Davor Džalto
Encyclopedia
Davor Džalto is an artist
and art historian born in Travnik
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
on May 17, 1980.
He graduated from the High School of Art in Niš. His academic career started in Belgrade
where he received an M.A.
degree from the University of Belgrade
Faculty of Philosophy
in History of Art
. In 2004 he began writing his PhD thesis at the Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet in Freiburg
, Germany
(mentor Prof. Dr. Angeli Janhsen), where he defended it successfully in 2006, becoming the youngest Doctor of Philosophy
in the humanities in Germany and the South-East European region. (ref. Ksenija Pavlovic, 10/30 Exhibition Catalogue, Belgrade: 2010, 5-6) In 2007 he became a permanent University lecturer, holding the chair in history of art and theory of creativity. As a visiting and honorary professor he teaches at various Universities in Europe
and USA, including University of Prague
, Indiana University
, Fordham University
of New York
and the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade.
His work is based on examination of the relations between personhood and authorship, especially in the postmodern and globalization
context. He has formulated a theory
according to which art represents an expression
of the personal identity of the human being, having an existential
importance. That way he contributed to the revision of the postmodernism
, actualizing the question of possibility and meaning of the art
creation. He continued to further develop theological concepts of John Zizioulas
and philosophical statements given by Nikolai Berdyaev
, implementing them on the contemporary historical and cultural context. He also examines the concept of "simulacrum
" in relation to the human person
and its ability to create.
He also works in different art-media including video art
, performance
, painting
, and sculpture
.
His work has been presented at numerous exhibitions in different countries. He has taken part in many conferences and seminars, as well as having peace
and inter-religious backgrounds. It is also held that he played an important role in South Eastern Europe in promoting peace, reconciliation and cooperation between different religious communities, primarily because he has contacts among all important religions and religious leaders in the Balkans
and in Europe
. He was directly involved in many initiatives during his engagement in the Pax Christi
office in Belgrade
. He has written a number of articles and theoretical texts. As an 18-year-old student he published his first book, On Writings as an Artistic, Historical, Social and Cultural Phenomenon. He is a founding member and the Art Director of the Flexible Art Network and vice president of the Christian Cultural Center (Brooklyn, New York). He lives and works in Freiburg
, Muenster and Belgrade
. Based on the Aesthetik der Absenz, formulated in German
speaking art
circles, he recognized and explained the phenomenon
of "absence of body" in twentieth century art. In 2007. his name was added to the list of 100 most influential people in the world
, originating from the South Eastern European region
.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and art historian born in Travnik
Travnik
Travnik is a city and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, 90 km west of Sarajevo. It is the capital of the Central Bosnia Canton, and is located in the Travnik Municipality. Travnik today has some 27,000 residents, with a metro population that is probably close to 70,000 people...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
on May 17, 1980.
He graduated from the High School of Art in Niš. His academic career started in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
where he received an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy
The University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Serbia, founded in the early 19th century within the Belgrade Higher School...
in History of Art
History of art
The History of art refers to visual art which may be defined as any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, expressing ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview...
. In 2004 he began writing his PhD thesis at the Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet in Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(mentor Prof. Dr. Angeli Janhsen), where he defended it successfully in 2006, becoming the youngest Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in the humanities in Germany and the South-East European region. (ref. Ksenija Pavlovic, 10/30 Exhibition Catalogue, Belgrade: 2010, 5-6) In 2007 he became a permanent University lecturer, holding the chair in history of art and theory of creativity. As a visiting and honorary professor he teaches at various Universities in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and USA, including University of Prague
University of Prague
Prague UniversitiesSocial Science:*Charles University in PragueEconomic University:*University of Economics, Prague*The University of Finance and AdministrationTechnical University:*Czech Technical University in Prague...
, Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade.
His work is based on examination of the relations between personhood and authorship, especially in the postmodern and globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
context. He has formulated a theory
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
according to which art represents an expression
Expression
Expression may refer to:Symbolic expression* Expression , a thought communicated by language* Expression , a finite combination of symbols that are well-formed according to applicable rules...
of the personal identity of the human being, having an existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
importance. That way he contributed to the revision of the postmodernism
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
, actualizing the question of possibility and meaning of the art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
creation. He continued to further develop theological concepts of John Zizioulas
John Zizioulas
John Zizioulas is the Eastern Orthodox metropolitan of Pergamon. He is the Chairman of the Academy of Athens and a noted theologian.-Academic Education and Career:...
and philosophical statements given by Nikolai Berdyaev
Nikolai Berdyaev
Nikolai Alexandrovich Berdyaev was a Russian religious and political philosopher.-Early life and education:Berdyaev was born in Kiev into an aristocratic military family. He spent a solitary childhood at home, where his father's library allowed him to read widely...
