Encounters with Creators – Masterclass: Presentation of Corresponding Member Slobodan Šijan

A SASA Corresponding Member Slobodan Šijan, our prominent film director, screenwriter, writer and visual artist, will introduce himself as part of the series ’Encounters with creators – Masterclass’ at the SASA Grand Hall, on Wednesday, 9 March, at 6 p.m. Academician Zoran Lj. Petrović, director of the SASA Gallery of Science and Technology, will moderate the programme.

Slobodan Šijan has directed several of the most popular and acclaimed Serbian feature films, but he is also an artist – as Nebojša Milenković noted in the text ’Slobodan Šijan’s Film Poses – or how Đenka Met Tucić and Despotov’ – who has given a great and highly authentic contribution to the overall art scene, not just bearing in mind his cult cinematographic opus most widely known by his feature films ’ Who’s Singin’ Over There?’, ‘The Marathon Family’, ‘Strangler vs. Strangler ‘, but also by several-decade-long pursuit of neo-avant-garde and post-avant-garde practices, from experimental films and psychedelic painting to conceptual art, ’camp’ collages and performances…’

He was born in 1946 in Belgrade, where he graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Belgrade (1970) and film directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (1975), in the class of Živojin Pavlović. He has directed some of the most popular and hailed domestic films, and he is a recipient of numerous domestic and international recognitions for these film masterpieces. He is one of the rare creators who managed to merge artistic spirit and commercial success.  His film idiosyncrasy made him famous outside our country as well: the persuasiveness of the characters and the entire Balkan characterology etched by sharp humour and visual stylization and unique artistry. The realization of his most recent film ’ Budi Bog s nama,’ (aka ‘The Great Tram Robbery’) is currently underway, which is inspired by the life of the first Serbian film critic and theoretician Boško Tokin, who was a founder of Zenitism and avant-garde poet and author.

 

About the series ’Encounters with Creators – Masterclass’

A guiding principle of the lecture series ’Encounters with Creators – Masterclass’ is to present the reach of current artists and scientists and send a clear message, particularly to the young audience that, despite difficulties, it is possible in Serbia to achieve creative breakthroughs, whose significance is not only of local nature. Additionally, the goal is to inspire young people to choose the path of scientific and artistic careers and provide them with direct communication with prominent creators.

Lecturers, our distinguished scientists and artists, talk about their professional path, education, role models, difficulties and challenges they faced, success and failures, a career in Serbia and inspiration for their work and creativity.

The moderator of ’Encounters with Creators – Masterclass’ is the Director of the SASA Gallery of Science and Technology, Academician Zoran Lj. Petrović