Dr. Dušan Jovović, author of the exhibitions “Mileva” and “Time and Universe” – Science and art form a universe

Novi Sad, the European Capital of Culture for 2022, has concluded an exciting cultural year by allowing visitors to see three exhibitions dedicated to the great scientists of Serbia.

On New Year’s Eve, a unique Tesla Light Gallery exhibition had its premiere at Petrovaradin fortress. An exhibition on Mileva Marić Einstein, Serbian mathematician and first wife of Albert Einstein, who made important contributions to Serbian science, was also opened on 31 December. Another exhibition open to visitors on New Year’s Eve was “Time and the Universe”, a fascinating exhibition inspired by ideas, and scientific achievements of the great Serbian scientist Milutin Milanković.

 The author of the exhibitions “Mileva” and “Time and Universe”, Dr. Dušan Jovović, gave an exclusive interview for YU Biblioteka. He explained that “Mileva: We are a rock” and “Time and the universe” form a circle, an entire that celebrates the beauty of the spirit of creation, art, and life. The first is ending, and the second began a year when Novi Sad was the European capital of culture.

How did you come up with the idea of a “Time and the Universe” exhibition inspired by the scientist Milutin Milanković?

 “Time and the universe” is an interactive multimedia exhibition that deals with the relationship between man and time. It was performed as a philosophical and artistic manifesto. Professor Aleksandar Petrović, and I set up the exhibition. It is certainly not the classic setting we are used to seeing in our museums. It’s an exhibition partly inspired by the work of the great Milutin Milanković, but it is also a voyage from darkness to light, from chaos to cosmos, through a multimedia fusion of digital and analog artistic expression.

 What does the display look like?

 The exhibition is made up of 12 units on three levels in the abandoned space of the famous Studio M in Novi Sad. We built the space using non-invasive construction techniques because I didn’t want to jeopardize the building. I used different media and technologies in this artistic experiment which in the end turned out to be more than successful.

 Why was the life and work of Milutin Milanković a source of inspiration?

 Milanković who was a great scientist, academician, and professor at the University of Belgrade, achieved success in a number of disciplines: mathematics, meteorology, climatology, astronomy, geology, geophysics, geography, and construction. As a scientist, he was thinking about great questions that form the foundation of all civilizations. Some would say that art is based on emotion and science on proven facts. But the two form a universe that is to me, as an artist, very inspiring.

 How long will the exhibition be open?

 “Time and the universe” lasts until the end of January. Then it will move from the physical to virtual space. I am really proud that the exhibition was the most visited in Serbia in 2022.

 The exhibition “Mileva: We are a rock” was also recently presented in the Novi Sad City Museum. How did you come up with that exhibit?

 The process of building a new space in the  Nоvi  Sad City Museum, together with the research process (I was looking for materials that I later used to shape this art composition) lasted almost a whole year. Today we have a legacy, that we are proud, to leave to Novi Sad and to Serbia.  The new area in the museum of 1200 square meters is one of the most representative and modern spaces that Serbia can offer. Thus, as a team and company Artbeat, we showed how we perceive modern museums, the parameters, and the communication with museum visitors.

What is the design of the exhibit? I saw that it was created through the creative use of the most modern technologies, new media, 3D animations, digital sound, and holograms, but also classical artistic language – sculpture, graphic design, drawing, and painting were used.

Documentary material about the life and scientific work of Mileva Marić is quite scarce. My research was mostly based on the letters that were left behind by Albert and Mileva. This is certainly a problem that divided and continues to divide the professional public about her role and merits in scientific work, and it is by no means my intention to dispute the character and work of Albert Einstein. However, this does not exclude the fact that Milena worked every day, with no hesitation, on projects that had her husband’s signature. Let’s have a look at the year 1905 and the articles published in the journal Annalen der Physik…

 It is true that I used the most modern technologies of mapping, sound, and holograms…But I do not renounce classic media in the art of painting, architecture, scenography, sculpture, drawings, kinetic sculpture, etc. If I could tell the story of the beauty of her brilliant mind by drawing a simple line through space, I would. I am not bound by technology in the narration itself, I use it only and exclusively as a tool.

 In the catalog is written that the exhibition consists of a very strong visual narrative that approaches the character and work of Mileva Marić Einstein in a striking and different way. How did you approach Mileva Maric Einstein’s work?

 Mileva Marić is a beacon of science, culture, and courage, that lit up a path full of challenges and now every future Mileva can walk on it. We must be aware that before her it was almost impossible. She was a gifted mathematician and physicist who created every day side by side with Albert Einstein.

My artistic process always starts with drawings and planning what kind of space we need to build, so that images and emotions I have can come to life, take the visitor of the exhibition out of a passive role, and put him in the very center of the action. The construction of museum spaces usually starts the other way around and wrongly, the builders create a space that has no artistic sense, and then the artists start from the minus. We have demonstrated that something can be done differently.

 Until when will the exhibit on Mileva Marić at the Novi sad City Museum be open?

 I believe that the exhibition will last as long as the public interest remains.

 What was the reaction of visitors to the two exhibitions – “Mileva” and “Time and Universe”?

 The “Mileva” exhibition was opened on January 31 from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. All the terms were full, I was amazed by the number of people who wanted to welcome the New Year at this exhibition. How wonderful and timeless it is! I thank them because they opened up some new worlds for me that I thought were shutting down. The same happened with “Time and the Universe”. The exhibit beat all our predictions for the number of visitors.

 Are there plans to host those exhibitions in other countries?

 There are no plans for now, but it certainly wouldn’t be the same, but a new form that would emerge from these two exhibitions. We are open to all invitations. We believe we can show a lot, and we have created a universal language that everybody understands, no matter where they come from.

 Finally, I would like to ask you a question about the activities of your company, Artbeat team. You have been creating for over two decades, and you have an impressive number of notable projects. What are you doing now? What are you planning for this year?

ARTBEAT is a company that deals with the construction of modern museums and installations, digital design, organization and realization of large events, and development of interactive media, and their application in marketing and art. We started as a creative team of artists, producers, and programmers, and now we have more than 500 projects, some of which were the first of their kind in the world. This year, we have selected interesting projects. One of them will be featured at the Design Biennale in London. I will show something that I think is important to find one’s own light.

What we create is definitely based on the idea of freedom and light, and there are no limitations to that.

Jelena Jovanovic