, implementing them on the contemporary historical and cultural context. He also examines the concept of "simulacrum
Simulacrum
Simulacrum , from the Latin simulacrum which means "likeness, similarity", was first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god...
" in relation to the human person
Person
A person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
and its ability to create.
He also works in different art-media including video art
Video art
Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. . Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, is still widely practiced and has given rise to the widespread use of video installations...
, performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
.
His work has been presented at numerous exhibitions in different countries. He has taken part in many conferences and seminars, as well as having peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and inter-religious backgrounds. It is also held that he played an important role in South Eastern Europe in promoting peace, reconciliation and cooperation between different religious communities, primarily because he has contacts among all important religions and religious leaders in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was directly involved in many initiatives during his engagement in the Pax Christi
Pax Christi
-History:Pax Christi was established in France in 1945 as a reconciliation work between the French and the Germans after the Second World War. In 2007, it existed in more than 60 countries...
office in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. He has written a number of articles and theoretical texts. As an 18-year-old student he published his first book, On Writings as an Artistic, Historical, Social and Cultural Phenomenon. He is a founding member and the Art Director of the Flexible Art Network and vice president of the Christian Cultural Center (Brooklyn, New York). He lives and works in Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, Muenster and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. Based on the Aesthetik der Absenz, formulated in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
speaking art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
circles, he recognized and explained the phenomenon
Phenomenon
A phenomenon , plural phenomena, is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences'...
of "absence of body" in twentieth century art. In 2007. his name was added to the list of 100 most influential people in the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
, originating from the South Eastern European region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
.
Artwork
- Verbal and Visual Marking of SpaceSpaceSpace is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
- Performance-installation (2000) - FuneralFuneralA funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
of an AuthorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
- Video-performance (2002) - Creating... - Video (2003)
- The Red ArmyRed ArmyThe Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
- Video (2003) - Icons in Black ForestBlack ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
- Action (2004) - MeditationMeditationMeditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
with Icons and SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n CoffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
in Japanese GardenGardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
(in FreiburgFreiburgFreiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
) - Performance (2005) - Absent BodyBodyWith regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
of the ArtistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
- Actions (2006) - The Body of the Artist - Photographs (2006)
- One and Three Pyramids - Installation, Belgrade (2007)
- 10/30 - Retrospective art exhibition, Belgrade (2010)
- Facing New Faces of Icons - One-man exhibition, Greifswald (2011)
Selected articles
- Who is an AuthorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
(ArtistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
)? (2003) - Totalitarianism and Totalitarianisms on SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Way to European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(2004) - Significance and Meaning of the Process of Global Integrations (2004)
- On the Meaning of Church ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
(2004) - HumanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
FaceFaceThe face is a central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can, depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyelashes, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, temple, teeth, skin, and...
between MaskMaskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
and PersonPersonA person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
(2005) - On the Horrible SinSinIn religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
of NationalismNationalismNationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
(2006) - A Comparative Research of the SpaceSpaceSpace is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
Issue on the Examples of the "Lamentation" CompositionComposition (visual arts)In the visual arts – in particular painting, graphic design, photography and sculpture – composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art or a photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work...
from NereziNereziGorno Nerezi is a small village in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the Karpoš municipality, near Skopje, and at an altitude of 771 meters . It is situated on the wooded slopes of Mt. Vodno, covers a 7 km radius, and has a population of 314 inhabitants, mostly Albanians.Located in Gorno...
and Giotto's "Lamentation" from the ArenaArenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
ChapelChapelA chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
(2006) - Techne vs. Creatio: The Inner Conflict of Art (2010)
Books
- On Writings as an Artistic, Historic, Cultural and Social Phenomenon, Niš: Đorđe Krstić School of Art (1998)
- The Role of the Artist in Self-Referent Art, Berlin: Dissertation.de (2007)
- The Testimony of Icons (Svedočanstvo ikona /in Serbian/, Ikonen legen Zeugnis ab /in German/), Belgrade - Tainach: Christian Cultural Center, Sodalitas (2008)
- Decem concepti et termini, Belgrade: Megatrend (2010)