Top secret 2.8, installation 400x400 cm., Greta gallery in Zagreb and gallery Prosvjeta ,"Refreshing Memory / When Monuments Come Alive, 2019

The project is a multi-part ambient and light installation consisting of a variety of media: light-boxes with text, multiple video works, and pencil inscriptions on the wall. The work is primarily a sharp critique of contemporary Croatian society and its anomalies, problematizing diametrically opposite perceptions of our country, depending on the source of information. The concept is based on the image that foreigners, specifically Americans, have of us, defined by the CIA guide, which keeps pervasively detailed notes on every country in the world (in capital letters). In this installation, opinions from the EU (in lowercase) have been added, portraying us as second to last or bottom in everything within the EU.

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Contrary to the idealized image of a "land of a thousand islands with untouched nature and homemade food," the world actually sees us as noisy and primitive Balkans prone to warfare, fights, and lamb barbecues, while writing about our beautiful coast as a polluted dump for old cars and washing machines. Therefore, I use these most common clichés or prejudices as the main part of the work, applying them to the displays of light-boxes, in the blue color of the European Union. Through this project, I aim to critically examine our society. Socially aware and irritated by the catastrophic socio-political situation in the country, I decided to react in my own way, using new media artistic tools. The turbulent transitional period we witness every day, full of malversations, bribery, and corruption, the decline of the domestic economy, illegal privatizations, sell-offs of property, and enrichment at the expense of citizens, has left an indelible mark on every individual. Trying to find my position in such a headless and disjointed system of brutal capitalism, consumerism, and materialism, I comment on the situation with multiple video works. I ironically comment on the situation by filming fans watching the World Cup in football in Russia, where we came second, and applauding approvingly. In another video taken from the internet, Julian Assange is seen in prison, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting true democracy, as he exposed the dark sides of the American system in the WikiLeaks affair, while on the other hand, he faces 160 years in prison in the US for revealing Top Secret secrets from Iraq and around the world. The number 2.8 in the title of the installation is because it has been 28 years since the independence of Croatia, and we have progressed in terms of the development of democracy, welfare for citizens, and proper evaluation of work, as if only 2 years and 8 months have passed.. From the image of a country with paradise beaches, a mild climate, and "forbidden nice butts" to the image of a country where retirees regularly dig through garbage, there is very little difference, depending on the perspective. The author has determined his perspective, and it is up to us to determine ours.