Wien, Aspects/Positions: 50 years of art and culture in central Europe 1949-1999. Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig.Austria

Stockholm. After the Wall, Art and culture in post-communist Europe Moderna Museet, Sweden

1998

Out of action: Between performance and the object: 1949-1979:

Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art, USA
Wien, Museum fur Angewandte Kunst (MAC) , Austria
Barcelona, Museu d Art Contemporani, Spain (1998-1999.)
Tokyo, Museum of Contemporary Art, Japan, (1999)

Ljubljana, Body and The East, Gallery of Modern Art, Slovenia.

Berlin, Focus Belgrad, Fragmente, serbischer Kunst und Kultur, Ifa gallery, Germany

Beograd, Murder, Second annual exhibition of Centre for Contemporary Art, Paviljon Veljković, Yugoslavia

1997
Monchengladbach, Aeropagitica, 28 frie Seiten, G.A.M.E.S of Art, Germany


1996

Beograd, Examples of abstracts art, one radical history, Umetnicki paviljon Cvijeta Zuzorić, Yugoslavia


1995

Los Angeles, International Biennial Invitational, Sherry Frurumkin gallery, USA.

Paris, “Who killed Walter Benjamin or 50 years of piece?” Galerie Nikki Diana Marquadt, France.


1994

Glasgow, Compli-Citys, Gallery 99, with Marc Hawker Scotland

Copenhagen, Projects for Europe – Europe Rediscovered, Denmark

1993

New York, Remember Yugoslavia, General Idea, USA

Graz, Europaer, Grazer Kunstverein im Stadtmuseum, Staerische Herbst, Austria

1992

Podgorica, PRIVATE- PUBLIC: In the House of family Todorović, Montenegro, Yugoslavia.

Beograd, Gallery 12+, one man show, Yugoslavia


1984

Sidney, V Biennale of Sydney, Australia

Brisbane, Institute of Modern Art, (one man show), Australia

1983

Beograd, New Art in Serbia 1970-1980, Museum of contemporary Art, Yugoslavia.

Zagreb, Gallery of expended media: (one man show), Yugoslavia.

1982

Sao Paolo, XVI Biennale de Sao Paolo, Brasil.

1979

Amsterdam, Vive la France – Vive la Tyrannie! Performance, Gallerie De Appel, Holland.

1977

Modena, Avanguardia e Sperimentazione, Le piu avanzate ricerche artistiche Jugoslave, Galleria Civica, Italy

Paris, Was ist Kunst?, performans, Galerie Farideh Cadot, France. (Solo exhibition)

Torino, Studio 16e, Italy (Solo exhibition)

Wien, Was ist Kunst?, International Performance Festival, Osterreischicher Kunstverein, Austria.

Paris, Was ist Kunst, Marinela Kozelj? II, performance, X Biennale des Jeunes, Musee d'Art Moderne, France:

Paris, 200 000 line for Paris biennale, X Biennale des Jeunes, Musee d'Art Moderne, France 1976.

Insbruck, Video, performances, photos, Gallerie Krinzinger,Austria

1976

Warszawa, 10 lines, Gallery Wspolczesna, Poland

Firenze, 10 000 lines in gallery, Gallery, Art Tape 22, Italy

Brdo, Istra, Was ist Kunst, Patricia Hennings? Performance, Yugoslavia

1975/76

Scotland:
Aspects ’75, Contemporary Yugoslav Art:
Edinburgh, Richard Demarco Gallery, The Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, The Turnpike Gallery, Leigh, The Ulster Museum, Belfast, The Gardner Centre, University of Sussex, The Third Eye Centre, Glasgow

1975
Beograd, (solo) “Who makes profit on Art?” Performance, Gallery of Students Cultural Center, Yugoslavia


1974

Beograd, Pranje čistih nogu prljavom vodom, performans, Galerija Kulturnog centra, Yugoslavia

Napoli, Experimente, Galleria Guida, Italy

1973

Beograd, Information II, Gallery of the Students cultural center, Yugoslavia

Edinburgh, Decision as Art, Edinburgh Arts Festival '73, Eight Yugoslav Artists, the Richard Demarco Gallery, Melville College, Scotland
1972

Beograd, Project and Action YES, Gallery of Students Cultural Center, (solo) Yugoslavia

Beograd, Open aria, Action: “Place”, “Sculpture” and “Sign”, Yugoslavia.

1971

Beograd, Drangularijum, “Marinela”, tableau vivant, Gallery of Students Cultural Center, Yugoslavia

1967

Beograd, Gallery Doma omladine, (solo), Yugoslavia. 

Awards/recognitions:

30 best exhibitions in Belgium 2006-2007, 1st Floor Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
Award Moderna Musset, IASPIS RESIDENTIAL AWARD 2001, Stocholm , Swiden
The Belgrade City Award, Belgrade, Serbia 2003.
CEC ArtsLink Award for 2004: New York - San Francisco, USA 2004.
The Emily Harvey, Residential Award for 2006, New York – Venice 2006.
Award Herceg Novi, Montenegro
Award Kolonija Beli Andjeo Prijepolje, Serbia
Award Biennale Nadežde Petrović, Čačak, Serbia
The Sava Sumanovic award, Novi Sad 2008. Serbia