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IVANA UDOVICIC - Art as a final choice

  To be a solider or an artist, this is the question that did not bother Mladen Miljanović too much, yet his answer to this question has changed his life completely. This is why every fundamental analysis of his work must inevitably start from the turning points and decisions one can find in his biography. Although it is usually believed that art arises from an artist’s life, Miljanović belongs to the group of authors who live their art, rather than make it. Since the very beginning this artist’s process of coming of age has been closely linked to the war and later replaced by the Army Reserve Officers’ School.

  In a certain sense his knowledge of war was first acquired in vivo, i.e. he felt it on his own skin, while the theoretical education came later. In 2002, Mladen Miljanović finally got his freedom, the freedom of choice, above all. It was his decision to abandon his military career, based on discipline that gave him security and an almost guaranteed opportunity to get promoted. Miljanović replaced it with the most beautiful and the most insecure profession – to be an artist - which promises almost nothing but an unlimited artistic freedom. For Miljanović, this was enough to make his final life decision. He gained a classical education at the Academy of Arts in Banja Luka, with one of its first generations. Although, formally he can be named as a painter, and although the first works presented to public were done in painting media, from the very outset, he did not fit into academic environment whose artistic expression was somewhere between realism and pop art. From the very outset to his last works, Miljanović’s opus has been permeated by his own military experience. Thus, a solider, either formally or essentially, became his leit motif; which - thanks to the reckless spirit of youth and an incredible speed of advancement - has already become very rich and versatile. It all began with paintings that simply sneaked through the strategic military maps, changing them, ennobling them and raising them to a higher level. His maps maintained the military terminology and connotations to the extent an average observer can perceive it. Visually, they may be perceived as monochrome, abstract paintings as well as conceptual art. That is where the separation somehow occurs between the classical visual forms and when (after this cycle) Mladen Miljanović, began dealing mainly with video art, installation and performance. If series of paintings Artattack has presented Miljanović to a broader public and has been noticed immediately not only in Banja Luka but throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and were exhibited at several shows abroad, then his work I Serve Art has made him a star. Thinking like a soldier who has changed his profession and spending time in his former military barracks (that have also changed their function into today’s Academy of Arts) Miljanović voluntarily opted for serving – being slave, giving oneself to - art in the same way a soldier is expected to unreservedly place himself at the disposal of the state. This is why he withdrew to a nine month long isolation into the barracks/Academy and dedicated himself to the goal of creating art and serving it loyally. In this period of time he produced an abundance of photographic and video material that would later serve for the production of numerous new works. Even during this isolation, Miljanović actively exhibited. He participated at several group exhibitions and the works created in that period (e.g. Sit – no, Artattack, Invert shot, 274 Views of the World) have been particularly noticed. Once he completed the I Serve Art project (for which he was awarded the Zvono Award), he had an exhibition in the form of “soldier’s diary”. Suddenly the doors of numerous galleries were opened. He was euphoric when these recognitions and approval of his work happened; not only that he began to conquer galleries’ and public spaces but he also gained some completely new experiences. Thus, in a relatively brief time, there emerged whole brigades, battalions, companies … of soldiers under the title of Occupo, “whose only reason of existence is to occupy space”. He exhibited almost simultaneously in Austria, France and the USA. Miljanović again put the sign of equation between desires and goals of soldier and artist, reducing them to a common denominator - expansion, i.e. occupation of space. After this work, the artist turns to somewhat bolder and defined attitudes on the military order, global militarism and the problem of armament. The works from the Artwartising series Just Do It, Ask for More, Go and Play were made in the same spirit. Visually, this is a leap in the evolution of his template soldier, but the message is much more poignant since it invites its viewer to ask his/her own questions and almost confronts him/her with the imperative of critical attitude towards militarism. It is a clear and logical stance vis à vis the necessity for demilitarisation of our world that has a strong impact on individual consciousness, although does not essentially change ones reality. The works exhibited at this exhibition are partly the outcome of his earlier works; thus Oath to Independent Art is based on I Serve Art. Once again, he emphasises his unreserved readiness to do anything that needs to be done in order to keep making art. Invert Shot is another possible sequel of his “model soldier”; however, these figures, no matter how much they look like impersonal models, are sublime expressions of the innocence of victim and the fragility of sketches, as well as of the fatal outcome of the “wrong move” one takes. One of his latest works is Bad Resolution Fuck which views military forms as symbols of sexuality and masculinity, emphasizing male aggressiveness, domination and superiority. Putting the entire military system in the function of one’s own self-satisfaction, this video (although done in a rather “poor resolution”) criticizes the military, and consequently, social order more severely than any of his other works. Viewing the whole opus of this artist, one can differentiate two main preoccupations: implementation of military idiom and reasoning in the world of art. These works are an attempt, which has proved to be incredibly successful, to subject art to the strict rules, to impose strict limitations. There is also another part that has emerged later, the part that uses military symbols and puts them in the service of a powerful anti-militarist propaganda. No wonder therefore that these works prevailingly rely on design and use its “language”. The message of Miljanović’s works is unambiguous and clear. It is based on the eternal and correct postulates, weaved with subtle humour or, more precisely, irony that contains a ray of hope that our world might be better, and that one can make a living out of art.

  Although he is a young artist who has been present at the art scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a couple of years only, it seems that he has permanently opted for one and the same outcome of his entire opus, even though he introduces changes into artistic expressions and forms. It is almost as if we do not expect him to produce any works without a military connotation. However, each time he feels fatigue with the treatment of the same subjects and when he feels an inevitable urge for change Mladen Miljanović emerges completely new concepts and new works dealing with the issues of soldier vs artist. Is it because of his consistency and loyalty to his own brand or because of his fear from new challenges? Will Miljanović forever remain a soldier in the service of art, or will he fully accept the uncertainty that is offered to him – only time can tell. He has been active as an artist for two years only.

  Mladen Miljanovic e- iserveart@gmail.com