We dream/we daydream/we hope. Dreams are a part of our secret life. They often cause unpleasant feelings; some of them are even unfulfilled. Toni Ostojić used these broken dreams as an inspiration for a series of artworks and an exhibition of the same name (“Broken Dreams”) which is hereby presented.

“Broken dreams – because they are dedicated to dreams that brought disappointment and discontent, or even those dreams that did not come true. My broken dreams were a part of the inspiration for this visual art series, but generally speaking, this series is about the broken dreams of a man as a being, not me as an individual,” the author says.

An objective approach to emotional preoccupations, a zinc board as the primary medium over which “artistic violence” has been carried out. A board that contains the imprints of memory. “This procedure is equivalent to permanent damage and is in correlation with modern society,” the director of Private Cultural Centre, Miljana Dunđerin wrote in her review.

“I wanted to use more graphic techniques in this series because I am a graphic artist by vocation. From the world of traditional graphics, I used aquatint techniques, etching, mezzotint, dry needle. I also combined all techniques at the same time. Apart from traditional graphic techniques, I also created several works using the modern digital method, and for the works created on a canvas card, I used acrylic painting techniques,” explains Ostojić.

While browsing through the catalog, you will realize that each work bears the same name, differing only in the numbers in the description. This is not surprising, because the works are part of the same art series which is interconnected, and the works are numbered chronologically, based on when they were created, from the first to the last.

While “walking” from one artwork to another in the virtual gallery, you may realize straight away which one is your favorite. However, the author says that he would not be able to single out any work from this series: “Because they collectively form one whole.”

He is currently working on a new artwork series.

“I am now in the phase of sketching and preparing the boards for further work. For now, I could say that this series will consist solely of graphics. I will be able to reveal more about this when the works are nearly completed,” he adds.

While speaking of Ostojić’s works, it is necessary to go back in time. He created his first graphic artwork in 1998 at the Graphic Colony in Subotica when he was only six years old. He participated in the Colony thanks to his mother, Sonja Spiroska-Ostjojić, who was a fellow participant.

“That was the first time I came in contact with graphics and I immediately discovered that it was something I would love to do. My first graphic work emerged during that time. The organizers recognized my hard work and great interest and decided to enlist me as an equal participant in the art colony, and thus I became the youngest participant in that colony,” Ostojić says.

Let’s go back to the present. The virus pandemic. Corona and creativity?

“Creativity does not lose its significance, because it is an important factor, something that I tend to use every day. It is a way I express myself and a part of my daily life,” says the exhibition author.

How do you, as an artist, experience quarantine?

“As an artist, I do not see this situation as some great shock, and I think that most of my colleagues involved in this work would agree with me. Spending our time in atelier every day, we have, somehow, got used to all this,” he replies, adding:

“Even before the pandemic, we isolated ourselves with our artworks, working and creating. It has no great consequences for me because I have my interests and goals that I am working on. Anyway, I hope that the situation with the virus will end as soon as possible and that people will be able to return to their daily, normal lives.”

Below listen to our conversation and what the reviewer Miljana Dunđerin said:

The exhibition is organized by Alternativna in partnership with Private Cultural Centre “Akvarijus” as part of the “ArtCult” project supported by UNMIK.

The series of exhibitions aims to present contemporary creativity of fine artists from different national communities, different generations, and different stylistic and poetic orientations, who live and create in Kosovo and the region.