By Zana Karkin
Well, this is a first for this blog: featuring recent Bosnian and Herzegovinian contemporary art.
We have a very good reason, though, as our featured artist of the month is Bojan Stojčić - a widely and critically acclaimed artist whose work is recognized and represented in renowned art institutions, as well as private collections in Europe and the United States. On top of that, he’s a lively and fun guy to be around so there’s that too.
And if I may say so - there’s one item, in particular, that’s stealing the show in Bazerdžan these days: Viva La Transicion! poster.
For those of you not familiar with the artist, allow me to quickly say a few words.
When it comes to contemporary art voices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bojan’s name is among the upper echelons. His work ‘Seeking for a person’ - an oversized advertisement on the facade of the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina - became one of the most recognizable contemporary pieces in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Credit: @Bojan Stojcic @Umjetnička galerija BiH
Bojan’s art is featured in several eminent art institutions and collections across the globe, including the agnès b. foundation and the Deutsche Telekom Digital collection (more on that in a bit). Born and bred in Sarajevo, Bojan continues to create art in his native town where he runs his art studio, teaches, and consults.
About that wonderful poster
Posters in Bazerdžan are a fairly common sight (who could forget those Tjentište-inspired canvases?) because we love their simplicity and instancy. They have this distinct nostalgic charm and represent a link to cultural relativism. Plus, they look really great on a wall - as if that wasn’t obvious.
The Viva La Transicion! poster ticks off all those boxes, and then some. Bojan’s work Viva La Transicion! is considered as one of the staples of the Bosnian contemporary art, dealing with the topics of transition, poetics of geopolitics, and manifestations of crisis through the collective and individual body. The phrase has become Bojan’s trademark of sorts ever since he painted it over one of Sarajevo’s instantly recognizable trams in 2015.
Credit: Studio Bojan Stojčić 2020
Since 2017, the photograph has been part of the digital Art Collection Deutsche Telekom, with the limited print of 5 original pieces purchased by the collectors and galleries across the world. Exclusively available at our little shop of pure delight, the piece now comes in the poster format, a nod to Bojan’s 2020 solo Viva La Transicion exhibition in the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The poster comes in one size only (98 x 68 cm), printed with a high-quality offset print, and is sold unframed. Seeing as the highly praised photograph prominently featured a tram, it only made sense to do a quick photoshoot in one, with our Ina Čano behind the camera. True story: a couple of ticket controllers jumped in to help, arranging for the tram to stop at a few seconds so Ina can do her magic. In the end, they wanted a photo taken too!
The poster features an interesting addition on the backside: an interview with the artist, telling the story of his work, life, as well as the recent Viva La Transicion 2020 exhibition.
That’s not all of the items with Bojan’s name you’ll find only in Bazerdžan.
There are also tote bags and badges in different colors that feature four idioms from the Bosnian everyday, as part of the #deklarativno #dekorativno campaign signifying the declarative and decorative nature of popular phrases and speech. In addition, we have an expanded selection of Bojan’s literary work and some stickers thrown in for good measure - feel free to check it out!
Check out and follow Bojan’s work via his website and Instagram.