Aleksandar Denić
October 22 – November 22, 2022
In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Information and with the support of the Saša Marcheta Foundation, after two years of planning and preparatory work, the exhibition is realized, which brings us from Berlin the complete scenographic solution of Brecht’s Galileo, numerous mock-ups and models, photographs, preparatory sketches and drawings that are detailed elaborate the flow of Denic’s ideas. The Decades exhibition gives an insight into the intense creative activity of this artist during his 10 years of work in Germany.
“Denić is not just a creator of stage worlds but also a co-director. His scenographies are art pieces in their own right, often possessing incredible material richness and imagination, exploring historical documents, commercial artifacts, and pop-culture symbols. These works are founded in a unique matrix-method for cultural signs, encompassing film, advertising, architecture, visual art, and beyond,” writes dramaturg Thomas Irmer in the exhibition catalog.
Working with German director Frank Castorf, Denić has realized several highly successful theater productions, including The Lady of the Camellias (Odeon Theater, Paris, 2012), America (Schauspielhaus, Zurich, 2012), the opera tetralogy The Ring of the Nibelung at the Bayreuth Festival in 2013, The Duel (Volksbühne Theater, Berlin, 2013), Journey to the End of the Night (Residenz Theater, Munich, 2014), and Baal (Residenz Theater, Munich, 2015).
“Denić creates spaces for a sense of fundamental uncertainty: hyper-realistic at first glance, yet deeply unsettling upon further reflection. Working with Castorf’s blend of theater and film, Denić has been able to develop this idea like never before,” writes Barbara Burkhart in Theater Heute yearbook.
Aleksandar Denić (Belgrade, 1963) graduated in set design from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade. Even as a student, he was hired by director Srđan Karanović as a set designer for the film For Now Without a Good Title (1988). Since then, Denić has created numerous set designs for films, including One Beautiful Day (1988), We Are Not Angels (1992), Byzantine Blue (1993), Wounds (1998), Cut Run (2009), and contributed to the production of Underground (1993/95).
In the field of theater set design, his works include Hitler & Hitler (Atelje 212, 2007), Talents and Admirers (National Theater in Belgrade, 2009), The Force of Destiny (National Theater in Belgrade, 2009), Around the World (Kruševac Theater, 2010), Hedda Gabler (National Theater in Belgrade, 2011), Deadbeats Drinking Tea (Šabac Theater, 2011), and Adio Cowboy (HNK, Split, 2012).
Following his successful work with Castorf, Denić also collaborated with Austrian director Martin Kušej on Goethe’s Faust at the Residenz Theater in Munich in mid-2014.
From 2009 to 2013, Denić served as president of the Association of Applied Artists and Designers of Serbia (ULUPUDS) and as artistic director of the Belgrade Summer Festival (BELEF) from 2010 to 2013.
He has received numerous awards for set design and contributions to stage design, including the Theater Heute magazine award for Best Set Designer in Germany for Journey to the End of the Night (Residenz Theater, 2014); the Opernwelt award for Set Design of the Year (2014) for The Ring of the Nibelung (Bayreuth Festival); the Faust award for Best Set Designer (2014) for The Ring of the Nibelung (awarded by the German Theater Association in collaboration with the Federal Cultural Office and the Academy of Performing Arts); and the Die Deutsche Bühne annual award for the 2013/2014 season for Outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Set Design. He was also nominated for the International Opera Award in 2014 in the Designer of the Year category.
Photo: Marina Bugarčić
