Smelting Friendship▪︎Jelena Micić and mirko nikolić

Opening of the exhibition: Friday, July 11, open to visitors from 12 noon

The joint research project Smelting Friendship of Jelena Micić, Mirko Nikolić and the Fortress Movement is a study of the socio-natural environment of the Smederevo Ironworks affected by industry and its political economy. Bearing in mind the history of the ironworks itself, but also the wider geopolitical plot of industrial policy, artists* through exchanges with local activists and people living in the immediate vicinity of the factory, create a counter-archive as an opposition to the official and dominant narrative. The material collected through such a research process is presented in the form of an installation that includes found materials, as well as audio-visual documentation, and the central part of the installation refers to a critical reflection of the slogan “steel friendship”. In addition to the fact that the exhibition deals with one of the burning problems of the contemporary moment in a studious and engaged way, the inclusion of local actors and collaborators of artists* extends the domain of artistic action and work to the local community as well.

The exhibition is a continuation of cooperation within the Imagine Climate Dignity: Artistic Collaborations initiative, within the international competition On The Road Call 2, a project of the Austrian Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs.

Jelena Micić is an artist and artistic director of the festival WIENWOCHE. Awarded the Dimitrije Bašičević Mangelos Award, the Ö1 Talentestipendium Bildende Kunst and the kültüř gemma! Fellowship. Doctoral studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Representative at the GPA as part of the IG Flex advocacy group.

mirko nikolić is a visual artist, environmental justice researcher and organiser. nikolić holds a PhD in Arts & Media Practice from the University of Westminster, and is currently a researcher at Södertörn University.

Pokret Tvrđava, founded in 2018 in Smederevo, emerged as a response to local issues and the need for civic engagement. Through street activism, legal initiatives, and public performances, the movement has stood out in the fight for a cleaner environment, against corruption, and for workers’ rights.