Irena Sladoje – Don’t worry about me. I am fine (Zvono award)

Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo)
November 02-30, 2010

Exhibition of Irena Sladoje “Don’t worry about me. I am fine”, the 2009 ZVONO Award Winner.

“I approach elaboration of topics starting from my own personal experience: individual pain, loss, memory – they are metaphors of the post war condition of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ society. For the past twenty years we have been putting efforts into depicting differences between us and into moving apart from each other, not realizing that our collective pain (trauma), in fact, connects us and determines us more than any other national identity. “The ill tissue” regenerates after many “surgeries” and it enters the period of recovery. Scarves remain, but life goes on. The title of the exhibition “Don’t worry about me. I am fine” joins within the past (existence of trauma), the present (conclusion of the condition) and the future (conclusion of the condition opens the door for new tomorrow). Although the works at the exhibition are prevailed and dominated by pain, the exhibition strives to open a new, positive space in search for identity and (collective) happiness.” (Irena Sladoje)